The Ironworks is not the biggest venue I’ve been to but the fans were more vibrant and rejoicing than a Highland ceilidh.
Vacant International Masters Heavyweight Title contested over 10 X 3 minute rounds.
Gary Cornish, Inverness V Paul Butlin, Melton Mowbray
Paul Butlin entered the ring via the balcony preceded by the St George’s Flag; it never went down too well with the partisan crowd.
Before the Highlander Gary Cornish made his way to the ring the sound system belted out these words “Sons of Scotland, I am William Wallace. And I see a whole army of my own countrymen, here in defiance of tyranny! You have come to fight as free men. And free men you are... (The entire Braveheart Speech)
Announcer Craig Stephen got hold of the microphone and proceeded to pronounce his verbal signature, “The officials are ready, the boxers are ready, are you ready for the main event”.
Butlin began proceedings pushing his man back behind a solid jab and it’s only fair to say he had a reasonable amount of success. Cornish had a certain spring in his step while working his way in with the left throwing the greater amount of punches and looking well within his comfort zone. Cornish emerged from his stool early for the 2nd and he floated round his opponent throwing more punches than a young Cassius Clay, Butlin was floored but it was decidedly a shove and there was no count. Cornish was dominating the action letting go up to 5 punch combinations with little reply and this volume of work rate continued through the 3rd were he dishevelled his opponent with an overhand right forcing his man against the ropes. Butlin was not at the races for the first 3 rounds but started to come into it in the 4th. I was hit on both eyebrows from the sweat of Gary Cornish who had steadied the ship and was picking his shots, he landed a vigorous right hand to the body, Butlin returned the gesture and a straight right almost on the bell from Cornish threw Butlin back into his own corner. A more confident looking Cornish began the 5th using the same tactics as the previous round, Butlin fought back gamely but was on the receiving end of precise jabs and hefty right’s to the body that were clearly taking their toll. With only 2 seconds of the round remaining Butlin dropped like an artic lorry falling from a tenement building holding his groin area and rolling around the ring as if he were being shot at with a machine gun, referee Kenny Pringle began the count. The referee awarded the contest to Gary Highlander Cornish by TKO 5 after 3 minutes and 8 seconds and he remains unbeaten.
Rhys Pagan, Sanquar and Robert Dixon, Gateshead, fought a Welterweight contest over 6 X 3 minute rounds. Dixon came off the jab working the old one-two; pagan had a cut or a graze above his eye at the end of the 1st. Dixon began forcing the contest, Pagan retaliated with pressure. It was a hard fought contest between two unbeaten fighters but somebody’s o had to go. Dixon seemed to be landing the cleaner shots and it reflected in the referee scoring the contest 58-56 in favour of Robert Dixon who remains unbeaten.
Drew Campbell, Colchester, and Scott Ross, Inverness, fought a Light-Middleweight contest over 6 X 2 minute rounds. This was an extremely one sided fight, Scott Ross out-manoeuvred, out-fought, and out-worked Campbell. The referee scored the contest 60-54 in favour of Scott Ross.
By Raymond Fraser Buchanan
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