Union Bash
The omens weren't good. Emblazoned on the front of the programme for the annual town versus gown rumpus was the lurid image of a grim-faced boxer and the chilling promise of 'carnage'. Hell, I thought the temptation to relive the atavistic savagery of a bloody historical rivalry might prove too much, even for the fine specimens of educated refinement that sat on the ringside seats in the debating chamber of the Oxford Union.
In the end, though, my fears were misplaced, as the event turned out to be more of a showcase for burgeoning and established Brookes and Blues talent, including the British University champion, James Whitman.
Whitman, a southpaw and clearly a crowd favourite, found it testing against his Abingdon challenger Craig Lacey but was never overtly threatened. His attacking bursts from positions where he seemed to be in difficulty worked well, and he ultimately outgunned his opponent in the allocated three rounds, gaining the decision. He was gracious in victory and the mutual respect between the two boxers was pleasingly clear.
There were other experienced and highly rated OUABC stars on show. In bout six, after weathering a withering series of punches from Azar Salamon, Darren Amekumo of Brookes forced the big Russian into two mandatory eight second counts, with the fight being stopped after a third knockdown. His shots were wonderfully timed, the first right jab in particular so quick it seemed to come out of nowhere. Captain James Glancy produced a match of a completely different character, a match that lasted all of ten seconds. It is difficult to view a bout which pitted the OUABC captain against a relative newcomer as anything other than mildly sadistic, but there is no doubt that he is thrilling to watch. He thundered into Papazov in a hail of scything hooks, at one point sending the 71 kg Russian from Christ Church across the whole length of the ring. Papazov's body was still functioning on a basic motor survival level, but as it got up slowly it was clear that the fight had been stopped by the referee.
The other four bouts didn't produce the same level of drama but were intense and engaging in equal measure. All in all, this was an exciting evening and Oxford will no doubt hope to harden the impression of talent conveyed into a destructively palpable force that can topple Cambridge at the Varsity match in March - an event that will again probably promise carnage but with the added spice of vengeance thrown in for good measure.
12th Feb 2004