Baker winning debut after five year break

Conor Baker…well schooled and very fit. Pic: Jack Perry

NICE, measured and disciplined debut from Conor Baker who clearly outpointed Stu Greener on BCB’s sell-out bill at the Holiday Inn, Birmingham city centre, last night.

The Tipton light-welter played it by the textbook over four rounds, taking a 40-37 decision after four rounds. Presumably, Greener, from Wiltshire, shared the last, when Baker’s workrate dipped.

It’s way too early to assesses what Baker (9st 13lbs) can achieve in the paid ranks. This was his first competitive contest after a five year break and there’s ring rust to be shed.

But Baker, who had around 30 amateur contests, is well schooled and, to use a well worn analogy, fit as a butcher’s dog. He possesses an impressive physique – tall, lean, muscled and chiselled.

But if build alone made great fighters, Arnold Schwarzenegger would now be a legend of the ring.

Greener (10st 2lbs) has the ring name “Little Canelo”. That’s ill-fitting.

He’s resilient and tough enough to grin at Baker, then pose questions with right hands in the fourth and last rounder.

Baker, a young man who appears grounded and sensible, said: “I was pleased with my work in the first two rounds, but it dropped off in the second half.

“This was my first fight in five years – I’m getting back into it. I need the rounds.”

Baker worked well off the left hand and mixed it up with eye-catching left uppercuts. He landed a lovely left under Greener’s body in the third – only for the Devizes fighter to bare his gumshield in a grin.

Greener upped the anti in the last and landed with more right hands than Baker needed to take, particularly in the last 10 seconds.

I was left wondering why he didn’t show that degree of ambition from the start.