Photos courtesy of Anthony Childers
The local boxing fans turned out in force for the first ABA & BIBA co-sanctioned Pro/Am event of 2024, which was promoted by six time, five division World Champion Lee Mcallister and took place at the Rich Energy Arena in Aberdeen on the 30th March.
The event featured an eleven bout Scottish invitational amateur card featuring fighters from Assassin ABA, Waites Boxing, Bells Boxing and Broch Boxing, followed by a four bout pro card, headed by local lad Samer Carol versus Nicaragua’s Marvin Solano.
There were some first class contests in the amateur element of the event, but the real stand out fight was without doubt a 48kg three rounder between Tamara Addison (Assassin ABA) and Clara Pearce (Waites Boxing).
What a fight, it was a non-stop closely fought war with both girls giving their all for every second of each and every round.
Following a well deserved standing ovation it was then to the judges scorecards, which were in favour of the young battler Tamara Addison from Aberdeen ABA.
A special mention has to made about 14 year old Hektorus Lapinskas, this young lad only began boxing just five months ago, yet already fights with the confidence and ability of a seasoned fighter, he is one seriously class act.
The results of the Amateur contests are:
Amateur Exhibition Fights
Lacy Wood Vs Reah Donald
Assassin ABA. Assassin ABA
3 x1 min exhibition
Ava Wallace. Vs Elvie Donald
Assassin ABA. Assassin ABA
3 x1 exhibition
Craig Lovie. Vs Alan Harris
Assassin ABA Assassin ABA
3 x1 exhibition
Amateur Boxing Alliance card
Kylan Ross Vs Sander Adair
Broch Boxing Bells Boxing
44kg 3 x1 min
Winner SANDAR ADAIR
Conor Horne Vs Charley Lawson.
Assassin ABA Bells Boxing
57kg 3 x 2 min
Winner CONOR HORNE
Craig Leadbetter Vs Ryan Kearney
Assassin ABA. Bells Boxing
60kg 3 x 2 min
Winner RYAN KEARNEY
Connor Tierney. Vs Findlay Cameron
Assassin ABA. Waites Boxing
70kg 3 x1.5 min
Winner FINDLAY CAMERON
Jay Riely Robb Vs Lewis McLean
Assassin ABA Waites boxing
74kg. 3 x 2 min
Winner LEWIS MCLEAN
Hektorus Lapinskas Vs Enkrikas Kitsnskas
Assassin ABA. Broch boxing
64kg 3 x 2 min
Winner HECTORUS LAPINSKAS
Levi McPherson Vs Rowan Youngson
Assassin ABA. Waites boxing
60kg 3 x 2 min
Winner ROWAN YOUNGSON
Michel Hepburn Vs Ryan Fowler
Assassin ABA Assassin ABA
63kg 3 x 1.5 min
Winner MICHAEL HEPBURN
Leland Burns Vs Nathan Lindsay
Assassin ABA Broch Boxing
58kg 3 x 2 min
Winner LELAND BURNS
Tamara Addison Vs Ciara Pearce
Assassin ABA. Waites Boxing
48kg 3 x 2 min
Winner TAMARA ADDISON
Kaden Eddie. Vs Callum Ritchie
Assassin ABA. Broch Boxing
64kg 3 x 2 min
Winner CALLUM RITCHIE
Now to the Pros, and the opening fight of the night see Hebun Nuyan, from Cyprus, making his professional debut against Manchester’s Andy Goy in a four round Cruiserweight contest.
Right from the opening bell Nuyan took the fight to Goy, landing some seriously hard shots, Goy is as tough as they come and let rip with some big shots of his own. Nuyan is a class operator, he kept his cool, waited his time and picking his shots, his patience was rewarded around the one minute mark when Nuyan let rip with a big shot to send Goy to the canvas.
Goy got to his feet but looked a little shell shocked, so no surprise that Nuyan picked up his pace and went in hard and fast on the restart, Goy responded when he could, but it was only a matter of time before the Cypriot’s confidence began to really grow and when it did he stepped up his game even more and sure as eggs is eggs as the fight went into the second minute landed a series of massive bombs that culminated in Goy heading to the canvas for a second time.
Goy unsteadily began to rise to his feet, only to be confronted by Referee James Ancliff waving off the fight on the two minute and eight second mark.
The second pro fight of the night see another Cypriot in action, this time Sugar Atahasan up against Belfast’s Marty Kayes in a four round Middleweight contest.
Right from the opening bell Kayes secured the middle ground, forcing Atahasan to take to the back foot, initially Kayes was in control, however as the round progressed Atahasan began to wrestle control away from the Irishman.
Having adapted his game-plan Atahasan began to exert his authority, even though on the back foot for much of the contest, he did manage to control the fight through to the end to secure the victory by a 40-36 points margin.
The third pro fight of the night see Aberdeen’s Liam Allan against Reading’s Daniel Coker in a four round Heavyweight contest.
Coker came out hard and fast right from the opening bell and let rip with a series of big shots, Allan didn’t seem fazed at all and just stuck to his game plan and picked his shots, and when I say picked his shots I mean just that, he didn’t waste a single shot each was pin-point accurate.
Coker was as game as they come and kept trying to force the Scotsman onto the back foot, Allan wouldn’t have any of it, he just kept to his game-plan and slowly began backing Coker into a corner, and when he did he just let rip Exocet after Exocet with incredible accuracy, no surprise with such powerful shots raining down on him, Coker was sent down.
Clearly OK, Coker took to a knee to catch his breath as Referee James Ancliff counted down, Coker then began to rise but had mistimed his effort and was greeted by Ancliff waving the fight off on the one minute and fifty one seconds mark.
The final fight of the night pitted local lad Samer Carol against Nicaraguan Marvin Solano and what a fight it was.
Solano, a tough all action fighter, took the fight to Carol, however Carol is a savvy lad and defended well before countering with good effect. Around the half way mark Carol began to control the fight and landed some seriously body stinging shots, which was enough to secure the first round
More of the same in round two, however was even more closely fought than the first, personally couldn’t split them and neither could the scoring referee James Ancliff who scored the round a draw.
Right from the opening round Solano snatched control of centre ring, putting Carol on the back foot for much of the stanza, to secure the round.
So it was down to the last round, whoever wins this wins the fight and both fighters clearly realised that and went at it hammer and tongs for the entire three minutes.
Following a standing ovation for both combatants it was time for the scorecards and the crowd erupted when Referee James Ancliff raised Carol’s arm aloft following the score being read out by BIBA Chairman Chris Wardrope as 39-38 in favour of the local lad.
A cracking night of fights that’s for sure, with just a few days post Easter break the ABA and BIBA officials next assignment is a trip to Middlesbrough for the second Pro/Am show of 2024 at the Chris Boyle promoted event at the Dorman Long United Athletic Club in the city on the 6th April.
The card features a North East Select team versus Yorkshire for the amateurs and five bout pro card headed by local star Zara Johnson against Kirsty Marie Footman.