Baker banks rounds as title battle looms
Baker catches Vincent with a right hand. Picture: Manjit Narotra/BCB
TIPTON’S Conor Baker tuned-up for his forthcoming Midlands super-lightweight title fight with a six round, 60-54 shut-out over Stefan Vincent on BCB’s Saturday night show at Aldersley Stadium.
Vincent, known as The Wasp, did what he does best. The Dorset man buzzed around the ring and ended the contest with a flurry. For the most part, 28-year-old Baker (10st 9lbs) prowled behind a stiff jab and nailed Vincent (10st 6lbs) with rights to the body. That was unbeaten Baker’s sixth win in a row. Next should be Minaaz Gurung for the vacant title.
Jamie Edwards uncorked the punching power that made him such a formidable amateur to halt usually durable Jayro Fernando Duran in the fourth and final round.
The tall Coventry lightweight (9st 13lb) hit with chilling precision, softening the Honduran with lefts to the body before dropping him with a short right in the third.
The Honduran (9st 12lbs) was on his feet at three and spent the rest of the session shipping heavy flak. With Duran pinned against the ropes and taking punches to head and body without reply, referee Ryan Churchill rightly called a halt at one minute 18 seconds of the fourth. Edwards is now unbeaten in four (one draw).
Duran feels the power of Jamie Edwards. Picture: Manjit Narotra/BCB
Blonde bomber Ebonie Cotton (8st 11lbs) made a smooth entry into the paid game, widely outpointing Kira Carter (8st 12lbs) over four rounds. Referee Ryan Churchill scored 40-36.
The former dancer and model from Rowley Regis kept Carter on the end of straight punches, showed good head movement and opened up in the last. Carter, from Leeds, took meaty shots to the body.
Wolverhampton’s Gabriela Strikaityte came through a potentially risky assignment with flying colours.
Taking part in her second bout, the 30-year-old outpointed Nicholine Achieng – an experienced Kenyan with a puncher’s reputation – over six rounds. Referee Churchill scored 59-55.
It was an absorbing battle. Strikaityte (8st 8lbs) had to take body shots in the first before driving home rights in the second.
The action ebbed and flowed. Achieng (8st 6lbs) rallied in the third, they traded in the fourth, then Gabriela uncorked left hooks in the fifth. Both punched it out in rousing final two minutes.
Khya Preston made a winning professional start by taking all four rounds against Doncaster’s Sam Kirk, 40-36.
The man from Much Wenlock began behind a sharp jab, found another gear with each round and, by the closing stages was connecting to the body. Kirk (11st 2lbs) landed with occasional right hands that bloodied the mouth of Preston (10st 12lbs).