This Is Guernsey

By Rob Batiste

Matt Jennings’ dream of an ABA title was ended by a nasty nosebleed.

MATT JENNINGS’ ABA title dream is over for another year.

After a long day’s waiting in Sheffield on Friday the Guernsey cruiserweight was stopped in the second round of his quarter-final bout against Ricky Leyland of the Peacock club in London, blood pouring from his nose.

Although bitterly disappointed to see his man lose, Amalgamated BC coach Graham Guilbert had no argument with the decision. ‘There was too much blood and he did right to stop the bout.’

After a breakfast weigh-in, Jennings frustratingly had to wait all day and half the evening to step into the ring, one of six still in the running for the cruiserweight national title.

Finally, at 9.15, the two men heard the bell for round one and Leyland was quickly on top as Jennings made his usual slow start.

‘He was picking off Matt early on, but they weren’t hard shots and Matt wasn’t worried about it.

‘By the end of the round Matt was forcing him back and I think had the bout not been stopped, Matt would have won.’

Jennings was officially 4-5 behind at the end of the first round and at the bell Guilbert went to work in an attempt to stop his bleeding nose.

‘We tried everything to stop it but in the second it started pouring again and the ref quite rightly took him to one corner and called the doctor in.

‘He tried to stop it but it kept pouring and pouring. It took ages afterwards to stop.’

After seeing the other four cruiserweights in action, Guilbert reckoned Jennings had got the short straw in drawing Leyland, who, he was sure, would go on to win the title.

‘It’s very disappointing all round after all that hard work.’