by Suzanne Nield
British Lightweight Championship – Norfolk Showground, Friday 16 March
When Jono entered the ring with that ‘take no prisoners’ glare, the air around him seemed to crackle. It kind of went with the thunder he got from the crowd, although Lawton brought some pretty massive support with him from the Potteries, too.
Thaxton came in with a slight edge in weight at 9st 8lb 7oz over Lawton’s 9st 8lb, but Scott had the height and reach advantage.
Jon started out in southpaw (his natural stance, though he’s equally comfortable in ortho), getting the jab through to the body. Scott made use of his reach advantage putting that long left arm over the top of the jab, and it looked as if this might prove troublesome to Jon in rounds to come. A couple of hard body shots were followed by an overhand left to the head clearly felt by Scott – the first, and early, indication that Thaxton’s power was going to be the issue here. Scott looked taut and uncertain. The second minute saw him covering up in the corner as combinations flew – a right hook to the body was mixed with a perfectly-timed and almost simultaneous jab to the face. (Jon’s going to have to give up his propaganda about being no more than a hard-working puncher. That was very neat.)
In round two Scott was doing some good management, despite getting his nose bloodied in the first minute with a left hook on the end of Jon’s opening flurry. He was landing his jab when Thaxton was on his way out, and putting together some intelligent combinations, his left connecting well to the body and head towards the end of the round. But he was being outpointed and steered by Jono, who sank in his own double left to the ribs and a big overhand right at the bell.
At the start of the next, Lawton continued to make good use of that tough jab of his as Jon sized him up from alternate stances. Driven to the corner, Scott responded with hooks to the body, to elude temporarily and be pinned down again. Jon ducked under a right hand but caught a nice left body shot. A strong left from Thaxton followed by a right hook to the head bloodied Scott’s nose again, and his left eye was looking bruised by the end of the round.
The fourth was one to make Jono’s fans hold their breath, as fears materialised and he was cut on the right eyelid. The round started with Jon being warned for use of the shoulder as Scott tried to tie him up. The cut was caused by a clash of heads – in the following clinch Jon held his arms wide expecting referee Richie Davies to call a break. There was no call, and Scott landed two legitimate rights to the body and one upstairs while Jon was undefended. This was a quality round for Scott as he looked to be picking Thaxton off with long jabs, but scoring with left hooks when things got close. However, Thaxton’s workrate remained high, he was controlling the fight and he took the round on my card – those big right bombs to the ribcage were killers and certainly proved Scott’s conditioning.
Into the fifth Jono meant business and drove to the corner again. A right to the heart, left to the ribs looked very solid. Lawton’s defences were tight, but another head shot got through. Jon was feinting and switching, and a solid right to the body came at the end of a firm rally. Scott was looking pretty cool, though, catching Thaxton to the head as he came in low, but the power in his punches seemed to be draining. He did some nice body work, slipping Thaxton’s right to get in his own right hook to the small rib, but the undoubted quality wasn’t enough to take the rounds against the powerhouse coming at him. The cut to Jon’s eye was well under control.
Into the next Lawton’s connect rate started well as those body shots were working for him. But Thaxton’s power shots were heavier – the challenger was very durable but starting to get mauled. Jon got in a big left to the chin, feinted and threw another long left to the head, put together combinations to the body ending upstairs.
The seventh was the finisher. A right hand took Scott’s head back in the first seconds, opening a cut between his eyebrows which seeped instantly. The ref called time for the doctor to take a look.
It was waved on and Scott came back with energy, but took more head shots and was looking in trouble. Jono closed the show with a spectacular right hook to the chin – I don’t know how Lawton was still upright, because his balance was shot like he was in a bad earthquake, maybe point 8 on the Richter scale. The ref jumped in to stop him taking another one like that.
The time was 2 minutes 40 seconds.
My notes as early as round two: ‘Jon just too strong’.
The Norwich crowd erupted wildly, and Jono was soon enveloped in a media circus, which he worked like royalty. Jon is endlessly patient with after-match questions (usually the same ones over and over again), but I always feel that fighters deserve to get home after they’ve given their all in the ring, rather than go another couple of rounds with the press. Such is the well-oiled and courteous machinery of Hennessy sports, however, that Ukboxingpress found itself slid into the champ’s presence to gather his thoughts.
What about that collective groan from the fans when the cut on his eyelid opened? Jon laughs. He takes cuts in his stride these days, thanks to Graham Everett and the Ingles in his corner. They always control things well. Dominic Ingle flew out to Montreal after the show to be with Buster Keeton in his match up against Troy Ross for the Commonwealth cruiser title.
Scott put up an impressive battle but was taking a lot of hard shots. Was he as well-prepared for Jon’s style as he said he was?
‘He (Scott) couldn’t be prepared for me because I fought a different kind of fight to the Meager fight. I’m always going to do something different, that’s why I’ll go through anyone at this weight – that and they know they’re going to face my bombs.’
The champ’s eyes burn with the kind of evangelical zeal that sets armies of the converted marching across continents. That right hand wasn’t just a bomb, please note, it was a weapon of mass destruction. Perhaps it’s just as well Jon hasn’t embarked on a political career, although I get the feeling it would work for him – he runs motivational courses, the success of which are down to force of personality.
The Thaxton team want to set up a world title shot for Jon, no matter what. Amir Khan has been mentioned as a possible defence of the British title by the end of the year. Jon has said previously that he has respect for Khan but doesn’t think the Bolton lad is ready for him yet. They’re also considering European title holder Yuri Romanov (who had a points loss to Graham Earl last year, is relatively inexperienced and beatable, I think, for Thaxton), but I mention Katsidis and Jon’s face lights up. That’s the one he wants, so fingers crossed.
What a match-up that would be.
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