Great night for Far Cotton's Gidman as he wins on pro debut

The Far Cotton coach has been working with Owen Gidman over the last year and was in the 23-year-old’s corner for his points win over Lee Hallett at the York Hall in Bethnal Green.

For Gidman, it was his first fight since the last of his 58 amateur bouts for Bletchley ABC more than three years ago.

He admitted there was some rust to shed as he made his return to the ring, but he still won three of the four rounds on the referee’s scorecard.

Daly has known Gidman since the boxer was a teenage junior, and he looked very much like a Far Cotton fighter when he put his punches together.

Hallett had spells on the front foot in the second round before Gidman seized back control in the third.

The third round belonged to the impressive Gidman as he held the centre of the ring and pushed Hallett back with stiff jabs.

Londoner Hallett fought back in bursts without making much of an impression, and Gidman had his supporters cheering in the dying seconds of the round when he drilled home a straight right hand.

Gidman produced his best moment of the fight in the last, putting together a three-punch combination, finishing with a crisp left hook to the body, that made Hallett hold.

Hallett told Gidman afterwards the punch had hurt him.

Meanwhile, Northampton fight fans have been told they can see a future champion at the Park Inn Hotel in the town centre later this month.

The show that is being staged at the venue on Friday, November 18 features Kai Church, who will be making his professional debut.

The 22-year-old from Kingsthorpe has been training with Driton Muhaxheri at the Rough and Ready gym in Spring Boroughs in the countdown to the fight.

Muhaxheri is convinced Church has the tools to bring belts back to Northampton.

He said: “Kai is on fire in the gym.

“He has a good technique and footwork, picks his shots well and has got some power as well.

“Kai has been demolishing people in sparring.

“Everyone he gets in the ring with, he hurts.”

Church has been out of the ring since a close points decision went against him as an amateur. and after a rethink he decided to punch for pay.

Spencer McCracken will manage him, and Muhaxheri said: “Kai fell out of love with amateur boxing, but he never got out of shape.

“He always stayed in shape and his fitness now is off the scale.

“He is up at five o’clock every morning doing his run before he goes to work.

“He is only young and by the time he is 25 or 26, he will be a very, very good fighter.

“I have no doubt he will win domestic honours. I’m sure he is going to make a name for himself and win the British title.

“I’m excited to see how far he goes.”