Undefeated Askin is on the rise

British Central Area cruiserweight champion Matty Askin took on experienced and crafty Argentinean spoiler Juan Manuel Garay at the Tower Circus in Blackpool, Lancashire on Friday, August 19 and displayed a patient and productive boxing method to score a technical knockout in the fourth round. Askin, an undefeated English prospect, flattened Garay with a jab, uppercut and a hook shot. The fallen 39-year-old found his feet but the referee waved the contest off, preventing the veteran from taking further punishment.

Dawson’s Scorecard

Fish and chips, roller-coaster rides, gambling centres and a haven for bachelor and bachelorette parties, Friday night boxing brought the feel-good atmosphere of the seaside Blackpool town into the Tower Circus as highly-rated cruiserweight prospect Matty Askin – a clear hometown favourite – opened the televised undercard as he sought to protect his undefeated record against Juan Manuel Garay, an Argentine journeyman fighting out of Buenos Aires.

With a natural height advantage, the 6’4 Askin fought tall from the off while Garay crouched, led with his shoulder to protect his chin and lunged in with a chest-bound jab from time to time during a tentative start. Garay boxed with a low lead hand, his left was waist-level while he kept his right high… this allowed him to shoot from the hip, which meant Askin had to be on guard in order to parry or evade the shots that came from angles that are oft hard to see.

The more cut figure, Askin appeared well conditioned and athletic compared to Garay who carried mild paunch around his midsection. Garay shimmied his shoulders from the outside by round two, attempting to goad Askin into close combat. The second stanza contained a lot of holding but Garay’s spoiling tactics failed to keep Askin at bay too long as the 22-year-old scored with a clean head-bound flurry in the final minute of the round.

Garay proved quite a character as, when he wasn’t dancing brief jigs in between boxing, he winked at various members of the ringside audience. A one-two combination and a push from Askin forced Garay head-first into the ropes during the second minute of round three and, moments later, Askin landed a flush overhand right.

The spoiling tactics that Garay employed were perhaps indicative of Askin troubling him but by leading with his head and going for the clinch, there was an inevitable butt of heads. Garay returned to his corner between round three and four with claret streaming down his forehead and brow as a gash had opened up by his hairline – most probably due to the aforementioned accidental clash.

Askin’s left jab became more forceful by round four and the Englishman began loading up on his punches; when the first and/or second shot would miss, the third would land. Midway through the round, Garay missed with an uppercut and was swiftly counter-punched by an in-form Askin.

Askin inspired a raucous applause when he teed up a finishing move with his left jab, right uppercut and left hook. Garay was floored by the move, wriggled around the deck, winked at the commentators ringside and attempted to get to his feet by the count of seven, however, his eyes were still gone and the referee waved the bout off, thus awarding Askin the technical knockout victory.

In a good picture of sportsmanship, though, when Garay had recovered, he celebrated with Askin. The two posed for photographs together with the Argentine padding the chest of the towering man who had just scalped him.

With the win, Askin moved up to 11-0-0, 7ko. And 3rd in the UK Cruiserweight Rankings

Alan Dawson is editor at onthebeak.com