‘Riot on the Docks’ Review

Bout 1 – Josh Yang v John Murray

Yang earned a hard decision victory after 3 rounds of come forward boxing. The crowd were treated in the second round to some wonderful body punching by the middleweight that forced Murray to the corner and to the canvas. One more knockdown in the third kicked Riot on the Docks off in style! This is the second fight and first win for Yang which brings his record to 1-1-0.

Bout 2 – Steven Smith v Mark Howie

The atmosphere continued to build as Debutant Steven Smith walked out to The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen to rapturous applause. Smith put on a brave performance against the man from Glenrothes, but Howie’s combination punching, second round knockdown and constant pressure resulted in a points decision for the man from the Black Devils gym.

Bout 3 – Sam Jordan v Stefano Valentini

Southpaw Sam Jordan had enjoyed a wonderful travelling support all the way from Portsmouth that continued the party at the Port O Leith gym. Jordan had some early success with the jab and forced Valentini to rethink his approach with the lead right hand giving him trouble. Rounds 2 and 3 warmed up with Valentini becoming more comfortable and landing more cross right hands. This strategic bout ended in a fair draw.

Bout 4 – David Ireland v Alex Fern

An epic stare down at the beginning of the fight showed the audience that these men were ready for a war. Ireland had packed the venue with his fans and came out swinging at the sound of the first bell, finding some success with the jab and a looping right hand. This momentum was short-lived however with Fern delivering a devastating blow that left Ireland on the canvas and ended the competition.

Bout 5 – Hayley McMinn v Sam Edgar

Dressed all in black, McMinn delivered what was widely regarded as one of the best bouts of the night. Her unconventional style and forceful approach saw her utilising the triple jab that managed to negate any pressure that was coming back at her. In addition to this, some clever footwork combined with some finely timed right hands made McMinn the deserving winner.

Bout 6 – Cameron Dickie v Martin Cullen

Coming into the second half of the night, the crowd were treated once again to a high-octane start from the Port O’ Leith fighter that was instrumental in Dickie getting the win.
Dickie done well to establish his jab early on and assert his dominance. Round 2 and 3 saw Cullen having a little bit more success which Dickie on the back foot, however Dickie’s counter punching and ability to find his way around the guard led him to a well-deserved victory.

Bout 7 – Ali Evans v Beth Graham

Debutant Ali Evans arrived to rapturous applause from her hometown fans that once again injected Riot on the Docks with massive excitement. This bout proved to be one of the most evenly matched of the night, but Evans’ busier work to both the body and the head, coupled with her unmatched fitness level was enough to put any doubt beyond the judges that she was the rightful winner.

Bout 8 – Steven Christian v Tony McNally

The most experienced fighters of the night gave the crowd a real treat in the penultimate bout of the of the night. From Belfast and Glasgow respectively, the two men started quickly with McNally being the aggressor and Christian absorbing the punishment well. The result of a repetitive and stiff jab caused a bad cut to appear on the eyelid of Christian which threatened to end to bout early. After some excellent corner work the Belfast man’s team managed to stop the bleeding enough for Christian to come out in round 3 and display his best work of the night with a barrage of body shots. However, it was too little too late for the Irishman who succumbed to a points defeat.

Bout 9 – Kieran Steele v Tom Gallagher

A regular at Port O’Leith shows, Kieran ‘The Real Deal’ Steele displayed his skills in an evenly matched bout that saw the home fighter having some success in the first round with some excellent counterpunching. Round 2 saw more of a chess match with both men setting traps to varying degrees of success. It was in round 3 however Steele came out more aggressively and established a punishing jab which led the man from Aberdeen to victory. An excellent finish to an excellent night of boxing at Port O’Leith.