Daws Defeats Lynes to Earn Shot at British Light Welterweight Title

Daws Defeats Lynes to Earn Shot at British Light Welterweight Title

By Iain Dolan at Ringside (January 24, 2006)

Morden's Lenny Daws, 9st 13 1/4lbs, produced a controlled and impressive display against Hornchurch's Colin Lynes, 10st, at York Hall on Friday night to earn a shot at the British Light Welterweight title. Both fighters sold a lot of tickets with the Daws’ supporters probably showing up in greater numbers. The opening exchanges were very nip and tuck with both fighting behind high guards but busy and looking for openings. In the 2nd and 3rd Lynes was on the front foot pressing the action and looking for a big right hand. Daws worked cleverly, using his superior reach and scoring frequently also. Lynes’ higher work rate and aggression prevented Daws from getting into his stride but he was landing regularly and never looked flustered. Into the 5th and 6th rounds Daws stepped up his work rate and enjoyed more success as his relentless work and frequent combinations started to swing the fight his way.

Daws, 13-0 (6), looked to press home his advantage in the 7th and his supporters sprang back to life sensing their man was in the ascendancy. Although Lynes landed a hurtful looking left hook towards the end of the round it was starting to look as though Daws and his Moredon Massive would be the ones going home happy. Daws was warned for use of the head in the 8th but more controlled bursts of aggression kept racking up the points and restricted Lynes' opportunities to a minimum, but Lynes himself was always throwing leather and wouldn't allow Daws to have it all his own way. In the 9th Lynes continued to look for the big shot with increasing desperation as Daws continued with his automaton-like clusters of combinations.

Daws was well on top but it was a surprise to everyone when Lynes quit on his stool at the end of the 9th of a scheduled twelve. From my position I couldn't see exactly what happened but he seemed to be throwing up into a bucket and obviously in distress. Whether it was a punch to the stomach he wasn't prepared for or an illness I do not know, but it was a shame for Lynes and his supporters for his fight to end that way. This should not detract from an excellent performance by Lenny Daws though. Many thought it was too soon for him to take on someone of Lynes' pedigree but he came through with flying colours. His controlled aggression and almost relentless combinations, without ever reaching for the kitchen sink, will be a handful for a lot more fighters after Colin Lynes, who falls to 26-3 (9) with the loss.

Chief support was another eliminator, this time over 10x3 for the English Super Middleweight belt where Mathew Thirlwall, 11st13 1/2lbs, from Bemondsey faced Bradford's Donovan Smillie, 11st 13lbs, and the pair produced some real fireworks. As is the way for London fighters at York Hall, Thirlwall had a vociferous following and they made their presence felt when he landed a couple of hooks in the first. Smillie looked a bit on the fleshy side and kept his left low but scored often with jabs from the opening bell. The 2nd round was similar with Smillie landing the jab at regular intervals and Thirlwall getting in with powerful counters. Smillie already seemed to be blowing a bit in the 3rd but was still finding the target with his low slung left and again Thirlwall connected with a power shot, this time downstairs.

Into the 4th and the action really came to the boil as Smillie was badly stunned by a combination and then dropped heavily by a straight right from Thirlwall. The end of the round came before Thirlwall could move in for the finish, which was fortunate for Smillie who looked in big trouble. Smillie showed good heart in the 5th and 6th as he weathered the storm and landed his jab almost at will to work his way back into the fight. The 7th saw Smillie again getting through with the jab and the tide seemed to be turning back his way until another solid counter from Thirlwall stopped him in his tracks. The fight really did seem to be anybody's at this point.

In the 8th it seemed as though Smillie was starting to run out of steam as Thirlwall's superior finesse began to tell, but in the 9th Smillie wobbled Thirlwall and bloodied his nose with a left hook and it looked as though the pendulum was swinging back towards the Bradford man. That was until Thirlwall uncorked an absolute peach of a right hook and it was thank you and goodnight Donovan Smillie. Referee Roy Frances started to count but it was barely necessary and he waved in the doctor after a few seconds. Smillie was out. He was given oxygen and walked from the ring unaided a couple of minutes later appearing to be in good health.

An absolutely cracking fight and a KO punch from Mathew Thirlwall, 12-2 (6), worthy of winning any contest. Donovan Smillie, 18-6-1 (7), may be wondering what might have been had his conditioning been a bit better.

The undercard featured another well supported fighter in ‘Disco’ Darren Barker, 11st 4lbs, up against Leamington's Richard Mazurek, 11st 3lbs, over 8x3. Barker, 8-0 (4), bossed the action from the off much to the delight of his boisterous following. Fighting out of an upright stance, Barker searched in vain for the breakthrough for the entire contest but was unable to find it against an opponent who showed little ambition but good survival instincts. Roared on by his ‘Barmy Army’, Barker tried loading up in the latter stages of the fight but still couldn't put a dent in Mazurek, 6-5-1 (2), apart from marking him above the eyes. The verdict was given 79-73 to Barker but I don't know which round Mazurek was supposed to have won. "Easy! Easy!" chanted the Barmy Army and they weren't far wrong. Barker should be looking for a stiffer test soon.

Wembley's Billy Corcoran, 9st 9lbs, tangled with the old French warhorse Frederic Bonifai, 9st 8lbs. Bonifai, 28-26-4 (9), is a rugged and crafty old stager who has frustrated Esham Pickering and Kevin Mitchell in the last year and proved equally tough to break down for Corcoran, 14-1-1 (5). Billy ‘The Kid’ controlled the centre of the ring for the most part and always did the cleaner work without ever seriously troubling the Frenchman. He threw plenty of straight rights as well as an effective jab and kept busy. Bonifai had flashes of ambition and did get through regularly but it was never going to be enough. I felt that the 80-74 score in favour of Corcoran was too wide as Bonifai achieved parity in a couple of the middle rounds but it was a decent display from Corcoran against a 58 fight veteran.

Southpaw John O'Donnell, 10st 6 1/4lbs, from Shepherds Bush made short work of Nottingham's Matt Scriven, 10st 9lbs, having it almost all his own was over four one-sided rounds. O'Donnell, 8-0 (3), mixed up his punches nicely and landed almost at will until the referee called a halt in the 4th shaving Scriven, 12-23 (1), from further punishment. It was scheduled for 6 rounds.

Another excellent Hennessy card with a good and lively crowd, competitive fights and a spectacular KO. I don't think anybody was asking for their money back.