Denny shows what champs are made of

Snarling Denny tears into Dennis. Picture: Manjit Narotra/BCB

I THINK it’s time to assess what we’ve got with Tyler Denny and what the southpaw has achieved from a starting point of limited expectation

Denny, from Rowley Regis, is a consummate pro – boxing’s a business, no lapses, no corners cut. He’s a craftsman, adept at using feints to close distance.

That dedication and skill set has kept him fresh and free from wear and tear at the age of 34.

Denny’s ability has seen him rise from the dim lights of small hall boxing to the glare of arena shows where he registered upset after upset before capturing first the English, then European middleweight titles.

After a couple of years on major televised bills, Denny returned to his roots last night (Friday) and underlined the gulf between prospect and major prize winners on BCB’s Dudley Town Hall bill.

Opponent Grant Dennis, from Islington, is a good, solid performer who has faced top men and beaten some of them, but, at the age of 42, he is fading. He was second best throughout the eight rounder, referee Ryan Churchill scoring a shut-out 80-72 for Denny.

Dennis still has more than enough to make things messy, ugly, difficult and even dangerous for hungry opponents, prospects and pretenders.

Yet Denny (11st 8lbs), roared on by an army of fans, showed what it takes to put on a crowd-pleasing, punishing performance against him, rather than getting sucked into a messy, hard-to-watch eight rounder.

High tempo – Denny worked at a sprinter’s pace, spite and strength: even I shuddered as Tyler buried right hooks into the Londoner’s body – and he did it round after round.

Tyler, in a routine, grass roots outing following a series of glamorous engagements, may have been forgiven for going through the motions.

He didn’t because he knows everyone contest is a statement, every below par performance raises a doubt.

He fought Dennis (11st 13lbs) with the same hunger displayed against Felix Cash, Brad Pauls and Bradley Rea.

He was all over Dennis like the tinsel draped on a Christmas tree.

From the first bell, Denny was unleashing sickening rights to the body, he was methodically breaking down his opponent, watering down his ambition.

Dennis dropped to the canvas in the third after a right sunk into his groin guard and was given ample time to recover by Mr Churchill.

He managed to make the fourth untidy, taunted Denny in the fifth, then Tyler opened the throttle down the stretch.

He worked rights and lefts to the body with the intensity of a lumberjack hacking down some stubborn redwood. Dennis, tough as he is, simply couldn’t live with the intensity.

And in the last, a short, straight right sent blooding spilling from his nose. Dennis earned his money.

Within the industry, people tell me Denny is not what he was, he’s on the slide.

What he is, is still a handful for any leading domestic middleweight.

Throughout his career, Tyler has done it the hard way – no favours, no easy routes to titles. That has created a formidable fighter.