Ballrooms boxing bash opens 2011

The West Midlands played debut to the first Black Country derby of 2011 and the debut of Glenn McCrory's top prospect Aakash Hussain at the Tower Ballrooms.

McCrory is a voice of Sky Sports 'Fight Night' and is the former IBF cruiserweight champion of the world.

Hussain held a junior ABA title, fights out of Newcastle and was known as 'the Tyneside Tyson' in the unpaid ranks, but was determined to make his debut in Birmingham.

The 18-year-old still has many relatives and friends in the Second City, most of whom were on hand to see him make his debut at cruiserweight last night.

Verban Borisov was shipped in from Bulgaria to oppose the teenage prodigy, who was on his case with the crowd behind him from the opening bell.

Hussain was set to win the first round comfortably but Borisov reminded him of the pitfalls of the pro game with a stiff right hook that made him wince, putting him under pressure for the first time.

That was as good as got it for the Bulgarian, who was hardly the most athletic of fighters, and clung on when the pace of the fight of the fight was upped.

Rounds three and four belonged to Hussain, who had settled into the fight, taking home every one of the four rounds in a 40-36 points call from referee Terry O'Connor.

A Black Country derby opened the show as Stourbridge's former Midlands champion Kevin McCauley took on West Bromwich's one-time British Masters title contender Wayne Downing at middleweight.

McCauley couldn't miss with the body shots early on and started to put his punches together as the first round wore on, with his opponent showing his mettle by taking a flush uppercut to the chin.

Downing couldn't get the upper hand but hung in there to go the distance, however, conceded the bout comprehensively on points 40-36 after four rounds.

Walsall's Danny Clews made his debut at light middleweight ahead of schedule, after being originally planned to make his paid bow at his hometown's Town Hall on February 26.

But the Walsall Wood amateur stepped up to the plate to take on Tamworth's wily veteran Matt Seawright in a straight six rounder.

It was a close run fight and Seawright didn't make it easy for the 22-year-old new-boy, but Clews used his skills to win by two rounds 58-56.

Rounding off the West Midlands presence was Aston's Chris Truman, who went up to light welterweight to tackle another man of the circuit, Birmingham's Jason Nesbitt.

'The Trumanator' never had to get out of first gear to defeat Nesbitt although the wily Brummie took a share of a round, after connecting with a right hand in the second.

The points call went to Truman, 40-37.

The only knockdown of the night went to Duane Parker, from Woodville in Derbyshire, who dropped Lincoln's Rick Boulter in the last of their six rounds at middleweight.

Parker had already won every session and put the icing on the cake with a looping right hand over the top that put his opponent down and took his points call to 60-53.

Rounding off the card was Coventry's 'Chocolate Warrior' Rhys Davies, who handed out another pasting to Bulgarian opponent Tayar Mehmed at cruiserweight.

Twin brother Llewellyn was on hand to watch his sibling in action, ahead of his participation in the light heavyweight Prizefighter next Saturday night.

And the other Davies encountered little trouble in taking another comprehensive points decision, this time 40-36.

By Craig Birch