Event review: Watson shines at Cork Muay Thai show

Jordan Watson put on a Muay Thai master-class in front of 1,800 fight fans in Cork to walk away with the ISKA world title on Saturday.

By Robert Carry

The Muay Thai Superfights event, regarded as the biggest show the sport has seen in Ireland, easily lived up to its billing with a string of dramatic bouts.

Fight fans packed into the Neptune Stadium in Cork for the event and they didn’t have to wait long for a classic.

Luke O’Mahony of Siam Warriors Cork took on Marley Brennan of Warriors Dublin in what was the latter’s first bout out of the amateurs.

O’Mahony showed a some clean technique in the early stages and landed a string of punishing punches on the Dubliner. Brennan somehow managed to shrug off the early barrage before chasing down O’Mahony and delivering some crunching head-shots of his own.

The fight quickly developed into an all-out war with both fighters swinging for the fences. However, it was Brennan’s aggressiveness coupled with a crisp flurry of shots in the closing moments of the last round that earned the win.

In what was billed ‘the battle of the Dubs’, Paddy Douglas of Dublin Thai took on Warriors Dublin up-and-comer Karl McCallig.

The fight was firmly in the ‘much anticipated’ category and the two fighters flew at each other from the off - to the delight of the Dublin contingent in attendance.

Douglas had the better of the early exchanges of the first round, landing a string of head-shots and working well in the clinch.

However, as the white-hot pace of the first round continued into the second, McCallig seemed to find his range, began moving more fluidly and started to pepper his opponent with shots.

The towering teenager continued to press forward in a bid to put a gutsy Douglas on the back foot and by the third he was having the best of the exchanges.

Schoolboy

McCallig took the close-fought battle on points and the schoolboy very much marked himself out as one to watch for the future.

Cian Cowley made it three for three for the Warriors after earning a points win against Adrian Manning with a skilled defensive performance and some slick combinations.

In the main event of the night, Jordan Watson showed some devastating kicking power in the early stages of his clash with Cedric Muller.

The Bad Company fighter didn’t have it all his own way against the Frenchman who showed the tenaciousness that has made him one of the most well respected Farang fighters on the circuit.

At one point Watson stalled after catching the ankle of his opponent who had his back against the corner post. Muller responded by hooking his arms over the ropes and teeping the Englishman squarely in the face with what had been his standing leg.

However, the showreel move did little damage and Watson’s low kicks were eventually starting to make Muller’s leg looking like a ring of black pudding. By the fourth round Muller was notably less mobile as he moved around the ring.

Watson moved in to capitalise towards the end of the bout – mixing up stinging headshots with yet more low-kicks to the wounded lower limbs of his opponent.

The judges ultimately handed the Englishman what was a deserved win on points.

Full results:

Christy Nolan Vs Thomas Lewinsky (w)
Eoin McCarthy Vs Dara Flores (draw)
Luke O Mahony Vs Marley Brennan (w)
Liam Walsh Vs Gary Tutundjian(w)
Cian Duggan Vs Mark Larn (draw)
Adrian Manning Vs Cian Cowley (w)
Seamus Cogan Vs Panicos Yousif (w)
Sean Clancy (w) Vs Craig Bowles
Aaron O Callaghan (w) Vs Billy Hatton
Paddy Douglas Vs Karl MacCalig (w)
Davy Walsh (w) Vs Tim O Neill
Gary Walsh (w) Vs Sean Russell
Jordan Watson (w) Vs Cedric Muller
Dan O Callaghan Vs Michael Kelleher (w)
Darren Cashmen Vs Andy Gray (w)
Josh Palmer (w) Vs James France
T-bob Tinka Vs Gar Byrne (w)