Barry McReynolds was in explosive form at The Devenish on Saturday night as he knocked out StefanVincent in the second round of their light-welterweight contest.
McReynolds was coming in off a first-round stoppage win on his debut back in December, but on his home turf, he produced a stunning KO of the visitor who was unable to stand up to the power of the former Holy Trinity amateur.
It was another glimpse into his vicious side as once he smelt blood, there was no letting the visitor off the hook with a highlight-reel finish the perfect way to see his record improve to 2-0 with another early night.
“It was amazing,” he said as he exited the ring.
“A great crowd, loved every minute of it. Just keep them coming and anyone I step into the ring with, it will be the same result every time. It’s not just power but technique and hitting them in the right spots.
“I just want to keep active and get out as much as I can before the end of the year.”
McReynolds sunk home the same body shot that unlocked the door to victory in his debut, but ‘The Wasp’ came to sting and a right hook to the jaw let him know this was not going to be a walkover.
However, the former Holy Trinity amateur landed one of his own and Vincent’s legs seemed to stiffen momentarily towards the end of the first.
A huge left opened the door in the second with Vincent clearly in trouble and McReynolds knew it, pouncing as he thudded home a big right that prompted referee Hugh Russell to jump in but not before McReynolds landed one which completely sparked the visitor out with no need to issue the count with 31 seconds of the round gone.
Two stoppage wins from two are evidence the West Belfast man can be a major threat going forward.
The promotion was a first foray into that world for pro boxer Padraig McCrory whose ‘Hammer Boxing’ company delivered a nine-fight card that had a bit of everything.
In a thrilling four-round featherweight bout, Connor Kerr got back in the winning column as he overcame Mexico’s Erick Omar Lopez.
Kerr was coming off back-to-back losses against Ruadhan Farrell with the second of those an Irish super-bantamweight title affair, but now campaigning at featherweight, he squeezed home.
Connor Kerr looks to attack
Everything was set up off a solid jab early on, bringing the right into play as he let his hands go when the opportunity arose.
Lopez was not interested in simply surviving as he put it on the North Belfast man, despite conceding height and reach.
In fact, a big right that landed flush caught Kerr’s attention in what was a lively opener.
It had turned into a bit of a war in the second as they both threw with intent, Lopez thudding home a couple of huge hooks and Kerr retaliating with flurries.
The tone was now set with the pair continuing to go to war with Lopez fancying the job and Kerr having to meet fire with fire as they slugged it out to the final bell, but it was Kerr who got the nod from referee Hugh Russell Jnr, 39-38.
Another of the local contingent, Hijjah McMahon, made it two wins from two as a pro as he out-boxed Kristaps Zulgis over four rounds at light-middleweight.
The West Belfast man worked well off the jab and began to set his feet a little more as the rounds ticked by, upping the ante in the third to sting the visitor to body and head.
But the big finish wouldn’t come as Zulgis used all of his experience to navigate the final round with McMahon taking a 40-36 points win.
In the opening bout of the night, former St Paul’s amateur, Tomás McCann began his professional journey with a points win over Owen Durnan over four rounds at light-welterweight.
The West Belfast man was handed a tricky opening assignment against the southpaw but solved the puzzle quite quickly, landing with a short, left uppercut but didn’t get carried away as he boxed with patience and picked his shots well, displaying good movement to spin away from any raids by the visitor.
That lead uppercut was an effective weapon as he found a home for it on a number of occasions before Durnan upped the pace in the last but it was not enough to salvage the win as McCann, sporting a bloodied nose by the end, with Eamonn Magill awarding a 39-37 verdict.
A graduate from the Holy Trinity gym in Belfast who is now based in Peterborough, Bernaldo Marime, enjoyed a successful homecoming with a first-round stoppage of Naeem Ali.
Marime, who represented his native Mozambique at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, was keen to impress and did just that, thudding home a body shot which dropped Ali who was counted out after 2.39 of the opener by referee Hugh Russell Jr to improve to 5-0.
In the main event, another of the ex-Holy Trinity men, Teo Alin, enjoyed a good win over Zimbabwe’s Tatenda Mangombe at lightweight to move onto 4-0.
Tomás McCann in action
Alin was keen to impress as he stalked Mangombe from the off, seeking an angle of attack and found one with a looping left hook almost putting the Zimbabwean over.
This was an indicator for the Cookstown man - a native of East Timor - that he had the power to make a dent and so the assignment was clear.
Mangombe wasn’t without ambition, but Alin’s superb upper body movement was helping him swerve the advances and leave openings to exploits as he continued to throw hooks with bad intentions, but the visitor stood up to it as he heard the final bell, yet it was Alin celebrating a 60-54 win to improve to 4-0.
In the chief support bout, Coleraine’s Matty Boreland continued his push towards a crack at Irish super-bantamweight title honours with an impressive 60-54 victory over Fernando Joaquin Valdez.
The night’s second debutant, Cathal Jennings made a winning start to his career as he took care of business against Steven Wallace, coming through 40-36 after a lively contest.
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