On the undercard of the Hennessy Sports Promotion show at the Skydome Coventry you had the rest of the ‘Fab Four’ with WBC Silver champ Sam Eggington head lined the show (10,9,21). You had former British champ Shakan Pitters doing a eight rounder, former Midlands area champ Kaisee Benjamin doing a 10 rounder and the ‘Coventry Crusader’ River Wilson-Bent also doing a 10 rounder.
First up out of the Midlands lads was Shakan Ptters who was taking on Farouk Daku with Shakan weighing in 12 stone 12 and Daku coming in 12 stone 8 with Chris Dean reffing.
Pitters started the first round with some great jabbing controlling the round with some nice right hands. Daku covered up well in the second as Pitters picked his shots well with everything coming off a great jab. Pitters picked up the pace in the third and let his hands go as Daku just covered up and was already in survival mode. Daku let a few jabs go at the start of the fourth but Pitters just let his hands go again with heavy combinations to put Daku back into survival mode.
Another dominate round by Pitters as he unloaded heavy combinations in the fifth, how Daku
stayed up was a miracle. Daku stayed tucked up in the sixth as Pitters picked great shots varying the power to win another round. Pitters piled on the pressure in the seventh banging in flurries of heavy shots, Daku went down from some big shots, but somehow managed to get back to his feet, some how the ref let his carry on. Pitters banged in big shots and the ref could have stopped this fight at any time but somehow Daku saw the round out. Pitters continued to work at a high tempo in final round as Daku looked to see the final bell. Pitters banged in great shotsto head and body and somehow Daku saw the round out.
Ref Chris Dean scored it 80 to 70 Pitters, myself I had it 80 to 71 Pitters.
Next was the hard hitting Kaisee Benjamin who was taking on Jarkko Putkonen. Benjamin weighed in 10 stone 5 with Putkonen coming in the same, referee for this fight was Shaun Messer.
Good start by both fighters in the first as Putkonen seemed to have came to fight, Benjamin worked well behind a hard jab getting great combinations off to win the round. Benjamin showed great movement and shot picking as Putkonen had a go, but all the eye-catching shots came from Benjamin. In the third Benjamin continued to bang in heavy shots to Putkonen head and body, Benjamin then made the break though with two evil body shots putting Putkonen where he stayed with Ref Shaun Messer calling off the fight.
Benjamin wins 1 minutes 9 second of the third round.
The final Midlands fighters on the card was River Wilson-Bent who was taking on Gabor Gorbics, River weighed in 11 stone 5 with Gorbics coming in 11 stone 7, reffing the fight you had Shaun Messer.
Wilson-Bent took the centre of the ring in the first and worked well behind a long jab banging in some nice combinations. Wilson-Bent continued to box well in the second behind a stiff jab banging in sweet combinations to Gorbis head and body. A disciplined performance in the third by Wilson-Bent as he
continued to work behind the jab getting in some evil body shots with Gorbics just looking to see the bell.
Gorbics got a few good right hands in the fourth as Wilson-Bent continued to bang
in some great combinations and now seemed to be breaking Gorbis down. Wilson-Bent went from head to body well in the fifth with some great combinations with some sweet uppercut thrown in, Gorbis did well to get though the round. Wilson-Bent banged in big shots into Gorbis head and body in the sixth as all he could do was cover up, credit to Gorbics for taking all this punishment. Wilson-Bent picked his shots well as he hunted Gorbis down in the seventh who was in full survival mode.
Wilson-Bent was warned for a low blow near the start of the eighth round, the pace had slowed but Wilson-Bent continued to banging in good combinations to win the round. The ninth was a quite round where Wilson-Bent won the round just on his jab. Wilson-Bent kept his concentration in the final round and cruised to a shut-out points victory.
Ref Shaun Messer scored it 100 to 90 I had it the same.
Dexter’s Thought’s
Wow three great performance’s by three of the best from the Midlands. Shakan Pitters showed his class tonight with great shot picking and a lovely jab. I think the fight should have been stopped in the seventh as for the rest of the round and the all the eighth Daku just took more unnecessary punishment than he needed. Hopefully he will be back in title contention either for the British or European very soon.
Kaisee Benjamin was in devastating form dismantling his opponent in three short rounds. His power shone though and the body shots he dropped Putkonen will haunt him. Benjamin needs to be contesting for British honours in my opinion as I think he has surpassed the English title and deserves a crack at the Lonsdale belt at Welterweight he made a big statement tonight and I look forward to seeing him again.
‘The Coventry Crusader’ River Wilson-Bent showed his discipline in a shut-out performance against a very durable fighter. Wilson-Bent stuck to the plan and boxed well behind a stiff long jab and looked in total control throughout the fight. Wilson-Bent is set to fight for the English Middleweight title against fellow Midland’s fighter Tyler Denny who will be by far Wilson-Bent’s biggest test. I think if he can get passed Denny he will also be looking for a crack at the Lonsdale belt but he has to beat Denny first. I look forward to this fight.