3-0 to Newcastle was a popular result on Saturday.
After Rafa Benitez’s side sent Southampton packing 3-0, Tyneside’s fighters on Phil Jeffries’ first show of 2018 inflicted the same score on the red corner.
Newcastle’s Mark Taylor won for the second time as a pro, as did Kris Pilkington, while there was a debut triumph for James Conlan.
Taylor, sporting a United badge on his white shorts, opened the event against MJ Hall and started smartly.
A nice right to the head was a feature of the second when the Midlander was already sporting a bloody nose.
Hall closed the gap successfully in the third and fourth to smother much of Mark’s good work but the Matty Jobes-trained 21-year-old took a deserved40-37 scoreline from Steve Hawkins.
Conlan, boxing out of the O’Tooles gym, was matched with a familiar visitor to the North-East, Bangor’s Casey Blair.
A boxer’s pro debut is always one of the hardest contests, but the southpaw looked confident and put in a measured display to win all four rounds from Mr Hawkins.
Unbeaten Pilkington also had Northern Irish opposition, when he faced another regular traveller to the region, Alec Bazza in a very watchable battle of the 29-year-olds.
The Belfast man looked decent at the start but Pilkington quickly got the contest where he wanted it, up close and worked away at Alec.
Kris began round two pounding away but was soon conserving some gas, allowing Bazza to respond with a few lefts.
It was a pattern which continued to the end, Plkington beginning strongly, with Bazza
riding the storm and coming back, though he was jolted by a right in the fourth.
Kris got the nod 40-36 from referee Graeme Williams.
Words: Roy Kelly
