Luke Evans Got Back To Winning Ways On A Well Matched, Competitive VIP Show In Salford.
Luke Evans got back to winning ways as he headlined a very well-run 7-fight card from Steve Wood and VIP promotions at AJ Bell Stadium in Salford.
With every matchup competitive and all going the distance it proved that the matchmaking was very good indeed. All bouts were scheduled for set times from 19.20 up until 22.00 with each one going ahead on the time slot allocated.
A big thank you to Steve and the VIP team for providing fans with a terrific night of small hall action where nobody left disappointed with what they saw.
Main Event – Luke Evans vs Rustem Fatkullin.
After a recent draw on the Connor Benn vs Chris Van Heerden undercard in April \’Evo\’ was looking to build confidence back up after the six rounds at Manchester arena, in which he was knocked down for the first time in his career and his opponent on the night Miguel Cesario Antin 19-10-1 received a point deduction for excessive clinching.
Without the deduction, Luke Evans knows he would have lost the fight, so it was back to basics with trainer Matthew Hatton in preparation for last night\’s match-up.
Luke Evans vs Rustem Fatkhullin
Looking sharp and growing in confidence as the rounds went on I\’d assume it\’s 8-rounders next for the Salfordian with last night being his sixth fight scheduled for 18 minutes where he boxed well on his way to a deserved 60-55 points victory. I feel his team will want to move onto the next step of his career and get slots on similar shows like the Matchroom card he boxed on in April.
An emotional Luke Evans took to the microphone in the ring afterwards to pay homage to his Grandfather, Raymond. A nice touch from a young man that had plenty to contend with away from boxing.
Co-Main Event – Casey Brown vs Jake Bray.
The co-main event saw Casey Brown 4-0-0 go up against Jake Bray 3-9-0. Very close rounds saw Brown nick all four and come away with the 40-36 victory. However, Bray boxed really well and did well on his part. With a shock win against Jack Roberts in March, Bray will know he can mix it with these highly talented up-and-comers and will have plenty of offers going forward.
Aqib Fiaz vs Cristian Navarez.
An army of supporters for Oldham\’s Aqib Fiaz 8-0 as he faced off against the well-known Cristian Navarez 16-42-6. Clinical throughout as he patiently picked his moments against the bobbing and weaving Navarez who is always a very tricky opponent to look good against. Another shut-out victory 60-54 for the man trained by Jamie Moore and Nigel Travis.
Johnny Kiely vs Evenill Vazem.
Johnny Kiely moved to 4 and 0 after picking up a 39-37 victory over Evenill Vazem. A vivid start for Kiely saw him produce some pinpoint accuracy timing his shots well up until the last round where he had taken his foot off the gas allowing Vazem to grow in confidence landing a couple of big overhand rights to win the final round.
Rhys Woods vs Jay McCarthy.
Rhys Woods also moved to 4 and 0 after a stern test against the game Jay McCarthy who tried his best to rough Woods up from the first bell with clinches and attempts to force him to box on the inside. However, Woods remained composed and battled his way to the 40-36 win in yet another competitive matchup.
Thaun Wright vs Jamie Quinn.
Very well-respected journeyman Jamie Quinn was in his 143rd pro outing against prospect Thaun Wright. Wright moved to 3 and 0 after winning every round in a contest where Quinn again proved he is a solid test for any up-and-coming fighter in professional ranks.
Leon Cooney vs Naeem Ali.
Leon Cooney made his pro debut on the card against another respected journeyman Naeem Ali. Lots of taunting and showboating from Cooney where it seemed he wanted to show off rather than show his boxing skills off. A decent performance saw him win every round unfortunately overshadowed by his egotism.
By Dan Kelly
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