The Sunderland Live Arena played host to a night of boxing on Saturday as Travis Waters maintained his unbeaten record, although he was taken the eight-round distance by a resolute Octavian Gratii.
Travis Waters celebrates with his team (Credit: Graeme Blackburn)
Waters, a member of Tenacity Boxing, had five knockouts from eight coming into this one, and he pursued his opponent from the opening bell, whipping in ferocious shots to head and body as he looked to make a statement. Gratii felt the power of those shots and adjusted accordingly, moving onto the backfoot as he looked to withstand the onslaught. There was a flash knockdown in the fifth, Waters grazing Gratii with a right hand as he moved backwards, but the Romanian recovered and had his moments as the fight moved into the later rounds.
Ultimately, Waters had to settle for a decision victory, Ron Kearney scoring it 80-71 in his favour, and the focus now will surely be on stepping up in levels and a potential title fight as he moves into 2025.
Another Tenacity fighter, Adam Reichard moved to 6-0 as a professional with an accomplished performance against Owen Durnan. Reichard displayed good footwork and maintained his composure throughout, as he worked to create the angles to deliver an effective jab which kept his opponent at distance. Durnan’s only real success came in the final round as Reichard tired, and the fight was scored 60-55.
In the heavyweight division, Will Howe and Lamah Griggs left everything in the ring as they stood toe-to-toe and exchanged shots from the opening bell to the last in their four-round contest. Neither man gave an inch as they both withstood and then delivered a barrage of shots in an evenly fought contest. Ultimately, there was just one point in it, as Ron Kearney scored it 39-38.
Hartlepool’s Jason Cumming was taken the distance for the first time in his third professional fight, winning a six-round shutout against Jonatus Rodrigo de Oliveira who proved his toughness despite relentless pressure. Cumming, who carries the nickname ‘The Engine’ demonstrated why, as he never eased off throughout the contest, forcing Oliveira back against the ropes, with the Brazilian a glutton for punishment as he beckoned him forward. It was a good learning fight for Cumming who will gain invaluable experience from seeing out the six rounds.
Roan Stanley put Victor Edagha down three times on his way to a 40-33 decision, in a scrappy affair. The Bridlington man was cheered on by a decent band of travelling support, and he can be pleased with his performance against an unorthodox opponent, who can arguably claim that at least one of the ruled knockdowns was a slip, although he was never in the contest.
The Sheffield-born, Newcastle-based Leon Musson moved to 4-0 with a 40-36 points victory over Jordan Grannum. Musson sat behind a solid left jab, which was the springboard for his attacks, as he targeted the body to good effect. Grannum had some success in the second round but Musson was a deserved winner and he will surely look to move up to six rounds next time out.
In the opening bout of the night, Greg O’Neil made a winning return to action following an almost two-year absence as he enjoyed a four-round shutout victory against Josh Cook. O’Neil, who has shared a ring with the likes of Ben Whittaker, started and finished strongly, with quieter middle rounds but will be happy to have shaken off any ring rust and regular action will be key moving forward.
Written by Matthew Elliott - The Counterpunch
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