Coventry Canelo is a force for the future!
Bowen and Shiney celebrate: Pic: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
THEY call Aaron Bowen the Coventry Canelo.
That’s more to do with the mop of red hair they both sport, rather styles and – at this stage – ability.
He’s not yet world class, but Bowen, a former Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, can fight – and bang.
The middleweight, trained by Shiney Singh, is exciting, loves a tear-up and puts an awful lot of bums on seats. That some important boxes ticked by Bowen.
The 26-year-old is blossoming in the paid code, judging by his fourth round demolition of Mykola Vovk on Saturday’s huge Matchroom show at the BP Pulse Live Arena, Resorts World.
The German based Romanian represented a step-up for Bowen, now unbeaten in six. Vovk had won 15 of 22 contests and stopped nine opponents. Ominously, however, he was coming into the contest on the back of four straight losses.
The 34-year-old came to win, storming forward in the first, but was systematically broken down by Bowen’s body work.
He clowned and shimmied. The showboating couldn’t hide the fact those left hooks Bowen harpooned into Vovk’s flank were taking a sickening toll.
The visitor was gashed over the right eye during a painful third round that saw Aaron really press down on the pedal. A right hand had him clinging on and by the fourth Bowen was unloading to head and body.
Vovk’s bolt had clearly been shot and perhaps his corner could’ve spared him the inevitable violence of that final session.
The towel was thrown in a show of surrender at two minutes 22 seconds after a long right sent Vovk tottering back.
In a previous interview, Bowen, an outstanding amateur, told me: “I come from the Coundon district of Coventry. They call it County Coundon because of its massive Irish community. I’m grateful they are all excited about my journey. I want to go to the top and I want them to come along with me. Coventry’s a fighting city.
“It will be an exciting journey. Take a few, give a few back – I’ll bring that with a bit of skill.”
He’s certainly delivering on his promise.