Contender UK vs USA in-depth fight reports

By Suzanne Nield

Suzanne Nield was in Newcastle for us and brings you the most detailed lowdown of the UK vs USA Contender matches. Click the link to read all about it!.

Paul Smith v Jonathan Reid

With the first bout of the evening, a ‘preliminary’ which would not count towards the final team scoring, things got off to a bit of a shaky start with a controversial stoppage.

Smith’s jab was being blocked at first, but he landed a good right to the head, left to the body combination as Reid also maintained some strong body work in the opening round. Paul took the round for me with a neat uppercut on the inside and a double right hand at the bell. The match was very competitive in the second round as Smith maintained his workrate with an accurate jab and left uppercut to the body, but Reid was producing some heavy hooks, blocking Smith well. Smith landed an overhand right to the head and a good left to the body, but the best work came from Reid with uppercuts on the ropes and a big left to the head closing the round. Smith outdid the American in the third with excellent variety, taking his head back with the jab and finishing with a strong combination to the body.

Reid’s uppercut was clearly his weapon of choice, and it looked a killer in the fourth through sixth rounds, but Smith was increasing the tempo, putting some classy sequences together. Smith swept the fifth with a barrage – it became a bit of a wrestling match at times as things hotted up, both fighters hungry to win. There was some use of the head by Smith in the sixth as the urgency increased – I had Smith well ahead due to his variety and accuracy, but this was a competitive round, Reid landing a good double jab and driving forward.

Reid was trying to tie Smith up going into the seventh, but the Scouser landed a hard overhand right to the head and a massive uppercut, left hook combination put Reid on the canvas. He beat the count to be driven to the ropes, but things became messy and as the fighters grappled Reid stumbled down again. It was no knockdown and the referee didn’t call it as such, but unbelievably waved things off as soon as Reid regained his feet.

Reid was ruled as unfit to continue at 1 minute 21 seconds of the bout by UK referee Victor Loughlin, but the American’s eyes were clear.

Reid was understandably furious and this wasn’t a good start to international relations! However, all three judges had him behind, 68-64 twice and 69-65.

Nigel Wright v Jonathan Nelson

In the second non-scoring preliminary bout, southpaw Wright worked a classic one-two to good effect in the opening round, but not much else. However, it didn’t look as though much more would be needed, as Nelson was ineffective in the first and boxing out of range. Early in the second, Nelson went to the canvas, ruled a slip although it seemed that a hook may have been responsible. Wright got in a right uppercut on the inside, which left its mark, and carried on with the old one-two. A tussle on the ropes led to Nelson going down again, this looked to be from a clash of heads–cum-push but was counted by referee Pat Russell. Nelson beat the count easily.

The Hartlepool man connected with a left hook to the body and was dissecting the American with jabs that couldn’t miss. Nelson, bleeding badly from the left brow, was caught again with a jab on his way in.

In the corner, the cuts were bad enough for the ringside doctor to recommend an end to the bout.

Anthony Small v Walter Wright

A contentious result here from my point of view. The Brit, whose exuberant personality could have won him plenty of fans across the pond when the series is televised, has chosen instead to alienate our American cousins with his ‘spank a Yank’ nonsense all week.

I expected that he would be dominated by Wright, frankly, but this bout was surprisingly even. Although Wright’s technique was superior, he relied on countering and didn’t turn it on as early as he should have. Small was clearly up for the fight and kept very busy.

In the opening round Wright was landing well to the body, and Small showed that he has a good uppercut, but it was a bit of a feeling-out session.

Small began the second with an excellent left uppercut, right cross sequence and took Walter’s head back with the jab. Although this was a very close round Wright took it for me with his sharp counters as Small came in, a nice overhand right and some solid hooks to the body. However, the American looked uncertain about Small’s unusual, dodging style and wasn’t pressing an attack.

The action was very back and forth for the next four rounds, two apiece on my card, as Small was aggressive but getting caught with counters and being made to pay for everything he landed. I appreciated Wright’s left hook, right cross combination and tough hooks in the fourth, and Small was looking a bit sloppy in the fifth, warned for not facing his opponent, while Wright kept things tight with a neat flurry and lovely right head shot.

The difference in style of these two fighters meant that the scoring was going to be highly subjective. For me, Wright got the better of most exchanges and boxed a neater game. However, Small was eye-catching in the sixth with a hard left hand doing great work downstairs and up. The seventh was also a good round for him as he landed strong hooks and an uppercut to the head, although Wright was beginning to look more dangerous, driving to the corner with a barrage.

The final round was huge for Wright. A heated exchange opened things, which Wright dominated with tough head work. Small looked in trouble early. He went down, ruled a slip, and the Seattle man continued to land with massive right hooks to the head. Bloodied, Small was extremely lucky to make it to the bell.

Wright clearly believed he had won, and given that last round he surely had the moral victory.

One more round and it’s hard to believe the American wouldn’t have finished things.

However, the judges, as expected, saw different fights.

American Jack Rees matched my score of 77-75 for Wright.

Victor Loughlin saw it 77-76 for Small.

The score I had a problem with actually came from the American judge Pat Russell, who saw a bout where Small took it 78-74.

Wright left the ring with a face like thunder, but he simply should have pushed things earlier.

Ross Minter v Freddy Curiel

See separate special report – ‘Fight of the Night’.

Martin Concepcion v Alfonzo Gomez

Gomez had a lot of fans in the audience, some of whom turned up primarily to see the hard-hitting, slick Mexican (by way of California) do his stuff. He was always the favourite going into this bout, but Concepcion gave him some spirited competition.

Martin slipped well but didn’t throw much in the first, while Gomez looked busy and accomplished, landing a particularly nice hook to the body and showing a firm jab. The Englishman just couldn’t match his workrate in the second, although he started well with hooks to the head. Gomez kept up that strong jab, taking Martin’s head back, and finished with a strong rally of combinations.

The Englishman was outgunned, and this was clear by the third. The Mexican’s big left hook did some serious damage early, and when it showed up again Concepcion went down. He beat the count but was looking ragged, absorbing some more heavy shots to rally briefly at the close of the round.

Gomez is certainly no mere slugger – he boxed craftily behind the jab, showing respect for an opponent who came back well from the knockdown. In the next two rounds Martin demonstrated plenty of durability and power, a very strong left hook shaking Gomez momentarily in the fifth. But the Mexican just had too much to offer, raining a bewildering array of hooks, uppercuts and a big right cross on Concepcion, who finished the round on the ropes.

The Englishman came out slugging in the sixth, and there was some bruising on the Mexican’s face to show for it. But he caught most of Martin’s shots on his gloves and rocked the Brit again with an overhand right. The uppercut was used well by him and Martin was taking some clubbing to the head and ribs by the close.

The seventh was the finisher – the Leicester man was throwing a strong right hand, but Gomez stepped on the pedal and took things to another level. A lovely sequence to the head was followed by punishing body work – things got fast and furious, and an uppercut on the inside resulted in Martin turning away, clearly in trouble, his glove to his eye. Gomez pounced, and the referee Victor Loughlin quickly intervened as the Brit couldn’t respond.

The time was called at 2 minutes 23 seconds.

Paul Buchanan v Jerson Revelo

I can’t call this a disappointing fight as it seemed a mismatch anyway – the rumour was that the inexperienced Buchanan got this shot against former Olympian Ravelo primarily because Newcastle is his home town. However, Ravelo certainly didn’t shine.

The Geordie was outworked in the first two rounds, looking like he didn’t have much of a plan to handle the busy, but hardly devastating, American. He managed to block most of what was coming his way but wasn’t throwing enough.

Ravelo spiced up the action in the third landing a big overhand right and some good body hooks, a barrage putting Buchanan on the canvas near the close of the round. He beat the count, but it looked as though the American was going to close the show.

However, this promising round was followed by three rounds of apparent pointlessness, as Ravelo circled and jabbed, circled and jabbed, and everyone wondered why he was being so cautious against an opponent who didn’t really pack a punch. It became a yawnfest, frankly, and Buchanan was heartened enough to do some good stuff in the sixth and seventh and probably nick at least one of those rounds with a good jab and some body work.

Ravelo wasn’t throwing the right hand much, so it seemed that he’d damaged it – this was confirmed later by his corner who said it had been broken. I expect this happened in the third.
Buchanan was taking some head shots however, and was bloodied by the final bell.

Howard Foster scored 80-71.

Victor Loughlin 79-73.

Jack Rees 79-72, all for Ravelo.

Robin Reid v Jesse Brinkley

The big question going into this fight was, how rusty was Reid? Rumour had it that the Olympic bronze medallist and former WBC title holder, who practically retired after the Lacy loss, had spent a bare six weeks in the gym for this. Brinkley was known to be accomplished and likely to give him a run for his money.

Reid stumbled off balance a few seconds into the opening stanza, which looked bad, and landed a low blow or two unnoticed by the ref Howard Foster. Although Reid did enough to take them, the first three rounds were very messy, and Reid looked to me like he was breathing too hard. The famous Brit’s work was undisciplined, but he was landing. Brinkley proved slippery, but was starting to come under pressure by the fourth when a big hook took his head sideways early on. He landed a nice uppercut inside at the bell.

By the fifth round Reid had warmed up, shaken off whatever rust he came in with, and settled down to some solid boxing. The scrappiness disappeared. Huge body hooks resounded, well absorbed by Brinkley, who also had to deal with another low blow at the bell. Brinkley was boxing well and working very hard in the middle rounds, landing some strong hooks and a tough, controlled jab, but Reid was clocking him with a counter shot whenever he came in close.

What started as an untidy brawl was a decent fight by now. Some good combinations to the head from the Brit in the seventh and a strong overhand left – Reid was dominating well now. He opened the final round with a huge right uppercut, a real rattler – although Brinkley was getting shots through, he was paying for them in spades. A double left hook to the head from the former champion did some damage, and he slipped beautifully to land another one at the bell.

Reid improved as the fight progressed, his speed increased as Brinkley tired. Although easier to hit in the later rounds, the American’s work was impressive and this was a competitive, entertaining bout after a clunky start.

Victor Loughlin 78-75

Pat Russell 78-76

Jack Rees 78-74

All for Reid, who has apparently signed a three fight deal and isn’t looking to retire just yet.

Colin McNeil v Cornelius Bundrage

K9 initially looked a little nonplussed by our southpaw Scottish title holder, almost as if he hadn’t been expecting the stance. But he doubled up the jab and got some uppercuts inside in the opening round, while McNeil landed to the body. McNeil looked determined, bulling to the ropes in the second, his left getting in power shots to the body and head, continuing this solid stuff in the third. The Brit was the aggressor, but Bundrage was making him miss.

By the fourth K9 had figured McNeil out. He countered him well, and on the second of a couple of huge right hooks to the head, McNeil went down.

He beat the count, but K9 was on the warpath now and controlled the last minute with tough right hands to the body.

McNeil went down again in the fifth – a slip – but the Brit was looking ragged now. K9 was in control – the sixth saw him land overwhelmingly with a strong multiple jab and body hooks, a right putting McNeil on the canvas once more. Following the count Bundrage waded in with hooks from both sides (one low!) and Colin was saved by the bell.

It was only a matter of time – and not much time at that. 40 seconds into the seventh that terrific right hand finished things, to give the US team their fourth victory.