Gary MacMillan Batters Martyn King

By Tom Gray: Edinburgh’s Gary MacMillan scored an impressive seventh round stoppage over Cumbria’s Martyn King at the Glasgow Thistle Hotel on Friday night and retained his British Master’s welterweight title.

Both men measured each other for size in the first round with King getting off well but he was paid back in full by the accurate southpaw.  MacMillan tagged his man with sharp check hooks and sent the challenger back on his heels with two straight left hands.

King did his best to make his opponent miss over the next two frames but he produced no real offence of his own and lost the rounds as a result.  MacMillan was starting to look a little frustrated but remained poised and focussed on the task.

He was much more assertive in the fourth as he pushed his man backwards with several sharp shots.  After one particular flurry King found himself trapped against the ropes and in an eye blink he was decked by a hard left hand.  MacMillan ran his glove across his throat to signal the end but King managed to survive the follow up assault.

The knockdown gave MacMillan even more confidence as he began showing a little feint to set up nice combinations in rounds five and six.  King looked dejected and this reporter sensed from ringside that the end was near. MacMillan was cutting off the ring and punishing his jaded opponent at will.

The finish came when MacMillan landed a bursting right hook to the body which sent King to a knee.  This time the champion was not going to let his man off the hook and he immediately followed up with a two fisted barrage to head and body which saw the referee call a halt to the action.

MacMillan improves to 12-2 (3KO’s) will now target Paisley’s Kevin MacIntyre.

Undercard Results

Michael Roberts of Glasgow decisioned verteran warhorse, Yousef Al Hamidi.

Roberts is a terrific young pro but Al Hamidi, with over forty paid contests, managed to startle him on one or two occasions.  The novice pro did enough left hand work to outscore his man but he was made to work when he found himself on the end of some nice hooks at mid range.

Al Hamidi also used every trick in the book and was guilty of using his head and some well timed and flagrant rabbit punching.  Regardless, the better man won and Roberts is now 4-0 after a nice learning curve. 

The referee scored the contest 59-57.
 

Jonathan Slowey of Glasgow outpointed Crawley’s Robin Deakin over six two minute rounds.

Slowey mixed in some nice work throughout the contest and basically had it all his way. He countered effectively with the right hook and led with sharp one two combinations which quickly sapped Deakin’s willingness to engage.

Slowey is a cocky southpaw and it will be interesting to watch his progress as the level of opposition improves.  He is now 4-0.
 

Sean Watson, of Fauldhouse, won his professional debut against the experienced Kristian Laight.

Watson, who will campaign as a super bantamweight, took every session and scored with some nice combinations to head and body.

The wine and dine event was delivered by Morrison Promotions and featured plenty of high class action.