BOXING: Home fighters shine on Trowbridge bill
11:30am Monday 4th March 2013 in Latest News By Dan Barnes
Bradford on Avon's Gareth Heard (right) in action during his points victory over Lithuanian Aleskas Vaseris (Photo: Trevor Porter)
NICK Blackwell got back to winning ways in front of his home crowd as he swept aside the challenge of Ruslan Pojonisevs at the Trowbridge Civic Hall on Saturday night.
22-year-old 'Bang Bang' Blackwell was looking to bounce back from his British and Commonwealth middleweight title defeat to Billy Joe Saunders last year and was always in control against his Latvian opponent.
The Trowbridge fighter was on the front foot from the off and stalked his opponent around the ring, with Pojonisevs being constantly driven towards the ropes by Blackwell's power.
The home fighter went for the jugular in the final rounds and showed off some ferocious lightning-quick combinations but a host of low blow stoppages, mostly as a result of the Latvian's 5ft 5′ 7″ frame, played havoc with his momentum.
The fight went the six-round distance as Blackwell claimed a comfortable 59-54 points win.
Earlier in the night, Bradford on Avon light-middleweight Gareth Heard tasted victory in his first six-round contest against Lithuanian Aleskas Vaseris.
The 30-year-old, returning to the ring after a nine-month absence, was patient and precise as he got the better of the awkward and resilient Vaseris to claim a 59-56 victory.
Meanwhile, there were professional debuts for Contender Gym fighters Jono Price and Luke Martin.
Super-bantamweight Price was more than a match for experienced Sheffield fighter Anwar Alfadli, a veteran of 36 fights (1-31-4).
The 19-year-old, from Staverton, had to be light on his feet and pick his shots against Alfadli but eventually took a 39-37 points win on his pro bow.
Melksham heavyweight Martin, 29, showcased some of his hard-hitting hooks and haymakers as he looked to get the better of Dyan Mihailov but the Bulgarian's jabs in the early rounds ensured that the contest finished as a 38-38 draw.
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