Stevens overwhelms Baker in five rounds

Kirk Stevens has his hand raised by ref Churchill: Pic Manjit Narotra/BCB

THERE are faster, more polished and powerful fighters than Telford’s Kirk Stevens, but not many possesses the veteran’s granite toughness and desire.

Those commodities have earned southpaw Stevens much more than he was supposed to get when turning pro four years ago. They call him the Wrekin Rocky and Kirk’s made out of the same rugged stuff that shaped the Shropshire landmark.

On BCB’s Saturday night bill-topper at Aldersley Stadium, Wolverhampton, the light-welter put another prospect in his place. Conor Baker entered the ring with a 7-0 record, but lasted less than 15 minutes against the gnarled warrior.

Stevens, his newly won Midland title on the table, realised Baker didn’t have the power to deter him, poured on the pressure and finished matters at two minutes 14 seconds of the fifth with a left hook to the body. The Tipton challenger was counted out by referee Ryan Churchill as he rose.

It’s a harsh description, but Stevens walked through him. The vocal female supporter directly behind me who incessantly shouted, “knock him out, Conor” should’ve realised Baker – a fine, textbook boxer – lacked the tools to perform that trick.

As Steven’s trainer Tristan Davies put it: “If you can’t hurt Kirk, you’re in for a hard night.” Baker, aged 29, couldn’t and endured a very hard night.

In the dressing room afterwards, the one liners were spat out by 36-year-old Stevens like hot sparks from his torch. “I’ve been boxing four years, others in the games have been boxing all their lives,” he said. “I’m a spring chicken.

“They can’t take the dog in me. I’m a Donnington boy through and through, I’ve been through some hard times and it’s made me the man I am now.

“I’ve been a warrior since I was six years old. I’ll fight anyone, anyone who wants to take it – if they told me to face Dalton Smith I’d take it. I’ll fight any man and his dog twice on a Sunday after church.”

Stevens wants belts - particularly the English title, financial security for his family and a ring legacy. To an extent, he’s achieved the latter by registering a string of upsets in his 14 bout career (five losses). 

“This was my first 10 week camp,” he said. “Boxing has saved me. If it wasn’t for my family and boxing, I’d be on the streets or in a police cell or in the ground – most probably a long stretch in prison.”

Almost over…Champ Stevens drops Baker in the fifth round

“We’d like him headlining on a show in Telford,” trainer Davies said. “We’d like a crack at the English or a TV fight. We know there aren’t that many years left – it doesn’t matter who you are, you’re slower at 36, but Kirk has more titles in him.”

In stark contrast to the winner’s excitement, Baker, a thoroughly nice individual, looked utterly dejected as he sat in his corner. I’ve watched Conor on a number of occasions: he’s impressively sculptured, his left hand work is pleasing and on-point.

The 29-year-old simply couldn’t put a dent in Stevens. When the champion realised that, he was in trouble. You can debate the rights and wrongs of tactics, but that’s the bottom line.

Baker jabbed well in the first, attempted to trade in the second and clipped Stevens with a chopping right in the third. Yet Kirk kept driving forward and kept making Conor pay with right hooks to the body.

For Baker, a Severn Trent worker by day, it all began to unravel in the fourth: he was dragged into deep waters, his defence became increasingly leaky.

Stevens opened up with both hands, bulled Baker to the ropes and landed clumping shots to the head. He’d moved to a higher gear, he dominated, the end was in sight.

In the fifth, Baker was all at sea. His nose bloodied, left hooks jarred his head back, his defence disintegrated and he was being bullied. The scheduled 10 rounder was long lost before Stevens delivered that last left hook.

Conor’s abject disappointment is understandable – he had been hit by an uncomfortable reality: a slide rule jab and nimble footwork will gain you amateur trophies, you need a bit of beast to become a pro champion.

Kirk Stevens was just too much of a beast.