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I made the journey west to the Grand Hall Palace Theatre in the heart of the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire for an evening of professional boxing on Saturday 13th April 2013 courtesy of Alex Morrison. In the past week I’d done more travelling than The Bay City Rollers and after a polite exchange of words with the door staff I was ushered to the main hall where the boxing was to take place upon which I met the lovely Christine Morrison who showed me to my ringside seat, if I were a couple of foot closer I would almost be sitting in the ring.
The people of Kilmarnock were so courteous and friendly, l felt right at home and they procured a sense of belonging that I will never forget.
I had a wee chat with Promoter Alex Morrison, he’s such a nice man, he looks in great shape for a man of his age and it was a pleasure talking to him. I took my seat next to top journalist Jim Black; he gave me a lot of encouragement and a few tips, he’s been in the game longer than Bernard Hopkins. The lights in the hall dimmed to darkness as the lights surrounding the ring lit up like the floodlights of a football stadium. A song by The Who ‘Baba O Riley’ belted out from the sound system and an older man with a chequered bonnet stood up in the balcony and started dancing, punching the air and giving it yahoo as the first boxers made their way to the ring.
It was a 4 x 3 minute contest at Light-Welterweight between Hugh Gray, Glasgow and southpaw Vaclav Skromach, Newark. Gray came out his corner to an arousing applause and was anxious to make his mark in the early stages of the fight by staggering his opponent early doors and following up with a blistering volley of punches, this kid tried to end it in the 1st round. Gray relentlessly came forward throwing a barrage of punches without a reply. In the 3rd round Gray began to pick his punches with less haste and the referee had to ask his opponent if he wanted to continue, he pummelled his man and threw him about like a rag doll, landing a neat left hook on the bell. The boxers touched gloves at the beginning of the last round, a hard right hand left a really tired and bewildered looking Skromach yearning for the final bell. Gray put on an impressive, comprehensive display and this reflected in the referees scoring of 40-35 in favour of Hugh Gray.
South Ayrshire man Sammy ‘The Bull’ Hill came in to a reception worthy of a king to face a worthy opponent in the shape of Richard Bitner, Halifax in a Welterweight contest over 4x3 minute rounds. Hill came out jabbing and landed a big right hand to the head of Bitner, Bitner fought back but heavy handed Hill landed a few more of the same to put his opponent in his place. The referee had a word with both boxers; Hill looked very strong. The crowd were chanting his name in harmony and stamping their feet. The fight began to look a bit more even then Hill unleashed another solid right to Bitners head and he looked in trouble, however, remarkably Bitner unleashed a venomous combination of punches that never budged 'The Bull' who worked his way back in and jolted the head of Bitner with a left hook. The 3rd round was a hard round to score as each man made a move to up their game, Hill finishing the round with his trademark straight right and the crowd were singing like a choir to the tune of Sammy Hill. The start of the last round saw the two boxers giving their all but Hill finished the round the stronger man, it was a good fight and both boxers sportingly embraced. The referee scored the contest 39-37 in favour of Sammy ‘The Bull’ Hill.
The next up were two debutants Darin Reid, Alloa and Alistair Gonsales, Dunfermline in a Light-Middleweight contest over 4x3 minute rounds. The boys came out to a dance song by Flo Rida ‘Good Feeling’ and the crowd were bouncing. It was an impetuous start to the fight by Gonsales, Darin Reid was throwing the more accurate punches where Gonsales was mainly throwing wild punches to the body and Reid clearly knocked his opponents head back midway through the round. Gonzales retaliated but Reid finished the round landing solid three punch combinations. A hefty right hand from Reid knocked Gonsales through the ropes at the start of the 2nd although he did come back for more but Reid rocked his man’s head again with a big right, a four punch combination followed by a connecting right uppercut and finishing with a two punch straight left and right to the head that jolted Gonsales backwards where he sat stunned, tangled, and powerless between the ropes for what seemed like 20 seconds before they managed to get him to his stool, the referee did not even start a count, after 2 min 36 sec of the 2nd round the fight was stopped and Darin Reid made a winning debut.
Unbeaten Irvine Boxer Ryan Collins made his way to the ring with The White Stripes ‘Seven Nation Army’ song vibrating round the hall pulsating the building, his fans raised to their feet with the rhythm, stamping and cheering. His opponent was Englishman Danny Wallace from Leeds, in a 4x3 minute round Super-featherweight contest. Wallace was a much more experienced boxer but Collins was all over him like a rash catching his man against the ropes unloading a lot of leather, switching his attack from head to body and catching his man in the corner at the end of the 1st throwing a variety of punches as Wallace covered up. Collins was working behind the jab trying to find his range and the crowd were singing ‘The flower of Scotland’. But the 2nd round was more even with Wallace gaining success to the head and Collins to the body. By the 3rd Wallace’s face was beginning to mark up, he was mixing it with Collins to begin with but Collins went on to unleash some heavy punches to the head and body and by the end of the round Wallace had a huge, black and blue swelling under his left eye. Ryan Collins out worked his opponent and by the look of Wallace he was clearly getting through, finishing off with rapid three punch combinations before the bell rang. The Referee scored the contest 39-37 in favour of Ryan Collins.
Edinburgh Southpaw Craig McEwan and Alister Warren, Huddersfield, entered the ring to a song by Whitesnake called ‘Here I Go Again’ in a 6x3 minute round Middleweight contest. Craig McEwan worked behind a nice straight jab while Warren went to the body. McEwan looked in command using tidy footwork and good body movement, twisting and turning his hips to open up combinations to the head and body, he switched to orthodox and connected with a cracking left hook, after another three punch combination the referee stepped in on account of two deep cuts above Warren’s eye. There was a bit of confusion before the referee called the boxers together and due to a clash of head the contest was scored as a Technical Draw.
Top of the bill was unbeaten southpaw Jon Slowey Glasgow, and Michael Stupart, Dunfermline, it took a while before this contest started due to the previous fight ending in the first round. Jon Slowey is a slick boxer with good movement drawing blood from the mouth of Stupart as early as the 1st round. Within seconds of the bell sounding for the 2nd Slowey had Stupart down for the count of 8, Stupart got up and let go a combination of punches whilst Slowey was against the ropes but he was quick to let Slowey back in to take charge. By the 3rd both boxers were working inside throwing hooks, Slowey stepped back and threw a lovely left uppercut followed by a good left hook. The fight was going to plan for Slowey and he was working harder than his opponent and throwing more quality punches but Stupart got going at the end of the 5th and left a cut above the right eye of John Slowey. It’s only fair to say Jon Slowey out-boxed his opponent throughout most of the fight and looked the classier fighter, however, Michael Stupart showed great courage getting back up in the 2nd and getting himself back into the fight to an extent, his best round by far was the last but it was a case of too little too late. The referee scored the contest 79-73 in favour of Jon Slowey who takes his record to 13-0.
Alex Morrison put on a great show of professional boxing that had a bit of everything, excitement, suspense, drama and the capacity crowd were fantastic.
By Raymond Fraser Buchanan
The people of Kilmarnock were so courteous and friendly, l felt right at home and they procured a sense of belonging that I will never forget.
I had a wee chat with Promoter Alex Morrison, he’s such a nice man, he looks in great shape for a man of his age and it was a pleasure talking to him. I took my seat next to top journalist Jim Black; he gave me a lot of encouragement and a few tips, he’s been in the game longer than Bernard Hopkins. The lights in the hall dimmed to darkness as the lights surrounding the ring lit up like the floodlights of a football stadium. A song by The Who ‘Baba O Riley’ belted out from the sound system and an older man with a chequered bonnet stood up in the balcony and started dancing, punching the air and giving it yahoo as the first boxers made their way to the ring.
It was a 4 x 3 minute contest at Light-Welterweight between Hugh Gray, Glasgow and southpaw Vaclav Skromach, Newark. Gray came out his corner to an arousing applause and was anxious to make his mark in the early stages of the fight by staggering his opponent early doors and following up with a blistering volley of punches, this kid tried to end it in the 1st round. Gray relentlessly came forward throwing a barrage of punches without a reply. In the 3rd round Gray began to pick his punches with less haste and the referee had to ask his opponent if he wanted to continue, he pummelled his man and threw him about like a rag doll, landing a neat left hook on the bell. The boxers touched gloves at the beginning of the last round, a hard right hand left a really tired and bewildered looking Skromach yearning for the final bell. Gray put on an impressive, comprehensive display and this reflected in the referees scoring of 40-35 in favour of Hugh Gray.
South Ayrshire man Sammy ‘The Bull’ Hill came in to a reception worthy of a king to face a worthy opponent in the shape of Richard Bitner, Halifax in a Welterweight contest over 4x3 minute rounds. Hill came out jabbing and landed a big right hand to the head of Bitner, Bitner fought back but heavy handed Hill landed a few more of the same to put his opponent in his place. The referee had a word with both boxers; Hill looked very strong. The crowd were chanting his name in harmony and stamping their feet. The fight began to look a bit more even then Hill unleashed another solid right to Bitners head and he looked in trouble, however, remarkably Bitner unleashed a venomous combination of punches that never budged 'The Bull' who worked his way back in and jolted the head of Bitner with a left hook. The 3rd round was a hard round to score as each man made a move to up their game, Hill finishing the round with his trademark straight right and the crowd were singing like a choir to the tune of Sammy Hill. The start of the last round saw the two boxers giving their all but Hill finished the round the stronger man, it was a good fight and both boxers sportingly embraced. The referee scored the contest 39-37 in favour of Sammy ‘The Bull’ Hill.
The next up were two debutants Darin Reid, Alloa and Alistair Gonsales, Dunfermline in a Light-Middleweight contest over 4x3 minute rounds. The boys came out to a dance song by Flo Rida ‘Good Feeling’ and the crowd were bouncing. It was an impetuous start to the fight by Gonsales, Darin Reid was throwing the more accurate punches where Gonsales was mainly throwing wild punches to the body and Reid clearly knocked his opponents head back midway through the round. Gonzales retaliated but Reid finished the round landing solid three punch combinations. A hefty right hand from Reid knocked Gonsales through the ropes at the start of the 2nd although he did come back for more but Reid rocked his man’s head again with a big right, a four punch combination followed by a connecting right uppercut and finishing with a two punch straight left and right to the head that jolted Gonsales backwards where he sat stunned, tangled, and powerless between the ropes for what seemed like 20 seconds before they managed to get him to his stool, the referee did not even start a count, after 2 min 36 sec of the 2nd round the fight was stopped and Darin Reid made a winning debut.
Unbeaten Irvine Boxer Ryan Collins made his way to the ring with The White Stripes ‘Seven Nation Army’ song vibrating round the hall pulsating the building, his fans raised to their feet with the rhythm, stamping and cheering. His opponent was Englishman Danny Wallace from Leeds, in a 4x3 minute round Super-featherweight contest. Wallace was a much more experienced boxer but Collins was all over him like a rash catching his man against the ropes unloading a lot of leather, switching his attack from head to body and catching his man in the corner at the end of the 1st throwing a variety of punches as Wallace covered up. Collins was working behind the jab trying to find his range and the crowd were singing ‘The flower of Scotland’. But the 2nd round was more even with Wallace gaining success to the head and Collins to the body. By the 3rd Wallace’s face was beginning to mark up, he was mixing it with Collins to begin with but Collins went on to unleash some heavy punches to the head and body and by the end of the round Wallace had a huge, black and blue swelling under his left eye. Ryan Collins out worked his opponent and by the look of Wallace he was clearly getting through, finishing off with rapid three punch combinations before the bell rang. The Referee scored the contest 39-37 in favour of Ryan Collins.
Edinburgh Southpaw Craig McEwan and Alister Warren, Huddersfield, entered the ring to a song by Whitesnake called ‘Here I Go Again’ in a 6x3 minute round Middleweight contest. Craig McEwan worked behind a nice straight jab while Warren went to the body. McEwan looked in command using tidy footwork and good body movement, twisting and turning his hips to open up combinations to the head and body, he switched to orthodox and connected with a cracking left hook, after another three punch combination the referee stepped in on account of two deep cuts above Warren’s eye. There was a bit of confusion before the referee called the boxers together and due to a clash of head the contest was scored as a Technical Draw.
Top of the bill was unbeaten southpaw Jon Slowey Glasgow, and Michael Stupart, Dunfermline, it took a while before this contest started due to the previous fight ending in the first round. Jon Slowey is a slick boxer with good movement drawing blood from the mouth of Stupart as early as the 1st round. Within seconds of the bell sounding for the 2nd Slowey had Stupart down for the count of 8, Stupart got up and let go a combination of punches whilst Slowey was against the ropes but he was quick to let Slowey back in to take charge. By the 3rd both boxers were working inside throwing hooks, Slowey stepped back and threw a lovely left uppercut followed by a good left hook. The fight was going to plan for Slowey and he was working harder than his opponent and throwing more quality punches but Stupart got going at the end of the 5th and left a cut above the right eye of John Slowey. It’s only fair to say Jon Slowey out-boxed his opponent throughout most of the fight and looked the classier fighter, however, Michael Stupart showed great courage getting back up in the 2nd and getting himself back into the fight to an extent, his best round by far was the last but it was a case of too little too late. The referee scored the contest 79-73 in favour of Jon Slowey who takes his record to 13-0.
Alex Morrison put on a great show of professional boxing that had a bit of everything, excitement, suspense, drama and the capacity crowd were fantastic.
By Raymond Fraser Buchanan
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