Steenokkerzeel KO'd in Season Opener

Steenokkerzeel 2-14 Brussels

The much anticipated season opener to the BIBO League saw lots of knockdowns and none of the fights went the distance. Terry Downes (Middleweight) was already second best to Chris Pyatt when the Steenokkerzeel man was put down against the ropes and counted out in the 3rd by a left hook.
The next two bouts also ended in the 3rd with Keith Wallace (Bantamweight) being stopped by Joe Lynch with a bad cut over his left eye, then Rinty Monaghan (Flyweight) rose from a knockdown at the hands of Soon-Chun Kwon but the ref stopped the fight immediately. It was all the more disappointing since Monaghan had opened up a bad gash over Kwon's left eye the round earlier.
Bout four saw Eddie Davis (Light Heavyweight) knockdown Willie Edwards with a right hook after 14 seconds in the 1st! Edwards got up on six but the ref stepped in with Edwards clearly out on his feet. 0-8 Brussels at this stage, four bouts and only ten rounds all told.
Next up was the eagerly awaited Heavyweight clash between Ingemar Johansson and Jerry Quarry. After a very cagey opening round, Quarry knocked Johansson down with a left swing to the head. When Quarry was up on 7, Johansson caught him with another left to the side of the head. With Quarry clearly unable to defend himself, the ref stepped in to end it after only 58 seconds of the 2nd round. 0-10 Brussels!

Jim Driscoll, Brussels Featherweight

Baby Arizmendi (Featherweight) was up against Jim Driscoll. In what was a gruelling contest, Driscoll was probably already up 5 rounds to nil when he stopped Arizmendi. Both boxers had shed blood in the opening rounds, but in the 5th Driscoll twice hit Arizmendi hard with two beautiful right hooks but the Steenokkerzeel man omehow stayed on his feet. In the 6th, however, Driscoll did send Arizmendi to the canvas with another right hook. Arizmendi was up on eight, but then Driscoll knocked him down with yet another right hook. Arizmendi was up again after seven, but the ref had seen enough and ended it after 1:22 of the 6th. 0-10 Brussels!
Edwin Rosario (Lightweight) fancied his chances to break the home duck but after surviving an early left hook from Mo Hussein, he was suckered by another hook and put face down on the canvas. Rosario was counted out after 2:05 of the opening round.
The final bout saw 'Sugar' Ray Leonard (Welterweight) looking to salvage someting for Steenokkerzeel. His Brussels' opponent, Antoine Fernandez, was completely outclassed. After taking a lot of punishment throughout the first round, a left hook had Fernandez wobbling and the ref stepped in to stop it with only two seconds to the bell.

So, after eight short bouts which had seven knockdowns and only twenty rounds, Brussels went home with a 2-14 win. An all-action start for the BIBO League.

Johnny Jowls Record

Here is the record for Johnny Jowls from January 1989 to the end of 1994. In total it reads: 16-10[6]-0-6 with 2 no contests. hardly impressive, although he is the reigning Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion.

27-Jan-89 - Merryton Lord - Basildon - Lost Pts
21-Apr-89 - Pierre Gourdon - Newcastle - Won TKO 5
21-Jul-89 - Wayne Williams - Newcastle - Won KO 2
17-Oct-89 - Joe Craig - Wolverh'ton - Lost KO 1
19-Jan-90 - Carl Drefus - Newcastle - Won TKO 6
13-Jul-90 - Joey Cadoza - Newcastle - Lost Pts
2-Oct-90 - Wayne Williams - Leicester - Won Pts
25-Jan-91 - Merryton Lord - Newcastle - Won Pts
12-Apr-91 - Joe Craig - Manchester - Lost Pts
25-Oct-91 - Joey Cadoza - Newcastle - NC
3-Apr-92 - Theo Cabouchi - Newcastle - Won Pts
31-Jul-92 - Collie Thomas - Newcastle - Won Pts
17-Oct-92 - Joe Argilla - Manchester - Won TKO 8
16-Apr-93 - Leroy Gardner - Newcastle - NC
9-Jul-93 - Bob Young - Newcastle - Won KO 4
22-Jan-94 - Tony De Lago - Manchester - Won KO 4
2-Apr-94 - Julio Malagarcia - Las Vegas - Lost TKO 1
27-Oct-94 - Al Botha - Amiens - Lost Pts

Milton Jowls Turns Pro

November 16, 1994. Newcastle, England

With his older brother Johnny's career looking in trouble, Bangla decided now was the time to launch the smaller of the Jowls brothers onto the scene. Pale and positively thin, Milton Jowls looks anything but a professional boxer. However, he has an excellent punch and a short but unbeaten amateur career to prove otherwise, and he's determined to make the grade. Now 20, and weighing a little over 48 kilos, Milton would fight in the flyweight division. His first fight would be against Dave Williams in December.

Johnny Jowls vs Al Botha

October 27, 1994. Amiens, France

After the debacle in Las Vegas, Jowls's next bout was in the industrial town of Amiens in northern France. Al Botha, a Norwegian now boxing in France was his opponent. Botha had a good, impressive record with 37 wins and only 2 losses from 40 fights. However, he was a relative lightweight at just over 86 kilos. Botha did have good boxing ability and he'd be a difficult opponent for Jowls.

Round 1. A lot of nervous sparring and clinching, but Jowls did land a wonderful right cross when he'd broken away from Botha's spoiling. The Frenchman retaliated at the end of the round with a left swing that found it's way past JJ's guard, but the round was already Jowls's.

Round 2. Jowls connected with another left cross right at the beginning of the 2nd round but after that it was all Botha. Although he never really hurt jowls, Botha's workrate with his left probably won him this round.

Round 3. Again Jowls landed the first decent punch but then Botha threw a good left hook into the body and then a right uppercut also inside. Most of JJ's attacks were off the mark although he did land a straight left late on. Botha's round.

Round 4. Jowls was forcing the pace and got in a right cross but Botha connected with a left cross of his own. After that it was all Jowls going forward but Botha always managed to defend evade him. Fairly even round.

Round 5. Botha's turn to go onto the attack. Jowls threw a right hook but Botha withstood that and got in a right swing to Jowls's head. the Frenchman worked on the inside with a right hook and as jowls recoiled he followed with a left cross right on the chin. Jowls tried to turn things around but Botha countered with a left jab to JJ's body, and then a right swing followed straight on. This was becoming a big round for Botha but somehow Jowls did some crafty work inside, first getting through with a jab, then a right hook and a quick right and left combo into the chest of Botha. Botha countered near the end with a right and left of his own right in Jowls's face. Round to Botha. With three to go I had Botha a couple of rounds ahead. jowls had it all still to do.

Round 6. Another round to Botha. The first minute was all Jowls though but in the middle stages Botha went onto the attack first with a left hook, then a left cross and then another, both to JJ's head. A right jab also got through JJ's defences but then Jowls picked up his defence and kept out of trouble for the remainder of the round.

Round 7. All the hard work of Botha had taken its toll on jowls. The big Geordie did connect a couple of beautiful right swings up top, but Botha then wore him down still further and probably just shaded the round.

Round 8. Jowls now needed a knockout but he was a spent force. After a couple of minutes of trading punches Botha put him down with a right hook right on the money. jowls took an 8 count and then took more punishment as botha picked him off easily. Resounding last round by the Norwegian.

Decision time and the ref gave it 97-73 Botha. Judge 1 also 79-73 Botha. Judge 2 87-74 Botha. A comprehensive victory for the Norwegian. Jowls would have to go home and lick his wounds once again.

Recovery For Johnny Jowls

May - September 1994. Newcastle, England

Following his 1st round defeat by Malagarcia, jowls returned to the north-east to lick his wounds. He spent the next 4-5 months resting and then in training. Gym work failed to enhance his skills though.

Bangla then announced in October JJ would again travel abroad, this time to fight Al Botha in France.

Steenokkerzeel vs Brussels Preview

Terry Downes - Middleweight, Steenokkerzeel

The first match of the new BIBO League starts later this week. As with all matches, it will feature 8 bouts. The line-up is as follows (Steenokkerzeel boxers first):

1. Middleweight Terry Downes vs Chris Pyatt

2. Bantamweight Keith Wallace vs Joe Lynch

3. Flyweight Rinty Monaghan vs Soon-Chun Kwon

4. Light Heavyweight Willie Edwards vs Eddie Davis

5. Heavyweight Imgemar Johansson vs Jerry Quarry

6. Featherweight Baby Arizmendi vs Jim Driscoll

7. Lightweight Edwin Rosario vs Mo Hussein

8. Welterweight Ray Leonard vs Antoine Fernandez

Star of the Steenokkerzeel ranks is undoubtedly 'Sugar' Ray Leonard, whilst Jim Driscoll leads the Brussels team. But the most interesting and evenly matched bout will be the heavyweight clash between Ingemar Johannson and Jerry Quarry, which may go a long way to deciding the winner of this match overall.

Roberto Duran vs Ken Buchanan

June 26, 1972. Madison Square Garden, New York

Round 1. Slow start by both men with Duran looking but Buchanan's defensive skills keeping him out of trouble. First blood to the Scotsman as he lands a decent jab to the head and later a left cross onto Duran's jaw. First round to the champion.

Round 2. Buchanan looks confident and gets in a straight left to the head early on. Duran counters with a right uppercut below the heart and then follows with a right swing. Duran is pressing Buchanan now but the champion lands a right uppercut right on the chin. Undeterred Duran keeps pressing and lands a left uppercut of his own and finishes the round with a left hook. Round to Duran, and he looks ominous when he's coming forward.

Round 3. Duran makes all the running but Buchanan seems able to evade everything the challenger can throw at him. Duran does connect with a left hook inside but Buchanan keeps moving and counters with a left swing to Duran's body. Fairly even round without much action.

Round 4. Right from the bell Duran is on top. he lands a left uppercut on the chin followed by a left hook to the side of the head. Buchanan is already in trouble in the first 30 seconds as Duran lands a right and then a left to the head. The first two minutes are all Duran until Buchanan starts to clinch and spoil. Not to be denied, Duran get in a right uppercut inside just below the heart, and just below the bell. A completely one-sided round with little or no scoring from the champion.

Round 5. Duran is looking for the knockout already as Buchanan just tries to keep on the run. Duran lands a right uppercut under the chin of the champion, who then seems to avoid his pursuer awhile. Towards the middle of the round Duran connects with a left cross to the side of the head and then a knee buckling left hook into Buchanan's body. Somehow the champion stays on his feet, covering up whilst Duran throws lefts and rights that only hit Buchanan on the arms. Then Duran gets through with a right swing under Buchanan's defence and then a right hook below the heart. With Buchanan seemingly unable to defend himself from anything coming his way, ref Johnny LoBianco steps in to end it.

Duran wins by a TKO in the 5th.

Roberto Duran vs Ken Buchanan Preview

June 26, 1972. Madison Square Garden, New York
I thought I'd replay a fight from my youth that I remember with nostalgia and a certain amount of irritation. Ken Buchanan was the reigning World Lightweight champion, having beaten Panamanian Ismael Laguna in Puerto Rico in September the previous year. Buchanan then had two non-title fights, winning both, before his date with Duran.
Duran had 28 wins to his career to this point, Buchanan 43 wins and a solitary loss to Miguel Velasquez when fighting for the vacant European title 2½ years before. The fight went all the way to the bell for the start of the 14th when Buchanan failed to rise for the penultimate round.

Ken Buchanan

You can read more details of the fight by visiting the following link:

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=6348&more=1

Johnny Jowls vs Julio Malagarcia

April 2, 1994. Las Vegas, USA

The De Lago title fight was for a purse of £90,000. JJ's share of that was £27,000. Enough to start with, but with a title under his belt Bangla was aiming much higher. For the first time in his career, Johnny would fight outside the UK ... in Las Vegas! An unknown in the States, Jowls was matched with Julio Malagarcia, a Panamanian journeyman. Malagarcia has never been stopped or knocked down in 47 fights, despite losing 20 times. Those defeats were more to do with his lack of basic skills than his ability to trade punches in a stand up contest. This fight attracted a purse of £24,000. Jowls's Commonwealth title was not, of course, up for grabs here.

Round 1. Although they started slowly Jowls landed a left cross to the head and then and left jab lower into the chest. Jowls then connected with a right hook and he was looking in supreme form up to this point. But then Malagarcia landed a left hook of his own which caused Jowls's knees to go but somehow the big Geordie hung on. Then the Panamanian followed with a left swing and then a left uppercut, all sending shock waves through Jowls. The ref had to step in, and he did so after 2:18 of the 1st round.

Malagarcia wins by a TKO in the 1st. A devastating loss for our boy. Could he find a way back after this?

Johnny Jowls vs Tony De Lago

January 22, 1994. Manchester, England

So Johnny's title opportunity was here at last. He'd worked hard to get here and suffered some humiliating defeats along the way, but his recent form had been superb. The British Commonwealth heavyweight Championship! Over from the Bahamas was Tony De Lago. He was undefeated in his last 17 fights since moving his base to the States. He'd shown he was able to absorb heavy punches and was still on the rise on the world stage.

Their respective records:

Tony De Lago (Champion) 21-18 [9]-1-2

Johnny Jowls (Challenger) 13-9 [5]-0-4

On the Lambourne Fighter Index, De Lago was rated 188 with Jowls fairly close on 180. Jowls had the better control and power but De Lago could take punishment and would be a lot stronger as the fight went on.

Round 1. De Lago was pressing forward right from the start. It was Jowls though that made his mark. A left hook to the side of the head and then a right hook inside after De Lago was forced to clinch. De Lago did come back with a right and left late on, but Jowls had controlled much of the round and landed the better punches.

Round 2. Much better from the champion. Successive connections with a left swing and right swing put De lago in the driving seat. Although Jowls controlled the middle part of the round well, connecting with a left uppercut and missing with several others, De Lago was not to be denied and he came back with a left uppercut of his own. Round to the champion.

Round 3. Jowls took the fight back to De Lago, landing a left hook and then a left cross, both to the head. De Lago tried to counter and caught Jowls with a left swing that connected above the right eye, opening up a cut which poured blood. Although Jowls fought on bravely, the champion seized his opportunity and caught Jowls twice on the chin with a left cross and a right uppercut. fairly even given Jowls's energetic start but the cut probably won De Lago the round.

Round 4. Jowls cut opened up again in the clinch and his vision must've been impaired somewhat. but then he caught De Lago with a wonderful left hook which put the champion flat on his back. De Lago had no chance to recover from THAT shot and he was counted out 36 seconds into round four.

JOWLS WAS NOW BRITISH COMMONWEALTH HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!

Well that single punch certainly put Jowls on the international boxing map. He had shown in the first three rounds he could go with De Lago, but in the fourth put him away with a wonder punch. Was he lucky given the bleeding cut over his eye?

BIBO League Fixtures

The fixtures for the IBO League have just been published:

Round One
1 Steenokkerzeel vs Brussels
2 Charleroi vs Liege
3 Leuven vs Antwerpen
4 Mons vs Gent

Round Two
5 Brussels vs Charleroi
6 Liege vs Leuven
7 Antwerpen vs Mons
8 Gent vs Steenokkerzeel

Round Three
9 Steenokkerzeel vs Antwerpen
10 Charleroi vs Gent
11 Leuven vs Brussels
12 Mons vs Liege

Round Four
13 Brussels vs Mons
14 Liege vs Steenokkerzeel
15 Antwerpen vs Charleroi
16 Gent vs Leuven

Round Five
17 Steenokkerzeel vs Leuven
18 Charleroi vs Mons
19 Brussels vs Antwerpen
20 Liege vs Gent

Round Six
21 Leuven vs Charleroi
22 Mons vs Steenokkerzeel
23 Antwerpen vs Liege
24 Gent vs Brussels

Round Seven
25 Steenokkerzeel vs Charleroi
26 Leuven vs Mons
27 Brussels vs Liege
28 Antwerpen vs Gent

Full BIBO League Draft

Here is the BIBO draft in full. Boxers were rated according to the Lambourne formula and then drafted in rating order, with the proviso only one fighter per club per weight division.

BIBO League Draft
1 Ray Leonard WW Steenokkerzeel
2 Joe Gans LW Charleroi
3 Carlos Monzon MW Leuven
4 Ray Robinson MW Mons
5 Jim Driscoll FW Brussels
6 Marcel Cerdan MW Liege
7 Gene Tunney HW Antwerpen
8 Max Schmeling HW Gent
9 Ken Overlin MW Gent
10 Sot Chitalada FLY Antwerpen
11 Jack Delaney LHW Liege
12 Eddie Davis LHW Brussels
13 Fighting Harada BW Mons
14 Ted Lewis WW Leuven
15 Battling Levinsky LHW Charleroi
16 Edwin Rosario LW Steenokkerzeel
17 Baby Arizmendi FW Steenokkerzeel
18 Cesar Brion HW Charleroi
19 Santos Laciar FLY Leuven
20 Jose Torres LHW Mons
21 Joe Lynch BW Brussels
22 Benny Bass FW Liege
23 Luisito Espinosa BW Antwerpen
24 Walter McGowan FLY Gent
25 Mark Breland WW Gent
26 Oscar De La Hoya LW Antwerpen
27 Simon Skosana BW Liege
28 Jerry Quarry HW Brussels
29 Vincente Saldivar FW Mons
30 Johnny Buff BW Leuven
31 Gaby Canizales BW Charleroi
32 Ingemar Johansson HW Steenokkerzeel
33 Willie Edwards LHW Steenokkerzeel
34 Harry Smith MW Charleroi
35 Gert Bo Jacobson LW Leuven
36 Paddy Ryan HW Mons
37 Antoine Fernandez WW Brussels
38 Jack Munroe HW Liege
39 Rudi Koopmans LHW Antwerpen
40 Willie Pastrano LHW Gent
41 Charlie Brown LW Gent
42 Gene Fullmer MW Antwerpen
43 Randy Shields WW Liege
44 Chris Pyatt MW Brussels
45 Chartchai Chionoi FLY Mons
46 Jackie Callura FW Leuven
47 Peter Mathebula FLY Charleroi
48 Rinty Monaghan FLY Steenokkerzeel
49 Keith Wallace BW Steenokkerzeel
50 Shawn O'Sullivan WW Charleroi
51 Hurricane Jackson HW Leuven
52 Joe Brown LW Mons
53 Mo Hussein LW Brussels
54 Chatvachal Berkrerk FLY Liege
55 Mauro Martelli WW Antwerpen
56 Satoshi Shingaki BW Gent
57 Sal Bartolo FW Gent
58 Rafael Ortega FW Antwerpen
59 Joe Dundee LW Liege
60 Soon-Chun Kwon FLY Brussels
61 Hedgeman Lewis WW Mons
62 Battling Siki LHW Leuven
63 Raul Rojas FW Charleroi
64 Terry Downes MW Steenokkerzeel

Each Club's eight fighters will fight in each clubs' matches against the other seven.

BIBO Draft Starts

The fledgling ATG Boxing League made its first steps when the eight clubs made their draft selections for the first season. The league incorporates the historical EIGHT weight divisions, and approx. 100 fighters from each division. As such, the ATG fighters in each division were randomised and the first eight out of the hat went into the overall league draft. Each club could then pick from the overall available fighters with the obvious limit of only one fighter in each weight division. Steenokkerzeel had the honour of first pick and they went for welterweight 'Sugar' Ray Leonard.

'Sugar' Ray Leonard

Steenokkerzeel will also play hosts to Brussels in the first match of the league.
More details to follow......

International Boxing Organisation League To Start

Whilst the Commonwealth title fight between De Lago and Jowls is eagerly awaited, the following news item came in. The Bangla International Boxing Organisation ATG League will start in the next few days. There are eight clubs in the league: Antwerpen, Brussels, Charleroi, Gent, Liege, Leuven, Mons and Steenokkerzeel. The league incorporates the eight original weight divisions and is a round-robin tournament over seven rounds. Each match will comprise 8 bouts, one from each division.
Other details include:
Order of bouts
In ascending draft order of home club
Length of bouts
10 rounds
Scoring system
10 point with the ref and two judges scoring
League Points
2 points for a win of any kind, or if scheduled opponent is absent injured, 1 point for a draw. All points earned go towards club's total league points.

More to follow......

Title Bout Preparation

August-December 1993
With the news that Bangla had struck a deal for Jowls to fight Tony De Lago, Jowls went into intensive training for the rest of 1993. With the Commonwealth title on offer, this was the big chance Jowls had been waiting for. The fight was to be in Manchester, scene of Jowls's victory over Joe Argilla, over 12 rounds. Once again Jowls concentrated on road work to boost his stamina.

[in the end, the training increased Jowls's KD rating rather than his stamina]

Johnny Jowls vs Bob Young

July 9, 1993. Newcastle, England

Eager to figt after the Gardner fiasco, Bangla brought Bob Young down to Newcastle. This Glaswegian had been a decent amateur and had won 9 of his 11 fights, but he lacked the big punch he'd need to make the grade. Most writers thought this was an attempt to pad out Jowls's record rather than progress up the British rankings. The purse was only £8,000, paltry compared to the Gardner fight, but Bangla knew what his boy needed was more experience ahead of the big fights to come.

Round 1. Jowls all the way although Bob Young did offer a lot coming forward, but JJ was simply too good and landed some key punches. In particular, Jowls's work inside must've scored heavily.

Round 2. More even this round. Jowls looked to fire the uppercut which he landed to good effect at least twice on the inside. Young landed crosses, right and left, up top.

Round 3. Another fairly even, quieter round. Jowls started keenly with a left uppercut inside. A lot of clinching and spoiling ensued. When they broke Jowls tried to attack and Yound countered with a left swing to the head and then a straight left. Jowls then landed a solid jab of his own. Jowls still ahead at this point, but only just.

Round 4. Wham! Jowls found a left hook and put Yound down against the ropes. The Scotsman was counted out as he tried to rise, 37 seconds into the 4th round.

Strangely, the ref had Jowls two rounds up after three on his card. But no matter, this was an impressive win for JJ, his fourth win in a row.

Johnny Jowls vs Leroy Gardner

April 16, 1993. Newcastle, England

Potentially regarded as a World contender in his career, Gardner never fulfilled his promise. His basic technique was never top notch but he possessed a vicious left hook - 24 of his 25 victories were inside the distance! Now 26 he still had a lot to offer, maybe still in with a shot at the British title again. Gardner was a good draw for Jowls and the purse was JJ's best on offer yet, £24,000.

Round 1. Jowls came out quickly and landed a left jab just as they reached the centre of the ring. Then the pair came together in a clinch and Gardner sustained a cut over his right eye. This would be the second Jowls fight to end as a No Contest so early. On the doctor's advice, the ref stopped the fight after only 38 seconds.

Johnny Jowls vs Leroy Gardner

April 16, 1993. Newcastle, England

Potentially regarded as a World contender in his career, Gardner never fulfilled his promise. His basic technique was never top notch but he possessed a vicious left hook - 24 of his 25 victories were inside the distance! Now 26 he still had a lot to offer, maybe still in with a shot at the British title again. Gardner was a good draw for Jowls and the purse was JJ's best on offer yet, £24,000.

Round 1. Jowls came out quickly and landed a left jab just as they reached the centre of the ring. Then the pair came together in a clinch and Gardner sustained a cut over his right eye. This would be the second Jowls fight to end as a No Contest so early. On the doctor's advice, the ref stopped the fight after only 38 seconds.

More Extended Training For Jowls

November 1992-March 1993
Jowls took to the road for the Winter months of 92/93. He had shown he could go the distance over 8 rounds, but if he were to go for a title shot he'd need to last the full 12. The press were excited about his win over Joe Argilla and Johnny himself had been shouting out for a title shot. However, Bangla had eventually plumped for bringing Walsall's Leroy Gardner up to Newcastle.

[in the end, the training increased Jowls's SD rating rather than his stamina]

So, Who's Next Up For Johnny Jowls?

November 1992. BBC Website

Well, fresh from his excellent win against Joe Argilla, Johnny has been doing some roadwork to try and build up his stamina. At this point he'd struggle with a lot of fighters, especially over longer distances, and a title shot against 'Odd Job' Kimber would severely tax his ability to just stand up over a possible 12 rounds! Unfortunately "God" seemingly didn't bless Johnny with much endurance at all. After a month of intensive training, he seems to be strengthening his ability to bounce back, but not simply to keep going.

If rumours are to be believed, Uncle Bangla has been negotiating with at least 10 potential opponents. Looking through the possible opponents, one that we can rule out straight away is Carl Drefus. Jowls stopped him in the last round last May, and there'd be little to gain from such a match up.

Of the others, here's what John Rawling had to say on the BBC website:

Theo Cabouchi - the Italian could represent Jowls's first foray away from these shores. He doesn't have much power and some say even has a glass chin. He's a way for Jowls to pad out his record, but no more at this stage of his career.

Joey Cadoza - there's unfinished business here for Jowls. Last July Jowls suffered a cut on the bridge of his nose and was eventually outpointed by the Spaniard. In December they brought him back to Newcastle for a re-match and jowls was badly cut in the opening exchanges and the ref stopped the fight as a no contest.

Bob Young - this Scotsman is fairly quick on his feet but he can take a punch and would likely take Jowls the distance. He's one of my favourites for Jowls to get more experience and pad out his record.

Collie Thomas - they just fought a hard bout in March. With a win already for Jowls, I can't really see Bangla accepting an unnecessary rematch this early.

Lloyd Castell - the Jamaican is another who could take Jowls the whole way, although he's susceptible to cuts. A very useful stepping stone though.

Leroy Gardner - a crowd puller with a big punch. The money might be good but can Jowls afford to take a chance?

Joe Argilla - I really dunno where these rumours are coming from. After stopping the Argentinian last time out, why would he take this on?

Graham MacLaren - the defeated challenger for the British crown a month or so ago. That was on the same bill as the Jowls/Argilla fight so Jowls's team will have seen enough to decide whether to try for this one or not. Would be a hard fight and might gain Jowls a shot at the British title.

Tiny La Cota - Not sure Jowls is ready for Tiny, but this would be the best win of his career if it came off. Likely to be a big payer too.

Joe 'Odd Job' Kimber - would Bangla have the audacity to try for a shot at the title already? There's no doubt Johnny has been touting the prospect in interviews, but this could be just hot air. Kimber came back from being spread-eagled on the canvas against MacLaren to knock out his challenger the first time he really went looking for a result. Might be a step too far this year for Jowls.

Well, those are the rumoured opponents. We'll just have to see what will be in store for the Byker Brawler.

Joe 'Odd Job' Kimber vs Graham MacLaren

British Heavyweight Championship
October 17, 1992. Manchester, England
In the blue corner, the reigning British Heavyweight Champion, Joe 'Odd Job' Kimber. Shaven-skulled and built like a tank, Kimber had a left hook to match his looks. His boxing skills had been called into question but 25 of his 26 wins had been inside the distance. Kimber had though already lost 6 fights in his career, including two on disqualifications. This was one mean fighter.

Graham MacLaren, from Glasgow, had only three years as a pro. He was still unbeaten in his 9 fights, although some pointed to careful management as the reason he was already able to take a shot at the title without having been really tested.

A handsome £28,000 purse available with almost £20,000 going to the Champion.

Round 1. Lively opening from both fighters until Kimber caught MacLaren with a left swing into the ribs. MacLaren wobbled but stayed up, even after Kimber then delivered a left hook right to his jaw. Kimber ahead after one, and looking worthy of his title.

Round 2. Neither of these two seemed to want to slow things down any. Kimber slowly got on top once again in this round and in the final minute was all over MacLaren. Another round to Kimber.

Round 3. A lot of spoiling from MacLaren and when he couldn't Kimber's punches generally missed the target. MacLaren did manage some counter attacks and a great right hook in the latter stages had Kimber grappling him in. MacLaren's round and the Scot was looking much better.

Round 4. More spoiling and clinching from both as they seemed to be taking a breather. Nothing between them this round.

Round 5. MacLaren showed he does have a punch when he put Kimber on his back. A right hook to the head put Kimber on the back foot and then a left hook put him on his back. He was up after 8 and the ref seemed satisfied to let him carry on. Could there be an upset on the cards? Clear round for MacLaren, and most observers would agree they were neck and neck at this point.

Round 6. A good round for Kimber, showing he'd recovered from the knockdown. MacLaren boxed well but it was the champion who made his openings count. Round to Kimber.

Round 7. MacLaren landed a left uppercut early on and it looked as though Kimber might be in trouble again but it was he who controlled the rest of the round. Most of his punches missed but they kept MacLaren at a distance. A fairly even round.

Round 8. Five to go. Kimber decided to really go after his opponent but MacLaren kept dodging everything. Then a left hook from Kimber put the Scotsman down against the ropes and he failed to beat the count. Kimber had defended his British title with his famed left hook.

Johnny Jowls vs Joe Argilla

October 17, 1992. Manchester, England

Set up as part of the undercard for the Kimber-MacLaren British title fight, Bangla pulled off a coup by getting Argentinian Joe Argilla over to fight JJ on this particular bill. Argilla was undoubtedly the best opponent Jowls would have faced so far. Although past his best at 33, Argilla was a skillful fighter but who's stamina had been lacking in the past 2 or 3 years and he could run out of stamina in the later rounds. Still, 39 wins in 54 fights was impressive enough. With the British title fight on later the same evening, and a £20,000 purse for this fight up for grabs, Jowls would do well to win in front of the most notable of the British boxing writers.

Round 1. The two men were sparring in the fist minutes. After Argilla made the first impact, Jowls let fly with a right swing to the head, then a left cross to the jaw. A good opening from JJ, and a clear advantage in the opening round.

Round 2. Again both men seemed a bit wary of each other early in the round, but Jowls took control and displayed some excellent skills to win the round at a canter.

Round 3. A tougher one for Jowls. He landed a left cross and when he went to follow it up Argilla countered and got in a straight left of his own as Jowls came looking again. More of both men keeping their distance until Argilla found an opening and landed a right cross before Jowls managed to pull him in and see out the round. Maybe Argilla shaded that one, not sure.

Round 4. Argilla started to open up and take the fight to Johnny. In the middle portion he landed punch after punch and finished the round with a smacking right swing which caught Jowls on the side of the head as he backed away. Clear round for Argilla who was back in this fight.

Round 5. Jowls began well and found an opening for a great straight left through Argilla's guard. Argilla though began to come forward again and pressed Jowls for the final two minutes. Round to the Argentinian.

Round 6. Some fierce talking from Bangla and JJ came out firing in the 6th. Argilla looked as though he might be tiring and was on the run. After Jowls landed a right hook Argilla either ran or tried to spoil if Johnny got too close. Another round to Jowls, and things looked pretty even on the scorecard but with Argilla looking very tired.

Round 7. Jowls was gunning for Argilla although the Argentinian was able to hold and spoil in the early part of the round. Then Jowls caught him with a right hook just below the heart and Argilla was in trouble. Another right hook into the body put Argilla down against the ropes and the Argentinian took the full 9-count before reaching his feet. More punishment from Jowls followed but he couldn't put Argilla away this time. Round to Jowls and he was looking at his third win in a row.

Round 8. As they touched gloves the Argentinian could hardly lift his arms and right from the bell Jowls was looking to finish it. A right swing had Argilla in trouble and then a right hook inside. On the break Argilla somehow managed to land one of his own but then Jowls landed a right hook but somehow Argilla didn't go down. Argilla looked out of it though and the ref stepped in at 1:20 of the 8th round to stop the fight.

An impressive win for Jowls, taking his record now to 12-8[4]-0-4. Only now were people beginning to take notice and talk about him in the same breath as Kimber.

Johnny Jowls vs Collie Thomas

July 31, 1992. Newcastle, England

Collie Thomas, an Australian who frequently fought in France, agreed to come to Newcastle as JJ's next opponent. He'd never been knocked down or stopped in over 40 fights. At 29 his best days were over, but he'd been in with the best of them and had 35 wins to his name. Another 8-rounder for Jowls that would help his education.

Round 1. Jowls came out looking very eager and getting the better of the early exchanges. Thomas gave him a warning with a right hook though and connected with a left swing later that opened up a cut over Jowls's right eye. Jowls's work rate was superior though and he probably shaded the round, but that cut would be a worry to his corner happening so early on.

Round 2. Another round to Jowls, but again a fairly close one. Jowls made the running and landed a left uppercut into the body. Thomas countered with a straight left that went right through Jowls's guard. Frantic thrusts and counter thrusts ensued but it was Jowls who landed a right cross and then a crushing left hook, again into the body of Thomas. Thomas wasn't finished though and found a left uppercut from somewhere that visibly hurt Jowls. As Thomas moved in again Jowls sidestepped and connected with a left hook. This was shaping up into some fight!

Round 3. Thomas looked to press forward in the third but neither boxer had much opportunity in a very cagey round. Jowl's punches maybe scored better, but this round could have gone either way.

Round 4. Thomas's round and a left cross to the side of the head might've given him the fight on another day. Very little from JJ.

Round 5. Another round to Thomas in dramatic fashion. Jowls was clearly ahead when Thomas threw a right swing that sent Jowls to the canvas spreadeagled on his back. Somehow he was up on 9 and managed to survive until the bell.

Round 6. Thomas went all out for the win. Jowls managed to keep himself away from Thomas's lunges until he was caught on the side of the head by a Thomas left hook. Countering in the final 30 seconds or so, Jowls landed one punch after another to a surprised Thomas and that late flurry maybe just won him the round.

Round 7. Thomas had given his all and Jowls had survived that 5th round knockdown. Thomas started well and caught Jowls with a left uppercut set up by an excellent jab. But then it was Jowls turn to go looking for the win. He had Thomas on the back foot and found his way through with a couple of left uppercuts but otherwise Thomas displayed excellent defence. Fairly even that round, and I had Jowls probably four rounds to two ahead.

Round 8. Both men were just trying to stay on their feet. Jowls summoned up a left cross to Thomas's chin, then Thomas closed and got him with a left and right inside. After that there was a lot of leaning, clinching and missed punches. A late counter attack by Jowls with a 2-fisted attack was the last action of the bout which descended into clinching up to the bell. Probably Jowls for this round, and I thought he'd done enough to win overall.

Decision time, and the ref scored it 79-77 Jowls. A fairly comprehensive win and Jowls's best to-date. He'd comeback from a stunning knockdown in the 5th.

Johnny Jowls vs Theo Cabouchi

April 3, 1992. Newcastle, England

After his enforced rest, Jowls learnt he'd be fighting Theo Cabouchi, a clever if slow and defensive fighter from Italy. Cabouchi's record was fairly unspectacular, 16 only wins from 26 fights and Bangla considered him an excellent measure of his young charge's improvement. Yet again Jowls would fight in his home town of Newcastle.

Round 1. Both seemed a little cagey early on but Jowls soon got on top and landed a number of right swing punches. A late left cross which Cabouchi definitely knew about was Jowls's best effort but he dominated throughout and won the round easily.

Round 2. Starting from where he left off, Jowls caught Cabouchi with an exquisite right hook but Cabouchi just clung on. More punishment from Jowls followed with Cabouchi offering little in return. Another hook, with the left this time right into Cabouchi's body put the Italian in trouble. His knees buckled but he stayed upright and Jowls couldn't follow it up before the bell. Another clear round for Jowls.

Round 3. Cabouchi was clearly trying to retreat everytime Jowls came forward. He did land a left cross early on but from then on it was relentless attacks from the Geordie. Cabouchi's defensive work kept him out of further trouble though until Jowls landed a left hook. The Italian wobbled but somehow stayed up. Going in for the kill, Jowls landed another left hook, this time inside, and right at the end had Cabouchi in real trouble with another left hook into the body. The Italian did see out the round and made it to his corner well behind.

Round 4. More good work from Jowls, if less spectacular than the previous two rounds, with Cabouchi only able to duck clear and try to hit on the counter. Relatively quiet but Jowls the only winner once again.

Round 5. Another round to Jowls, making it five out of five on my card. Jowls landed a left cross which must've hurt but that was the only excitement as these two were clearly saving themselves for the last rounds.

Round 6. Jowls try to sum up the strength to go for the KO but Cabouchi's skills were starting to show. He landed two right hooks of his own to the head and then the body as warning shots. Jowls did manage some good punches of his own but Cabouchi took the round.

Round 7. Sensing Jowls was tiring and he needed a stoppage himself to win, Cabouchi switched to the attack. Jowls had no answer as the Italian landed blow after blow, mostly inside work. A big round for Cabouchi but he was still well behind on points.

Round 8. Both men looked out on their feet after their exertions and the punishment they'd both received. There were a lot of missed punches or defending with the arms until Cabouchi landed a decent jab into Jowls's body. That seemed to sting Jowls into action for the final half round and he hurt Cabouchi with a left hook and then a right uppercut. Round to Jowls but it shouldn't have mattered. I had Jowls a clear winner by six rounds to two.

Decision time, and the ref gave it 78½-76½ Jowls. A comprehensive win although Cabouchi showed he could take a lot of punishment and was a great work out for our hero. With this win, Jowls's record went to 10-6[3]-0-4.

Enforced Rest & Training

November 1991 - February 1992
After the gash above his right eye, Jowls had no choice but to rest and then do some road work. The road work kept him in trim, but didn't seem to make any real improvement. Meanwhile, the cut healed and Bangla was out and about trying to negotiate another opponent to try and kickstart Jowls's stuttering career once again.

Johnny Jowls vs Joey Cadoza II

October 25, 1991. Newcastle, England
Another rematch for Jowls, this time against Cardoza, who outpointed him in July 1990. Jowls's improvement had been well recognised and he was installed as favourite for the bout. However, in the first clinch after literally only 10 seconds, there was a terrific clash of heads and Jowls sustained a bad cut over his right eye. After much examination and discussion, the doctor had no choice but to order the ref to stop the fight. No contest.

More Time In The Gym For Jowls

May-August 1991.
More time dedicated to training for Jowls. Most of it was spent in the gym where he increased his DF factor [to 8]. With JJ's record now a very poor 9-5[3]-0-4, Bangla found it hard to get opponents. In the end, he set up an October rematch with Joey Cadoza, the Spaniard who'd out pointed him the previous Summer.

Johnny Jowls vs Joe 'Bully Boy' Craig II

April 12, 1991. Manchester, England.

So after two excellent points-winning bouts, Bangla went for a rematch with Joe 'Bully Boy' Craig. Craig had knocked out JJ in the first round of their bout 16 months earlier. Perhaps now Jowls had grown in ring savvy just enough to take his revenge. The bout took place in Manchester. Not quite what Bangla intended when he tried to get Craig up to Newcastle, but the purse was decent and the experience invaluable.

Round 1. As expected, Craig came out looking to put Jowls away as quickly as he'd done last time. Although Jowls was looking fresh and alert, Craig quickly took control and was the one who made his mark. An early Jowls attack was brushed aside and Craig landed a right swing counter of his own. Then he followed up with a left hook. Through the middle part of the round Craig seemed content to jab with Jowls powerless. The a right uppercut from Craig and a right cross and Jowls was could offer very little in response. The round to Craig by a mile.

Round 2. With Jowls almost running from Craig, the black country boy was looking for the kill. Jowls was able to pick off Craig as he cam forward, but the sheer volume of Craig's aggressive attacks was enough. A stunning right hook caught Jowls below the heart and Craig fiished the round working inside to Jowls's body. Another clear round to Craig. The only question was whether the ref had scored both rounds 10-9 or 10-9½.

Round 3. A better round for Jowls. Craig looked like he needed a rest after those two exhausting rounds but he kept pressing forward. Most of his attacks missed though and Jowls was able to pick him off with a wonderful 2-fisted attack inside. Not much else happened as the two seemed more like they were sparring. Perhaps a slight advantage to Jowls, but he still had a lot of ground to make up.

Round 4. Craig continued to press, Jowls defended and backed away. But it was Jowls who caught Craig with a beautiful left hook. Carig was hurt be he clung on. That blow slowed him up a bit and both seemed content to stay out of any more trouble. Round to Jowls.

Round 5. With clear instructions from Bangla in the corner to take the fight to Craig, Jowls went after Craig all round. For sheer number of punches landed, Jowls won the round easily but he never looked like putting Craig down. And so Jowls was going the distance for the fourth fight in a row. I had them pretty much even after Jowls's comeback.

Round 6. Both men drummed up whatever strength they had left for an all out round. Jowls struck early with right and left hooks to Craig's body. A right cross caught Craig on the head but then he landed a left uppercut right on Jowls's jaw. Craig then began to dominate, especially inside. He scored with a right hook and then a jab to the body after the ref had pulled them apart. A left uppercut to the chin hurt Jowls and the Brawler needed something in the final minute as the fight was slipping away from him. Jowls summoned a left hook which did hurt, but Craig clinched and stayed upright. Late on a Craig left swung was low and he was warned by the referee. A fairly even round overall with Jowls starting and finishing well but with Craig dominating the middle stages, and a lot would depend on whather that low blow influenced the referee at all.

Decision time. It couldn't have been closer. The ref scored it 58-57½ Craig. He also had them dead even going into the last round, but Craig's superior work rate probably won it in the end. A second defeat to Craig for Jowls. Where would he go next?

Johnny Jowls vs Merryton Lord II

January 25, 1991. Newcastle, England.
Still happy to gain experience and pad out his record a second rematch, this time against Merryton Lord, was next up for Jowls. Lord had been Jowls's first professional opponent and had outpointed him that time. Nearly two years on, Lord was brought up to the north-east and would be a good measure of JJ's progress.

Round 1. A great round for Jowls. He wrested control of the round early on and never lost it. A right hook to the head put Lord on the backfoot, then Jowls fired a left hook to the side of Lord's head. Lord tried to counter with a straight left but after some frantic sparring where neither made much impact, Jowls landed a left swing right to Lord's jaw. Somehow Lord clung on even when Jowls got him with a right/left combination follow-up. Superb skills from the
Byker Brawler.

Round 2. Jowls took up where he left off with a straight left catching Lord on the side of the cheek. A left cross right on the chin put Lord in more trouble but although Jowls kept going forward looking for the killer blow, somehow Lord found enough breathing space as he danced away from Jowls at every opportunity. Lord's only real scoring attack was another straight left to Jowls's head but the Geordie kept coming forward and put two left hooks into Lord's body. Another great round for Jowls.

Round 3. A straight left from Jowls to Lord's head let the crowd know who was still in top. Another left cross right on the chin from Jowls and Lord was living very dangerously. through the middle stages Jowls couldn't make his superiority count and Lord connected with a left cross of his own, but that just seem to inspire Jowls who ended the round with a good left uppercut to the head and then a right hook on the money too. Another round to Jowls and at the halfway stage Jowls was in total control. I had him 3 rounds to the good and Lord would need something special to turn this one around.

Round 4. It looked like Jowls was taking a mid-fight breather and it was Lord who won this round. Jowls was in control for most of it but he couldn't make it count and lord kept picking him off. In the final stages, a great left hook from Lord underlined this was his round.

Round 5. Both men really went for it in round five. Lord looked the more tired of the two but he landed almost as many punches as Jowls, and certainly the more telling ones. Jowls opened with a right uppercut, followed up with a straight left to the head then a jab with the right to Lord's head. Lord came back into it in the middle stages but in the final minute rocked Jowls with a left cross up top and then a left hook inside that clearly hurt. I scored the round fairly even but maybe Lord had done just enough.

Round 6. Lord had come back well in the previous two rounds, but now he looked very jaded. Jowls, on the other hand was out for blood. A right swing and then a hook both connected, and then a left swing all pummelling Lord's face and head. A right uppercut into Lord's body took his breath away and Jowls had done enough. He couldn't land the killer punch and walked into a late uppercut from Lord, but the round was already JJ's.

Decision time and the ref gave it to Jowls, 59-58. He had scored Lord the 4th and 5th rounds but the lad from Byker put in a sterling performance and fully earned his revenge against Lord. This was another great performance from Jowls, whose record now stood at 8-5[3]-0-3.

Johnny Jowls vs Wayne Williams II

October 2, 1990. Leicester, England.

Needing a morale boosting win for his charge, Bangla set up a rematch with Wayne Williams. Jowls had already knocked out Williams in the 2nd round of their bout 15 months earlier. Version II would be fought on Williams' home turf. After three defeats for Jowls, and the easy way he dispensed with Williams last time round, these two couldn't command much in the way of prize money, but both were looking to resurrect their careers.

Round 1. As expected, from the first bell Jowls was in control. He took the first round without ever really breaking sweat. Williams somehow managed to duck and weave away from Jowls's attacks, but late in the round Jowls caught Williams with a straight left which set him up for a cracking right hook inside.

Round 2. Sensing he might be on the end of another beating, Williams went onto the offensive. he caught Jowls twice early in the round with a left swing and a right uppercut. Another uppercut from Williams and our boy was looking in trouble as he failed to avoid Williams whenever he came forward. In the last minute though, Jowls got in another right hook, right in William's chest, which made Williams more wary for the rest of the round. Probably one round apiece thus far.

Round 3. Jowls realised he needed to press forward to keep Williams on the back foot. Round three was a repeat of round one, with Jowls never in trouble. Another right hook inside was his most notable strike but he failed to capitalise despite having total control at this point.

Round 4. Williams was really backing away as Jowls continued to press forward. jowls missed his target more often than not, but he probably just shaded the round due to his more aggressive style.

Round 5. More of the same in terms of style, but after hurting Jowls with an uppercut inside, Williams let Jowls come onto him again and landed a left hook which visibly shook jowls to his knees. Somehow Jowls held on and even managed to regain the initiative later with a right cross and a combo. Pretty even with stunner from Williams perhaps just shading it. Going to the last round I made Jowls just ahead, but needing to win it from here.

Round 6. Having seen Jowls take his best shot, Williams seemed exhausted and Jowls dominated, showing his full repertoire of punches as he pounded Williams for three minutes. By the end of the round Williams was showing signs of a cut over his right eye, and there was only one winner.

Decision time and the ref gave it 59½-57 Jowls. Perhaps a tad closer I thought, but no doubt who won. This was JJ's first win over the full distance and probably the most satisfying of his short career so far.

Johnny Jowls vs Joey Cadoza

July 13, 1990. Newcastle, England.

Friday the thirteenth! After a few months traing since the Drefus fight, Spain's Joey Cadoza was Jowls's next opponent. Once again, Bangla negotiated the fight would be in Newcastle, with a decent £6,000 purse to get the Spaniard over. Cadoza was anything but special however. A run-of-the-mill heavyweight, those in the know expected Jowls to finish him off before the end. Cadoza's only real strength was Jowls's key weakness, staying power. If the fight would go the distance Cadoza would be favourite. This would be Jowls's first fight over 8 rounds.

Round 1. Jowls had the better of the early stages, doing some good work inside to the body. Although quiet, the round looked to be going JJ's way until Cadoza landed a right hook below the heart which shook Jowls somewhat. Probably even for the first 3 minutes.

Round 2. A great start from jowls once again, getting the better of his opponent early on, but yet another stunning right hook to the chest shook jowls once again. Jowls did most of the running though and landed some good body punches himself and probably just shaded the round.

Round 3. Cadoza began to press but Jowls maintained control throughout most of the third, getting a couple of useful blows to the head and only being caught by Cadoza right on the bell. I scored this another round to Jowls.

Round 4. JJ's lay-off seemed to have worked as he started round 4 the same as the previous 3. A Cadoza left hook wrested the initiative though and some great inside work from Cadoza had Jowls on the defensive. Jowls did finish the round still looking strong though. At the halfway point I had Jowls just one round ahead.

Round 5. Another round with Cadoza pressing and Jowls managing to stay out of trouble. More good work inside from the Spaniard put him ahead. Jowls seemed content to spoil his way through the last minute or so, but he'd let his advantage slip.

Round 6. Cadoza must've sensed that Jowls was tiring and he took full advantage. the Spaniard contolled round 6 throughout and opened up with several scoring attacks to the head. A big round for Cadoza put him firmly in control with three rounds to go.

Round 7. Unknown territory for Jowls, but after the previous round he came back well. Cadoza looked to be pressing for the kill early on and combinations to the head and then inside had Jowls on the defensive once again. But the big Geordie came back well in the later stages. One downside was a cut on the bridge of the nose sustained by JJ during a clinch. The first cut of his professional career.

Round 8. The final round and watching them touch gloves, both men still looked like they had plenty of fight left in them. I had Cadoza ahead by at least a couple of rounds so Jowls would need to come up with another final round clincher. he opened with a great left cross to the chin. Cadoza countered with a left cross of his own. With both men goiving as much as they could, Cadoza 's attacks seemed more accurate but in the final seconds Jowls found a wonderful left hook that caught Cadoza right on the chin. Somehow the Spaniard stayed upright and kept out of harm's way until the bell. I gave that final round to Jowls, just perhaps, but he took the fight to Cadoza.

Decision time and the ref scored it 79-77 Cadoza. I scored it a little closer and an unhappy crowd whistled at the decision, but they'd seen a great fight and Jowls proving he could go the 8-round distance, even if it were as a loser.

Gym Work For Johnny

February-June, 1990.
Even after beating Carl Drefus, it was clear that JJ had to improve his stamina if he was to be able to go the distance and win. His stamina was always less than average, in part because he'd won all his early fights in the first round. However, if he wanted to progress he'd need to be able to last in the close bouts.

Footnote: in fact Johnny failed to increase his stamina but raised his strength and ability to beat the count instead. Strange that he opted for gym work rather than get out on the road!

Happy Birthday Johnny!

January 25, 1990. Newcastle, England
Johnny Jowls celebrated his 21st birthday with a Thursday night "doon the Toon". With his record at 5-3[3]-0-2 he still had a lot to do before he might be considered a contender for even the British title. Nevertheless, three wins all inside the distance showed his power from his amateur days was still potent against the big boys.

Johnny Jowls vs Carl Drefus

January 19, 1990. Newcastle, England

It was back to basics for Johnny Jowls. 2 wins and 2 defeats left him wondering whether he really had a future in professional boxing. Bangla lined up Carl Drefus, another from the Midlands, to come to Newcastle. Drefus was the current Midland Area Champion at the time, although his figures of 43-19[7]-3-21 show he never amounted to much. A possibility then for JJ to get things moving again. The bout took place 6 days before johnny's 21st birthday. Would he be able to celebrate?

Round 1. Drefus tries to go straight onto the attack but Jowls keeps him at bay, managing to get out of the way of a lot of mistimed punches and even scored a right hook and left cross of his own. At the end of the round Drefus finally managed to corner Jowls and he landed a few of his own. A fairly even 1st round.

Round 2. More backing away from Jowls; he wasn't taking any chances this time. Lots of clinching as Drefus' missed with his attacks and Jowls sucked him inside. The round probably to Drefus for being the more aggressive, but still fairly close.

Round 3. Jowls continued to run from any drefus attacks and failed to land anything significant himself for the second round running. Maybe that KO from Craig had affected him more than we thought? Drefus continued to come forward and took the round with his early work, but it petered out in the latter half, much to the disapproval of a booing Newcastle public.

Round 4. Sensing an opportunity to win, Drefus went all out and put Jowls down with a left hook late in the round. Jowls was up on seven, but the round was a disaster for him and he went to this corner well behind on my scorecard. For three rounds running he'd failed to make any headway at all.

Round 5. Finally jowls went over to the offensive.Drefus knew he had probably done enough already and was content to back away and let Jowls come on. Drefus got the better of the early exchanges but Jowls landed a beautiful uppercut to the chin and another right cross to the head. Round to Jowls but could he possibly pull this out of the bag? I had drefus an unassailable 1½ points ahead by now!

Round 6. From the bell Jowls moved to the attack. Again Drefus was backing away, knowing he just had to stay on his feet to take the fight. Jowls caught Drefus with a left cross to the head and then a stunning left swing into the body and Drefus was down on his haunches. After a 7-count he was back up but the ref immediately stepped in and stopped the fight. 0:44 into the final round, Jowls literally pulled this one out of the bag.

Jowls's third win, all inside the distance. No doubt he was relieved as he celebrated his 21st birthday, but he'd been taken all the way by a mediocre opponent.

Johnny Jowls vs Joe 'Bully Boy' Craig

October 17, 1989. Wolverhampton, England

After two excellent wins, Jowls was in demand and an offer came in to fight Howard Drury of Wales. However, his management had picked out Joe Craig and it was down to the Midlands for Jowls for his 4th bout. This choice of opponent was widely criticised though at the time. Craig was showing a tendency to lose often, but he'd previously had twelve first round wins to his credit and his aggressive style almost guaranteed this would lead to a short fight with Jowls. Not unlike Jowls, Craig tended to find his mark with his punches but would get hit just as frequently. Maybe it was the £6,000 purse on offer, more than Drury would attract.

Round 1. Straight onto the attack, Craig left himself open and Jowls pummelled his body more than once. Midway through the round, Jowls's favourite left hook then caught Craig and Bully Boy was down on the ropes. Taking the full 9-count, Craig showed his strength by coming back with a right and then a left which had Jowls retreating. You had the feeling both men would be happy to see the round out but Craig's powerful left swing found its way through late on and Jowls was down on his hands and knees. Jowls stayed down seemingly taking his time, but when he struggled to rise again he was counted out at 2:51 of the opening round.

Unlucky victim number 13 perhaps, but the Jowls camp were rueing taking on craig so early in Jowls's development. A second loss and a third knockdown for the Brawler who was clearly lacking enough ring savvy to stay out of trouble. Where next for our unlikely hero?

Johnny Jowls vs Wayne Williams

July 21, 1989. Newcastle, England

Staying at home once again, Jowls was matched up against Wayne Williams. Williams had won his last three fights since returning to Leicester from America, probably a trip he wished he'd never made since he lost all 13 of his fights over there. His 33-13[8]-1-19 record spoke for itself and Bangla saw Williams as a stepping stone for JJ to gain some early experience. Another poor purse of only £3,000, but Bangla was convinced the money would flow once JJ's early defeat was forgotten.

Round 1. Williams knew he had to try to seize the initiative and he carried the fight to Jowls. Although Jowls did manage a good left cross, Williams work rate put him ahead on my card without making a big impression.

Round 2. Altogether different. A lot of clinching ealry on with the ref constantly having to haul them apart. Then wham! A right hook from Jowls put Williams on his back and the Leicester man was counted out at 1:29.

This was the Byker Brawler of his amateur days. No nonsense, just pure power. Jowls's record now stood at 2[2]-0-1 and the brashness and smile were back.

Johnny Jowls vs Pierre Gourdan

April 21, 1989. Newcastle, England
JJ's second opponent was brought over from France. A decent opponent, Gourdan had 39 wins and only 2 defeats from 43 fights, although he'd never really boxed in the top echelons of the heavyweight division. 20 of Gourdan's had been early, so he could inflict punishment, and he seemed to be able to take a punch as well, so we could expect a decent test of our man's desire to succeed. Back in his hometown, Newcastle, Jowls would have to step up and make good this time.

Round 1. Nobody seemed to want to take too many risks. Jowls did enough to win a low scoring round, but his home crowd expected more of their boy.

Round 2. Gourdan opted for defence and counterattack and it worked. After some early shoving and clinching he landed successive right and left hooks. More clinching and spoiling from Jowls before Gourdan opened up with a 2-fisted attack. Still nothing from jowls and a late left cross caught the Geordie on the head. A clear round for the Frenchman.

Round 3. Jowls fared little better as Gourdan caught him with a straight left to the head, then another left cross found the target. With Gourdan still opting for the counter, he got Jowls with a good left hook inside late on. I made that another round to Gourdan.

Round 4. Wow! After the spoiling of the first half of this fight, both fighters opened up in round four. Jowls had the best of the early exchanges in the round and then caught Gourdan with a left hook to the head. Gourdan clung on to survive and even got in a good left hook of his own towards the end. A clear win in this round though for JJ and I had the fight even with two to go.

Round 5. Gourdan kept up the pressure in the 5th. This was a complete turnaround from earlier in the fight, with Jowls the one looking to sneak in a counter. In the first minute he did just that with a right hook to Gourdan's head that saw his knees buckle but somehow he stayed up. Still trying to come forward, Gourdan landed a right uppercut but then was struck by a hammering left swing into his body that put him on his back on the canvas. Gourdan was up on 7, but he still looked unsteady and the ref stepped in to stop the fight after 2:00 minutes of the 5th round.

JJ pulled out the big round when it was needed. The ref had the score 39-39 after four and Jowls could so easily have lost on points for the second time but he somehow found the two big punches that had Gourdan reeling. So his record goes to 1[1]-0-1. The purse was only £2,000 and his share took his earnings to £4,800.

Johnny Jowls vs Merryton Lord

January 27, 1989. Basildon, Essex
JJ's first professional fight. Having just turned 20 two days earlier, he travelled south to the outskirts of the capital to face journeyman Merryton Lord on a wintry Friday in January. Lord had already had 19 fights, winning 11 but losing 8, but those 11 wins had all been inside the distance. He had a stunning left hook which Johnny would have to be wary of, but that was about all he had to offer. With a reasonable crowd, this would be a good entry to the professional ranks for Jowls. The bout was scheduled for 6 rounds only, but still represented a big jump from his amateur days of first round KO's.

Round 1, and no-one seemed to want to land the first punch. Jowls swung a couple of times and missed. Lord countered and missed as well. It was almost halfway through the first round before Jowls landed a decent right jab to the head. Lord still had nothing in return and then Jowls landed a left hook to the head. That was Jowls's favourite punch that won him most of his amateur bouts.Lord finally mounted an attack of his own, and what an attack! His left hook visibly shook Jowls and the novice hung on to the end of the round. Clearly Lord was just waiting for the opportunity to catch the unwary novice.I scored that one pretty even, with Lord clearly coming out the stronger as the round ended.

Round 2. That left hook in the first round seemed to have stunned Jowls and Lord really went for an early win. It was he who made all the running in round 2. The Brawler's superior skills kept him out of trouble but he was caught several times by Lord's left, especially when he threw the left cross. In the end, it was clear Lord had won the round, but JJ was still within well himself.

Round 3. Another round where Lord pressed continously. This time though the punches really flew. Lord was getting the better of things with Jowls countering whenever he could, but it was only time before Lord caught Jowls good. A left cross to the side of the head was followed by a left hook right on the cheek and Jowls went down on his haunches. No mandatory 8-count in operation, the inexperienced Geordie was back on his feet in 4, taunting his opponent, asking if that was his best shot. Lord caught Jowls at the end of the round and was clearly ahead at the halfway point.

Round 4. Despite the beating he'd taken in the previous round, JJ took the fight back to Lord. In the first half of the round Lord was caught several times but again finished strongly. Maybe just Jowls in that one, but he still needed something to pull this one out of the bag.

Round 5. Jowls was clearly tiring and seemed content to let Lord make the running. Just after the bell Lord walked onto a right hook and had to hang on. in the middle stages a Lord right to the head seemed to open up a cut under Jowls's left eye, but despite mounting attack after attack Lord kept leaving himself open and Jowls won the round by a mile.

Round 6. Final round. I had them scored even at this stage and both looked dead on their feet as they moved to the centre of the ring for the touch of gloves. Jowls stared the better and caught Lord with a right swing but then Lord's experience began to tell as he landed left and right combinations to Jowls's head and body. As the fight seemed to slow towards the end Lord summed up one last ounce of energy and put Jowls down for an 8-count right at the death. With that final blow the round was clearly Lord's.

A great comeback by The Byker Brawler but a loss to start his professional career. The ref scored it 58½-57½ Lord. I had it a little closer, but couldn't disagree with the final result. Two knock-downs and a bleeding cut under the left eye. Would Jowls learn from this humbling experience?

Johnny Jowls - The Byker Brawler

January 1, 1989. Newcastle, England
As 1989 dawned Johnny Jowls, aged 19 years, weighing 101.1 kgs, had had just nine amateur bouts. He won them all by a KO or stoppage in the first round. Johnny was a product of the north-east, Byker, a tough inner-city neighbourhood of Newcastle celebrated in a well known BBC childrens' tv programme. His Uncle Bangla (no, not from The Wombles!) had had him under his wing since the age of 14 but hadn't really curbed Johnny's overly aggressive style, nor his arrogance and boastfulness. What's more, he was known to be a difficult young man to manage and train, but so far he'd delivered the goods exactly on schedule and he could have just kept on doing that. Lets see how he would fare having to go more than one round against some seasoned professionals.