Nicki Smedley made a return to the ring for his first outing since March 2008 on this Dennis Hobson promotion which took place at the grand City Hall in the heart of Sheffield on Saturday night.

The 24-year-old looked comfortable beating Worcester’s Billy Smith over six one-sided rounds. Smedley, 11-0 going in, held his hands low throughout and looked sharp with a good left jab and quick reflexes. Smith was trying to get his looping hooks to hit the target but he was left hitting the air in the third and tumbled to the canvas as Smedley (10st 11lb 6oz) had quickly moved from his original position. Smith (11st 4lb 2oz) picked up a slight nosebleed in the fourth, which was a result of Smedley’s continued accurate punches. The Sheffield welterweight looked relaxed as he landed a left hook the head and to the body of his battle-hardened opponent and danced out of range and he picked his punches in the final two, mixing shots to the body and bringing up the right uppercut, to take every round on referee Michael Alexander’s scorecard. Smith is now 12-79-1.

Four of the ‘home’ boxers maintained their unbeaten records and there was a long-awaited debut for former kickboxer Steve Swinburn who drew over four with Dale Hutchinson.

Swinburn (10st 10lb 6oz) from Lincoln was originally scheduled to make his debut on Lee Swaby’s Lincolnshire promotion earlier this year. Billy Graham, then Craig Tomes where the proposed opponents for this date but he eventually found himself facing Sheffield’s southpaw Hutchinson (10st 8lb), who was 0-2 going in.  In a good contrast of styles both fought at a fast pace and showed good boxing skills. Hutchinson forced the fight as Swinburn tried to box behind the left jab and connected with right hook and had success countering with hooks as Swinburn landed. There was confusion at the end of the entertaining fourth as the bout, thought by some to be for six rounds, came to an abrupt end. Both gloves were raised as Alexander scored 38-38. A draw was a fair result though Hutchinson let out a cry of frustration. Triallist John Latham refereed.

Doncaster’s Tommy Coward (11st 1 3/4 lb) moved to 2-0, outworking Mansfield Army man Matt Scriven (11st 7lb) who was having his 80th fight (14-65-0 entering). Coward, trained by lightweight boxer Stefy Bull in Mexborough, stopped Billy Graham on his debut in Doncaster last month, and showed quick hands and neat boxing to outpoint Scriven 40-36 over four-twos. The 25-year-old, wearing gold and white shorts, pierced Scriven’s tight guard with a succession of crisp left and rights to the head as Scriven tried to land the left hook. At the end of the second and in the third Scriven did get through with the left but Coward looked comfortable and in the final round boxed well, countering as Scriven threw.  

Light-heavyweight Kyle Whitham (11st 11 1/2lb) outpointed determined Lee Nicholson (12st 9 3/4 lb) over six-twos. Whitham, now 2-0-1, tried to box and began to land with more purpose in the third as Retford’s Nicholson forced the fight. Whitham had a nose bleed in the fourth as Nicholson twice landed a strong left jab. But ‘Hit ‘Em’ Whitham landed well, landing left and rights behind the jab. Shaven headed Nicholson rolled and landed a left hook in the fifth and continued to press until the final bell. But Whitham, with the cleaner work, got the decision, Alexander scoring 60-54 while Latham was in charge. Nicholson is 3-20-3.

Well-followed heavyweight Issrar Asif gave away around 4st to Pudsey’s Lee Mountford (18st 10lb). Asif (14st 11lb) had little trouble against Mountford who walked forwards but threw little. Bearded Asif picked his punches and in the third and fourth began to get through with left hooks and right hooks whilst trying to land the right uppercut. Mountford kept his hands high and in the final round of six switch-hitting Asif looked to be going for the stoppage. Mountford though, only stopped in a third of his defeats (4-27-3 going in) hung on to hear the final bell. Alexander scored every round for Asif who now has his second win and stands at 2-0.