Barinder Singh versus Shawn Burton lived up to the hype
The search for the best domestic dust up of the year surely ended at Starlite 2001 in Leicester where local hero Barinder Singh came back from the brink to win a breathtaking triple title battle against Shawn Burton.
Barinder Singh and Shawn Burton in the ring
The hugely-anticipated scrap somehow exceeded expectations with Singh hauling himself off the floor to hammer his way to a ninth-round win that brought him the ISKA European light-welterweight title to add to his British and Commonwealth belts. The Midlands rivals swapped knockdowns in a sensational opening three rounds. Burton hit the canvas from a right hand in the second then had Singh in desperate trouble in the next. Singh walked onto a left hook that shook him badly and Burton belted him to the floor with a similar blow. Burton was down moments after Singh wobbled to his feet at ‘eight,’ but the referee ruled he had slipped. Singh got through to the bell and changed tactics from the fourth. He circled the ring shooting out jabs and Burton set about hunting him down. Singh had probably edged into a points lead going into the penultimate session of the 10-rounder and then Burton dramatically unravelled. He was sent crashing when Singh drilled him with a straight right down the middle. Burton landed on the seat of his trunks and groggily hauled himself up, but Singh soon belted him to his knees again and the referee signalled the finish.
Singh’s cousins Harjinder and Karlbir Singh made it a family treble by claiming English titles on the same bill. Harjinder took the vacant super-bantamweight title with a repeat points win over Mel Dunthorpe from Norwich.Singh, a relaxed fighter who moves well and waits for openings before unloading flurries, was in charge from the start.He had Dunthorpe over in the second, fought his way off the ropes when the Norwich fighter briefly rallied in the fourth and then finished the fight on top.Brother Karlbir Singh took the short route to the featherweight title - belting Dave Stewart from Burton to the canvas twice to force the stoppage in just 53 seconds.
But there was title heartbreak for Al Osta.He bid to reverse a previous points loss to Andy Pollard from Stevenage and claim the ISKA British super-middleweight title.But he was beaten again on a unanimous points vote. Osta was on the front foot for most of a close fight and then kept pumping out punches when Pollard drove him back in the last couple of rounds. But the points decision went to Pollard.
The judges couldn’t separate Mick Crossland from Jesters Gym and Oliver Walsh after four rounds.Walsh, previously a winner against Dale Woods and unlucky to drop a decision to Ricky Gammon, was picked off in the opening two rounds and then got closer to Crossland in the second half of the fight and let his punches go from both hands. Another good undercard match up, ISKA Commonwealth light-middleweight champion Tommy McCafferty hit too hard for Aaron Robinson (Lincoln) in a battle of champions. Robinson, holder of the ISKA British title, was down in the first and then stopped after taking another count in the second.McCafferty next challenges ISKA world champion Fran Zuccala on November 8. There were wins for five other fighters from Leicester Kickboxing Club on the bill. Dan Cashmore marked his return after a year away by dominating John Hewitt from Mansfield and heavyweight Justin Crowson was in charge from the opening bell against Graham Blackwell and forced a third-round retirement. Ian Jarrams and Norman Smith were convincing points winners over Shaun Law (Dragonfoot) and Michael Guinness (Sue Fell) respectively and Maciej Lee recorded a first-round stoppage of BJ Mayfield from Lincoln. Kellie Murray got the show off to a winning start for the home club with a points win over Cath Adams (Dragonfoot).
18 June 2008
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