Tommy Ward ended the year just as he began it with a masterclass from thousands of miles away from home.
The 25-year-old boxed and fought his way to a unanimous eight-rounds points win in Dubai against Mexico’s Martin Casillas at the Caesars Palace Bluewaters arena.
It was his 29th professional victory for the Hartlepool-trained Co Durham talent who had begun 2019 with a sensational performance in Kansas, where he defeated Jesse Angel Hernandez in a WBO world title eliminator.
Having beaten a Tex/Mex that night in America, he was matched with the toughest of Mexicans in the United Arab Emirates.
Ward had to show some resilience of his own when he suffered a cut to his left eye in the fifth, but finished the contest so strongly that he had the 31-year-old on the canvas in the last.
Casillas made it through to the final bell, but all three ringside judges scored it 80-71 to the Neil Fannan and Dave Garside boxer.
“You’ll see a good 2020 from Tommy Ward,” declared the MTK star in an interview with IFL TV/ ESPN.
“I showed people I can fight, that I’m not just a boxer.
“It was a good fight – he was a strong, tough competitor, whose never been stopped.
“He comes to fight, as he showed, there were times I thought I was making it look easy but he continued to come forward. He’s got a hard head.”
He certainly has. Ward’s sharpness in the first half of the bout was evident, his left constantly finding the Mexican, boxing superbly on the back foot. In the fourth he came into the centre of the ring, picking off his opponent constantly, including with a left-right-left combo.
Casillas was blowing hard in the fifth yet he suddenly found his second wind, landing two rights in close, leaving Ward with a cut to his left eye.
It brought a punch-for-punch conclusion to the round as Tommy stood and let his shots go.
After good work by cutsman, Kerry Kayes, Ward resumed with a clean head and clear head, returning to his boxing with great style.
And he turned it up the pressure in the last with an assault on the Mexican, dropping Casillas with a stunning left hook to the body.
Martin was up by seven and showed his toughness by staying on his feet, despite being stung by a right to the head.
There was great respect between the boxers at the end but the result was inevitable and celebrated by Team Ward, Tommy and brothers Martin and Jimmy, Fannan, Garside and Phil Jeffries (pictured).
What a great night’s work and what a great way to end 2019.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: IFLTV
