YOUNGSTERS AT LEEDS AND HEERLEN (part 1)
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ow does Muay Thai at grass roots level in the UK stack up against the rest of Europe? I decided to compare shows in the UK and the Netherlands, both in December, both featuring mainly young and inexperienced boxers.

On December 1st Bad Company staged its latest show at the East End Park Club in Leeds with the aim of ..

with the bonus of a European title fight to top the bill. Two weeks later I found myself in Heerlen in the South East Netherlands for a bill of ..

It was fascinating to compare the two promotions. Apart from both being extremely well-attended and good-humoured Saturday afternoon shows and very good value for money (notably the Heerlen show at 26 contests for 12.50 euros, less than ?10!), there was little in common. I found the Leeds show the more satisfying of the two, but Heerlen was also highly entertaining and, now that I think I understand the Dutch way of doing things, I’m really looking forward to my next visit to a tournament in the Netherlands.

Kyle Fella v. Anth Shelton

t East End Park things ran so promptly that a 10-minute late arrival meant I missed the opening three-rounder. The club-room furnishings (banquettes and tables) are not made for watching fights and many, myself included, found themselves leaning against door-posts or seat-backs, but the intimate atmosphere is ideal for a small-scale show.

Despite the packed club-room (not far off 300 people) and the always-open bar, crowd behaviour was sporting and considerate, with plenty of cheerful backing for favourites, but not a jeer or boo to be heard. If anything, the tone was set by groups of smart bright young women, certainly not by aggressive muscle-men or red-nosed drunks. The organisation of Richard Smith and his team was immaculate, with 14 contests in less than 4 hours and the only pause for drawing the raffle!

espite the inexperience of the boxers, most of the fights were over five rounds, the new theory being that 5 1? minute rounds prepare young boxers better than 3 x 2 minutes. It certainly paid off: the standard was remarkable. In 7 of 14 fights the boxers had had fewer than 5 fights between them and something like half were teenagers, yet all were skilful and well prepared.

Debbie Fearnley v. Sarah McArthy

The longer distance didn’t always achieve the effect of persuading the fighters to take their time and work their way into the fight: even the Championship bout exploded from the start. The second round proved crucial in many fights: an early blitz produced a 2nd round finish or the boxer on the receiving got his act together in the 2nd, with one contest between two first-time fighters producing an astonishing turn-around from the 2nd round.

he only women’s fight produced probably the most vocal rivalry of the afternoon, Debbie Fearnley’s supporters from Jai Muay Thai managing to outshout those from the home gym. Sadly for Debbie, that was as good as it got: after a very promising start, she couldn’t cope with the extra power and conditioning of Bad Company’s Sally McArthy and quit in the 3rd round. The Jai gang, to their immense credit, gave her a send-off as rousing as her welcome and their enthusiasm was rewarded two fights later with an amazing victory for Jai’s Stuart Blessington. Matched with Sam Eshelby (Dave Agutter), Stuart spent the first round and a half picking himself off the floor, mostly from right-hand punches, before he got his own knees working to Sam’s body. Seemingly set for early defeat in the 2nd, the fit and determined Jai fighter proved unstoppable in the 3rd and his increasingly desperate opponent was exhausted by the end of the round. Not surprisingly Sam was retired by his corner after he sank to his knees in the interval between rounds – another turn-round would have too much to hope for!

Kamen Pickin v. Leif Taggart

eorge Berry and Joe Parrish of the home club both took the short cut to victory with 2nd round stoppages, but the most interesting contests had a surprise in store. The Blessington-Eshelby fight was the most remarkable, but by no means the only one. Bad Company’s talented 16-year-old, Kyle Fella, was much fancied to beat Anth Shelton (Gary McAllister), but ran into a firestorm right from the start. By the 2nd round he looked a beaten fighter, but he mounted a heroic comeback to win the 3rd. After a fairly even last two rounds, Anth was a clear winner in a contest that reflected enormous credit on both boys. Something similar happened when Teesside’s multi-title winner Leif Taggart tangled with the much taller and heavier, but less experienced, Kamen Pickin (Dave Jackson). Kamen couldn’t cope with the variety of techniques shown by Leif and by the 2nd round looked as if he’d rather be anywhere else. But he stayed cool, stayed in the fight, never threatened to win, but from round 3 onwards never looked like being stopped.

James France v. Zdenek Pernica

The top-of-the-bill ISKA European Title fight produced a very impressive win for Bad Company’s James France. The Czech Republic’s Zdenek Pernica set the tone for the fight by launching a head kick within the first seconds of the fight, then finding himself on the canvas, cursing his own carelessness, within 20 seconds. Zdenek’s courage and aggression never failed, but the class was on the side of James France and the Czech corner showed perfect timing in throwing in the towel in Round 3.

A first-class show, then, but how would it compare with a similar promotion in the Netherlands? My next column will be about the Sportlife and Spirit show in Heerlen on December 15th.

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