WATCHED closely by 1956 Olympic legend, Dick McTaggart, Gilmerton's Scottish light-welterweight champion, John Thain and challenger, Leith Victoria's Fergus Tennent, produced a thrilling feast of boxing before a large crowd at the Edinburgh Masonic club, writes BRIAN DONALD.
The 25-5 scoreline in favour of slick-boxing Thain really only told half the story at Leith Victoria's summer boxing show. For, despite having his first taste of ring action in 12 months, Tennent made his Leith Vics rival toil for his win with fi
erce body assaults in the first two rounds before Thain brought into play his rapier-like left jab and solid right-handers to power ahead in the last two rounds.
Meanwhile, another Capital boxer on the comeback trail at Sunday's show, Lochend featherweight Steven Tiffany, showed that time out hadn't dulled his hand speed or quickfire counterpunching reflexes against Clovenstone veteran, Gordon Izzat, whose passion for clinching and clutching in the last two rounds was ample testimony to the power of 8-6 winner Tiffany's punches.
Pluckiest boxer of the show was Lochend youth Michael Haughan whose ability to storm back after shipping punishment from the tall Hawick southpaw, Sean Gentleman, received prolonged applause after the bout ended with the Borders man winning by 13-4.
However, most impressive Lochend winner was welterweight Chris Cowan who beat Perth's Dale Baxter 12-0.
The full article contains 237 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
