(SEPT 3) Last Saturday night, 28th August 2010 at the
Fit City Broughton sports centre, Salford, England,
Bridgewater Professional Boxing in association with
Harrison Promotions staged a 4 bout tournament entitled
“Visiting Orders”...
Top of the bill was this ladies fight.
Fans of womens’ boxing saw a lively contest between two
very evenly matched, but inexperienced women.
Local girl MAXINE McCARTHY (1-0-0) was having her second
boxing match - ever - having never fought before this
year!
Once again due to her popularity she was Top of the
Bill.
An attractive friendly intelligent young lady with hazel
eyes and radiant black hair streaked with gold, her
strong personality and undoubted ability has enabled her
to become a successful well known local business woman
owning a clothes shop and adjacent beauty salon near
Worsley, Salford. England.
30 year old McCARTHY is one of the youngest of a
colourful Irish family of 3 sisters and 6 brothers, - (
Her brother Gary, a muscle injury specialist was present
at the fight. ) Boxing is in her blood. Her father boxed
professionally as “ Derek McCarthy “ and “Pat McCarthy”
having over 130 fights!
She was educated at St Patrick’s Roman Catholic
Comprehensive School in Eccles where she was a sports
champion. Since her first fight on the 10th, April this
year against ZSOFIA BEDO she has completed her studies
at Salford University and gained a B.Sc degree in Sports
Science.
Very determined, her ambition is to become a British and
World Champion.Her
opponent, was HANA HONAKOVA (1-1-0) a 1 .7 meter tall
Marketing Executive with an Austrian/Swedish steel
company from Prague in the Czech Republic. A pleasant 32
year old intelligent dark haired lady with aquiline
features she holds a B.Sc degree in Engineering (
economics) from Prague University. Although she had been
doing non contact Kung Fu for 5 years it was only on the
15th November 2009 that she had her first competitive
professional boxing match when she out pointed JULIA
FIKUS in Berlin. Like McCARTHY she had also never boxed
as an amateur. For someone with so little experience,
she put up a very good performance. This was her first
visit to Great Britain.
At the Weigh
In McCARTHY weighed 9 stones (126lbs) and HONAKOVA
weighed 8 stones 4 pounds. (116lbs).
First into the ring’s Blue Corner, HONAKOVA was clad in
a black sports vest with white vertical side flashes
beneath the arms and large black satin shorts with red
side stripes finishing at the bottom in hoops round each
leg. Her right knee had a black support.
McCARTHY, clad in a black satin hooded robe over a black
sports bra and abbreviated black and leopard skin satin
trunks with gold waist band and gold side stripes strode
in a few minutes later to the excited whistles and
clapping of her supporters.
Disrobing in the Red Corner she displayed her beautiful
walnut coloured muscular body, the product of 8 years
training as an amateur body builder.
Round 1
At the bell McCARTHY came out smartly and immediately
started flicking her straight lefts at HONAKOVAS face.
None were in range. She then darted forward to get
inside with a left, right combination. HONAKOVA from the
center of the ring responded by moving over to the
attack - throwing a succession of long straight lefts at
McCARTHY but all were at least 9 inches short. Both
women circled , feinting but not landing blows. McCARTHY
was 10 pounds heavier, but HONAKOVA had a big height and
reach advantage. She swayed her upper body from side to
side as she sought to find an opening. McCARTHY
responded with some fast left hooks but these also fell
short until both women clashed in a neutral corner in a
short fighting clinch. In a tangle of arms and legs
during which McCARTHY had her arms around her opponent’s
neck HONAKOVA delivered a quick succession of short
right jabs to McCARTHY’S body... The referee John Latham
quickly stepped in to separate them.
HONAKOVA with gloves held high protecting her face –
from the center of the ring stalked McCARTHY from corner
to corner. McCARTHY - a fast little mover, slipping
expertly out of each corner, and as HONAKOVA came in
with her attacks - counterpunched. Another very brief
clinch in a neutral corner with McCARTHY briefly holding
HONAKOVA by the neck with her left glove whilst each
women rained blows on each other.
Throughout the match both women threw many punches which
were short.
The Referee scored this round even at 10 points each
Round 2
McCARTHY started the attack with her fast “trademark”
left, right hooking combinations. HONAKOVA retaliated
with her own straight left and right punches backing
McCARTHY temporarily into the Red corner and then a
neutral corner. McCARTHY fought her way out of each.
The Referee gave McCARTHY a brief warning for using her
head when she ducked down low to work inside to land
blows on her opponent’s stomach.
The contest started to get into its rhythm. - a fast
moving series of ragged scraps with flurries of blows
from both women interspersed with feinting as each
fighter looked for an opening. HONAKOVA constantly
attacking from the center of the ring with McCARTHY
continually circling her - counterpunching
There was a marked contrast in styles. McCARTHY is a
fast moving compact tough aggressive little fighter who
ducks in and out to launch inside, her two handed
combination attacks. Utilizing her longer reach,
HONAKOVA a taller and more slender figure hunching over,
throwing predominately straight lefts interspersed with
right handed punches from a distance.
Due to the defenses and speed of their advisories both
women found it difficult to land many telling blows.
As the bell sounded the referee stepped in between to
part them at the end of the round.
The
Referee scored this round 10 points to McCARTHY and 9
points to HONAKOVA
Round 3
McCARTHY commenced the attack with her left right
hooking combinations – many failing to reach their
intended mark. HONAKOVA responded simultaneously with
straight left right combinations which also largely
failed to connect, but she did catch McCARTHY with a
good straight left to the jaw as McCARTHY was coming in
to attack. She also threw a tremendous sweeping right
hook to the head which fortunately for McCARTHY missed.
The fast paced action moved round the ring with a clinch
in a neutral corner where McCARTHY, ducking down,
temporarily grabbed HONAKOVA around the waist with both
hands and “wrestled” her into a neutral corner. . The
Referee separated them.
Very briefly McCARTHY repeated the maneuver in the
opposite neutral corner.
The Referee separated them again.
Both women circled, throwing blows that were often far
short of their opponents.
A series of quick intensive forays then took place with
rapid exchange of assorted blows McCARTHY ducking down
low to get at the body with rapid short right and left
hooks – throwing a vicious uppercut which missed !
HONAKOVA attacking repeatedly – using her height and
reach advantage to land straight left, right or right
left combinations to McCARTHY’S face and upper torso.
The action moved to the Red corner where both women were
feinting when the bell rang.
The Referee scored this round 10 points to McCARTHY
and 9 points to HONAKOVA
Round 4
Another lively round.
HONAKOVA who had throughout the contest held the center
of the ring launched the first attack with a series of
straight lefts interposed with an occasional straight
right aimed at McCARTHY’S head. Some, but not all landed
on their mark ! McCARTHY countered with left, right or
right left hooking combinations to her opponent’s head
and torso. Not all of these landed !
Moving forward with head down McCARTHY very briefly put
her gloved arms around HONAKOVA’S waist and was warned
by the Referee as she broke off contact. HONAKOVA kept
attacking with her characteristic straight lefts and
straight rights – McCARTHY fought her off each time with
her own characteristic two handed hooking combinations –
a left to the head followed up with a series of right
hooks to the body. McCARTHY then launched a series of
her own attacks with repeated right hooks mainly aimed
at her opponent’s abdomen. The action moved across the
ring to the opposite neutral corner where HONAKOVA tried
to constrain her opponent.
A lively exchange of two handed blows was taking place
as the final bell sounded !
The Referee scored this round 9 points to McCARTHY
and 10 points to HONAKOVA
After the
points had been counted Referee John Latham declares
McCARTHY to be the winner by 39 points to 38.
She now advances to 2 wins, and HONAKOVA drops to 1 win
2 losses...
In an exclusive interview with your correspondent after
the fight McCARTHY disclosed that she had hurt her right
arm the previous week and had been, and was in great
pain from this. She had bravely concealed this during
the fight but it had hurt her punching.
She paid tribute to her Second – former British Champion
AINSLEY BINGHAMsaying that he was a fantastic trainer.
In a compliment to her opponent McCARTHY said “ She was
a game fighter, she did not come to lose - but the
better fighter won ! “ “ I could have done better in
some things but I’ll go back to the drawing board see
where I can improve “. McCARTHY confirmed that although
HONAKOVA had not had 16 fights like her first opponent
BEDO - this was a tougher fight. ”
With her next fight probably in October or November,
McCARTHY is looking to raise her game with her next
opponent . She is knows that she must do this to achieve
her British and World title ambitions. Let us hope that
her plan succeeds.
There were 3 mens’ fights on the undercard:
BOUT ONE
Making his pro debut in a fast moving contest, 140.5 lbs
Greek born TAZ APERGIS (0-0-0) (Wythenshaw) beat 139 lbs
DANIEL “THORPY” THORPE ( 22 – 105 – 3) (Sheffield) by 40
points to 36 points in a 4 round Super Featherweight
match. Although he had had enormous experience THORPE
did not appear to take the match entirely seriously. He
taunted his opponent and was warned by the referee in
the third round for his play acting and “not paying
attention “.
BOUT TWO
LEE GILLESPIE (1-0-0) weight 132lbs from Swinton beat
ROBIN “ROCKIN” DEACON(1-21—0) weight 130lbs from Crawley
on points 40 to 36 in a another 4 round Super
Featherweight match. The large points disparity did not
due justice to DEACON’S robust performance in this hard
fought contest.
BOUT THREE
Local man LYNDON NEWMAN (1-0-0) Denton, Manchester,
weight 163lbs beat RICHARD TROUPE (0-0-1) from Hull,
weight 162.75lbs on points 40 to 36 in a 4 round
Middleweight match.
© John E.G.Wilson
N.U.J. Words = 1,868
Text and pictures : Copyright John E.G.Wilson.
Date: 30.8.2010 – 2.9.2010
MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS
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