By Elliot Foster
'Dirty' Derry Mathews came up short in his quest to become the new IBO world lightweight champion and, at the same time, only the second Liverpool fighter to win a world title at two different weight divisions at the Olympia last night.
The 28-year-old put up an incredibly strong challenge throughout but failed to become the first man in 25 fights to defeat Emiliano Marsili, who showed dazzling handspeed en-route to a seventh round referee’s stoppage.
And there was further disappointment on the Scouse-packed underard as chief support Steve Harkin lost a British Masters and Central Area title challenge against Doncaster’s Jason Ball. Harkin, like Mathews, put up a brave title assault, but similarly was left bloodied and bruised by the visitor, also being rescued by the third man in the seventh round.
The evening began so positively for the capacity home crowd as well. Lightweight novice Joe Tonks extending his pro record to 4-2 against Kristian Laight, coming through a close fight that had a concerned home crowd on the edge of its seat from the get go. Ultimately it was the sheer volume of punches Joe was raining in that persuaded the referee to hand him the decision by a margin of only one point (39-38).
Manchester’s Lyndon Newman went toe-to-toe with Steve Spence of Scunthorpe in the night’s second contest. With both fighters going all out and giving it their all leaving the referee was left with another tough decision to make on his scorecard. On this occasion, determining a winner proved impossible and both arms where raised after the final bell for a 39-39 draw.
Teenage lightweight southpaw Tommy Carus boxed the head of Crawley character ‘Rocking’ Robin Deakin for four rounds in the next contest to run away with a whitewash 40-36 points score. Carus, 19, had too much in every department for the visitor as he doubled his pro tally. Yet that didn’t stop Deakin entertaining the home support by bizarrely remonstrating about the result and asking ringside fight fans for their views.
‘Baby Faced Assassin’ Paul Butler kicked off the live on BoxNation portion of the fight card by running away with a points victory after eight rounds with Bristol’s Michael Ramabeletsa. The talented super-flyweight, from Ellesmere Port, came out all guns blazing and was boxing his opponent into the ground early running. But Ramabeletsa showed great heart to withstand the onslaught despite looking like a safe bet for an early shower in the opening rounds. Butler won every round , reflected in the referee’s 80-72 scorecard but his bloody nose and eye – which required stitches afterwards – showed how much he had to work to come through undoubtedly the best test of his blossoming 6-0 career so far.
Before the ttle action got underway it was up to Oliver Harrison’s newest recruit to show his home fans what they’ve been missing after what was ultimately a frustrating 2011. Joe Selkirk is one of the first names on every Merseyside fighters’ lists of favourite boxers and is ne of the most natural talents the city has produced in decades. But his stop-start career is spoiling his professional prospects; his sole outing in 2011 a first round knockout of Terry Carruthers at the Echo Arena in July.
And that ring rustiness showed here against game Middlesex man Ryan Toms. Ultimately Selkirk’s class told as he forced the referee and doctor into pulling out the 30-year-old late in the fifth round. Even a far less than best Selkirk proved to big a puncher for Toms, who had a huge haematoma over his right eye which gave the referee and medical officer little choice than to pull him out.
It was then Harkin’s moment of glory. After assembling a tough 5-2-2 record this joint British Masters and Central Area title opportunity was surely the best the keen light-middleweight can conquer. Yet all rounder Ball, whose own 4-5-1 record puts him at a similar level, had other ideas. The last time the Yorkshireman fought at this venue he was defeated inside the distance by local MMA star Paul Sass, when he was moonlighting in his other pro fighting profession as a cage fighter. Yet it was his turn to celebrate an early night here.
After raining in right hands through the seven rounds, eventually referee Phil Edwards stopped the fight 58 seconds into the seventh round. And despite some complaints from the home corner, the stoppage was spot on. Harkin was getting hurt. The 28-year-old Ball ultimately proving he was just a class above game Harkin. Following the fight, Harkin confessed: “I’m going to take a couple of weeks out to consider my options, but I did say when I got back into the dressing room that that loss was me finished.”
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| Derry throws a rare jab against Marsili. Pic by Conor Roberts |
So the stage was set for Mathews to repair the night for the vocal home fans. As he walked to the ring for this vacant IBO world title matchup it was a case of standing room only at the Olympia which appeared to have far more in attendance than it’s 1,600 capacity. However, in front of his small pocket of travelling fans it was Italian Marsili who went home with the belt and his unbeaten record in tact. And he deserved to do so.
The man from Civitavecchia took the opening round after going out on the front foot and picking off Derry with the same combination, a slick right faint left cross which appeared to land flush on Mathews’ chin at will. The home team’s gameplan clearly appeared to be to counterpunch the visitor, but by the end of the first round it already seemed clear that tactic was not going to work. Marsili’s lightening fast hands where even too much for the overhead lights, which briefly went out to delay the start of the second.
The delay did nothing to slow Marsili’s title charge however, as he continued to close the distance with ease and bully Mathews, who started slowly and hesitantly, throughout the second three minutes. A change in tactics was urgently required and thankfully it arrived in the third, as Mathews landed a big right hand to rock Marsili onto the ropes following, finally, some dictation from the left jab. It was all the excuse the home fans needed to get on their feet and show their appreciation.
But that jab, and perhaps Mathews’ best chance of victory, once more disappeared in the fourth round and after a clash of heads up against the ropes opened up a cut on Derry’s left eye Marsili’s confidence once again went through the roof. Before the end of the round and strong uppercut rocked Derry onto his heels and also broke the same nose that led to his failed European title challenge in October.
Despite the blood however Mathews came back to win the fifth round after throwing bunches of punches after driving Marsili back onto the ropes with a smashing overhand right. Derry swarmed in for the finish, but the Italian rode the storm – around a 20-punch combination – and looked strong as he headed back to his corner at the bell, while Mathews’ face was awash with blood and he was sucking in deep gulps of air through his mouth, with his nose now spread from cheek to cheek.
That effort took its toll in the sixth and suddenly the writing was painted all over the Olympia walls. Marsili was still firing on all cylinders and simply reverted back to the right faint left cross combination which served him so well in the early exchanges to enflict more damage. Meanwhile, Derry, roared on by the loving home support, was bravly gritting his teeth and swinging away. The roles had once again reversed; the hunter had once again become the hunted.
A great uppercut left to the body combination from Marsili left Mathews on one knee near to his own corner in the latter stages of the sixth, but he dug deep once more to see the round out and was rewarded with a huge ovation at the sound of the bell. But the finish was coming.
After being rocked in a neutral corner and visibly sagging on his feet, Mathews stumbled up against the ropes in front of promoter Steven Vaughan yet as Marsili closed in referee Howard Foster took the brave decision to end the contest. Derry naturally wanted to continue. It was a controversial stoppage, but the referee showed compassion to prevent Mathews from suffering any more punishment.
Afterwards Derry said: “I’ll go away now, have my Christmas dinner and have a little break with my family. I won’t make any decision on my future right now, but I put a lot into this fight, made a lot of sacrifices, yet I was beaten by the better man on the night.”
Two final local prospects signed the night off with a pair of wins for those brave enough to stay behind. Debutant Mick Philips and lightweight prospect Andy Colquhoun, now 2-0, both running off with clear points victories to complete a memorable night for Merseyside boxing.
