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Thanks to Riaz for the scan of the article.

Ailsa Gill – Saturday 27th February – Queens Road Roller Blading Rink – tickets are on sale from reception.

Ailsa is one of our old students who fought in 2000 and then left to have her lovely son Ali. She only came back to train last year and decided she wanted to have 1 more fight. She has trained hard and has found it very hard at times especially being a single mum but she has shown great determination and spirit and we all wish her the very best.

Imran Khan - Saturday 27th March – MEN Arena Manchester – tickets will be on sale from reception or call 07801273124.

Imran returns to the ring against veteran UK fighter Kieran Keddle. This promises to be a great fight and a must see.

Thomas McCormick, Helene Garnett, Lewis Hill, Jillian Corbett - Sunday 18th April – Octagon Sheffield

A fantastic line up for Sheffield, Thomas fighting Liam Robinson, exciting novice Lewis Hill returns to the ring, undefeated novice Jillian Corbett and World Champion Helene Garnett. Helene was due to fight in May in Holland against Jermaine but unfortunately the fight fell through and hopefully she will be able to get matched in Sheffield.

Imran Khan vs Lertoranee Pertvihan (Thailand) - Saturday 24th April – Jersey – anyone wishing to go please call Trix 07743596420 asap.

Imran is back and fighting this strong Thai who has had 100 fights. Always fantastic to watch and the flights are coming in at £90 return, well worth the money.

James trained really hard for this fight and struggled at times with his weight but with perseverance and determination weighed in OK and felt strong and fit, although very nervous. From the start James dominated the fight landing solid punches, kicks and knees throughout the round not allowing George to get started although at times George came forward and looked dangerous with heavy punches. James looked composed and in control and took his time choosing his targets well and easily won the first round. The second round saw James very confident and from the bell unleashed a number of combinations with strong knee and kicks to the body forcing an eight count early on. George got up at eight but James saw victory in sight and continued the attacks forcing the referee to the stop the contest and award James a win by TKO. A top class performance and worthy of his new fighting name The Simok Horse. WRSA English Champion James Ogden.

This was a great venue and it had a real New York gritty feel to it right in the heart of Manhattan. The place was absolutely jammed packed and the crowd was very welcoming given that this was Natalie’s retirement fight after 10 years in the ring.

The first round was pretty even with both girls feeling each other out. Natalie landed some accurate punches and it took  Helene a while to relax and find her range, towards the end she started landing strong leg kicks and used her ringcraft to keep Natalie away. As each round passed Helene grew in confidence using superior footwork making Natalie miss and stepping in to counter with strong leg kicks to both sides and landing some good left hands. Natalie was very strong in the clinch and tied Helene up but Helene kept using her knees attacking Natalie’s legs. Helene out classed and out scored Natalie and it was clear by the end of the 5th round she had won. The judges decision was unanimous to Helene.

This was a great fight for Helene who did everything she was told and we saw a different side to her, fighting skilfully and confidently. Both girls were extremely respectful to each other and we want to say how welcome we were made by all and what a lovely person Natalie Fuz is.  We also would like to thank Justin Blair the promoter for his professional and friendly manner.

Jamie Woodward vs Jaz Williams (Studio 2000) 65kg

Jamie had a bad start with this fight as medical staff refused to let him fight due to high blood pressure. It took just over 2 hours to sort out and this added pressure took its toll on Jamie’s nerves.  He had a tough fight against a strong opponent. The fight was fought mainly in the clinch with both fighters scoring good direct knees with Jaz being the stronger of the two on the night. Jamie used his footwork well and tried to keep the fight at long range scoring with good leg kicks and punches with Jaz exchanging well and managing to get Jamie into the clinch every time. Jamie looked tired by the 5th but stayed in the fight and the final decision went to a well deserved Jaz Williams.

James Ogden vs Diogo Callado (Portugal) 76kg

This was James’s 4th fight and his opponent was a last minute replacement from Portugal who we now know is the Portugese champion, has had 57 fights and won a gold medal in Poland!!! James started very strong in the 1st round dominating the fight and landing some solid leg kicks and punches. The 2nd round saw the Portugese fighter step up the pace and made James work with both fighters exchanging good techniques. By the 4th round Diogo’s experience was showing and he had James on the back foot catching him with a strong head kick which James got straight up from. An excellent learning fight for James who was always dangerous but his opponents experience shone through with the final decision going to Diogo.

Helene Garnett vs Farida Mouatt (France) Dynamite World Title 66kg

Farida was the undefeated French champion with 26 wins and this was Helene’s 12th fight. The fight started fast going straight into the clinch with Farida keeping Helene close but paying the price as she landed strong knees and elbows to the French girls head and it was obvious Helene was much stronger all round. The 2nd round saw Helene change tactic keeping the fight long and scoring some solid leg kicks and punches but Farida wanted to clinch but once again Helene proving too strong landing strong leg kicks and solid elbows to the French girls head whose corner threw the towel in and retired her. A fantastic TKO win for Helene who is now the new Womens World Champion.

Thomas McCormick vs Miguel ‘Mr. Kick’ Varela (Portugal) European Title 66kg

The Portugese fighter has an awsome reputation as a very strong kicker with many knockouts and we now know he currently the Dynamite World Champion. The fight started out pretty even and both fighters showing great skill and poise. Thomas showed excellent ringcraft making Miguel miss and countering with fast strong punches and very solid leg kick combinations. Miguel had strong kicks but Thomas’s timing was very good, catching the kick and taking Miguel down several times. Miguel caught Thomas with some strong punches in the 3rd but became increasingly frustrated wanting to step up the pace but Thomas constantly spoiled him, scoring on him and taking him down in the clinch. A great technical fight to watch and worthy of European standard. The final decision was unanimous to Thomas who is the new European Champion.

Mehdi Firoozi vs Julien Chaputot (France) Eliminator for World Title 78kg

Both fighters looked very nervous with a slow start in the first two rounds testing each other with leg kicks and punch exchanges. Mehdi began to find his range in the 3rd round with strong body kicks but Julien was slightly sharper and kept scoring with punches and kicks. Mehdi created lots of opportunities landing strong kicks but didn’t follow up, he was slower and more hesitant in the 4th and 5th rounds and looked tired allowing Julien to take the decision on points. A disappointing result for Mehdi who is a dangerous fighter (Julien had a suspected broken arm) and we look forward to seeing him in better shape next time.

Lindy Warnes 58kg won on points over 5 rounds nearly stopping her opponent in the last round with leg kicks. A fantastic performance from Lindy who was really nervous about this fight and she can’t wait for her next one.

Jillian Corbett 66kg won on points over 5 rounds winning every round and demonstrated she has excellent all round technique using her boxing, kicks and clinchwork very well. She is hoping to fight again this year so look out for them both.