A 1st round knockout ensured Joshua Nelson had an electric intro to the paid ranks
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Perfect start
The York Hall faithful were treated to a stunning debut performance from South London lightweight Joshua Nelson (1-0) on Saturday 19th September on a Goodwin Promotions show topped by Southern Area welterweight champion Johnny Garton (15-1) in a rematch with Martin Welsh (12-5-1).
The 26-year-old from Catford put in a fine, mature presentation to kick off his pro career, with a first round knockout victory over Bulgarian Todor Boyadjiev (1-4).
He commented after the fight, “My game plan was for everything to come off my jab. I jabbed to the body and upstairs to get him confused and just kept doing that and putting my right hand behind it.
“He was coming in a bit and I caught him with a left hook that hurt him because he backed off and then I saw my opportunity and took him out; I’ve got great power in both hands.”
Gameplan executed
Nelson became the first opponent to stop the boxer from Sofia.
“It was a left hook landing on his chin that took him out. My left hook is my money shot, I’ve always had a big left hook even in the amateurs. I used a right to the body to set him up then threw the left hook to the head,” added Nelson, a former Haringey Box Cup silver medallist.
Nelson hails from the talent-packed Pro SW Gym in Loughton, Essex with trainer Carl Lokko, alongside Commonwealth and IBF Inter-Continental lightweight champion Richard Commey.
The 135-pounder received sound advice from his Ghanaian hard-hitting training partner who has 20 knockouts from 22 contests.
“Commey told me, don’t look for the knockout, as long as you keep punching him and connecting then it will come,” explained Nelson.
“I wasn’t nervous going in, I just had a lot of confidence with all the training I had been doing with Commey, and he told me to just relax and don’t let the occasion get to me.”
The South Londoner had a big crowd in attendance on the memorable night, “I had great support on the night, the venue was packed, and the atmosphere was wicked,” he enthused.
“Since the fight, I’ve got a load of people friend requesting me on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram.
“Everyone’s been asking about what ‘GABOS’ means, I had it written on my shorts. It stands for ‘Game Ain’t Based On Sympathy’, a member of my team, Mickey Burke, encouraged me to do it.”
Nelson plans to get another bout in before the end of the year.
“For everyone asking about next fight, I’ve got to confirm it still but hopefully late November,” he concluded.
Full card roundup
Southern Area welterweight champion Johnny Garton earned his shot at the English welterweight championship currently held by Adam Little with a sixth round TKO over Martin Welsh in the main event of the evening which certainly lived up to its top of the bill status.
The warring pair, who already have history previously drawing in their first fight in May this year, went at it hammer and tongs in a barnstormer of a fight.
Garton always looked the bigger puncher in the exchanges and Welsh got caught up on the ropes too many times for too long, resulting in a knockdown in the middle round and, although allowed to continue, it wasn’t long before referee Ian John-Lewis rightfully stopped the fight.
Ricky Hatton’s Upton Clan consisting of Anthony Junior (10-0), Paul (9-0) and Sonny (8-2) all came away with points wins over six three-minute rounds.
London’s lightweight prospect ‘Mustard Mike’ Peart (2-0) doubled his win ratio following a 12 month hiatus due to injury woes, defeating 19-year-old Hungarian Aron Szilagyi (3-7-1) on points.
Heavyweight boxer from New Cross Dominic Akinlade (4-0-1) stopped Bulgarian Angel Angelov (2-1) who became the third unbeaten boxer added as a scalp on 35-year-old Londoner’s near perfect record.
Canning Town’s Joey Vaughan (3-0) made it three in three by defeating Portsmouth’s Lewis O’Mara (3-9) on points.
22-year-old Ryan Davies (7-0) is one of the south coast’s brightest prospects and he took every round against Danny Parsons (1-1) from Walton-on-Thames.
Light-welterweight Kay Prospere (6-0) from Luton made it six in six with a stoppage win over Slovakian Csaba Bolcskei (4-3-1).
Reading’s Aji Sharif (4-2) bounced back from back-to-back losses by defeating journeyman Moses Matovu (5-62-4) on points scored at 40-37 in a four round cruiserweight contest.
Welterweight Darren Townley (1-0) from Plymouth was the only other debutant appearing on the show with Nelson. He came away with a points victory over Belfast’s Alec Bazza (0-9-1).
(Image credit: Jim Fewick)
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