Hickenbottom: I had to stop James’s fight

James Beech…pulled out of contest at end of the seventh

JAMES Beech and those around him will, doubtless, today be thinking hard about the future after the Black Country warrior was halted by southpaw prospect Hopey Price at Sheffield Arena last night (Saturday).

Trainer Pete Hickenbottom compassionately pulled the Bloxwich warrior out of the fight at the end of the seventh.

By then, James, a two times Midland champ who has twice fought for British titles, was handicapped by cuts over both eyes.

Former pro Hickenbottom, who has been with James since the start of the 26-year-old’s pro journey, took one look at the injuries – particularly the fresh gash that opened in the seventh – and knew his boxer could not continue.

I felt Hickenbottom’s decision was timed to perfection. In the sixth and seventh, the tide of battle had turned. James, who fought valiantly, hadn’t been hurt, but was in danger of getting hurt.

Price, particularly in the seventh, had found the target with long punches. And the cut over the right eye, which later required six stitches, was long and deep. The wound was only going to worsen.

Afterwards, Hickenbottom told me: “Jim needs to go down a level now. He’s been in with all the top lads, he needs to come down and get a bit of confidence. It’s up to Jim what he does. It’s whether he wants to drop down a level. He’s been a pro for six years, close to seven, and that was his 100th fight, amateur and pro.”

One thing should be stressed. James, a fighter with a heart as big as a bucket, did not take a beating. He was in the contest, although tall Price began to open the throttle when blood smeared his opponent’s face.

Early doors, Beech, taking part in his 20th paid contest, fought as well as I’ve seen him in recent outings. He started brightly and had a particularly good second when Price was caught by a weighty left hook and worked to the body.

He entered the scheduled 10 rounder as a prohibitive underdog: Price, from Leeds, was unbeaten in 10 going into the contest and is tipped for big things. James gave him some of the most uncomfortable moments of his career to date.

Beech was busy, landed cleanly and the tactics drawn-up by Hickenbottom were spot on. James set a fast tempo, denying Price the time to settle down.

He took it to Hopey in the first three sessions, relentlessly working head and body.

James, however, lacked the power to truly subdue Price, to keep him respectful. That has been the story of his top-flight career: championship contests are destined to go the distance and in hard-fought contests, the risks of old wounds re-opening increase with each session.

Price, I felt, began to assert himself in the fifth. He shipped an uppercut, but replied with one of his own and James clearly felt a straight left.

The sight of blood flowing from his opponent’s left eye in the sixth pushed Price to another gear. By the seventh it was beginning to look like an uphill battle for James, who had fought so valiantly. With the Black Country man’s vision badly impaired by the crimson streams running down his face, Price landed three hard lefts.

Price was bossing the action.

Hickenbottom’s decision to call a halt between rounds was impeccably timed.

He said: “The fight had gone. In the end, he was not moving his head the cuts were pretty bad. I had to stop it.

“Jim was competitive, but there was not a lot coming back in the seventh round. His head was being punched back. Hopey was good, fair play. He was very quick, but Jim did catch him.”

Beech can be forgiven for having nightmares about southpaws. In his previous outing, left-hander Nathaniel Collins halted him in seven for the British featherweight title.

Before that Dennis McCann halted him in eight. Before that, Chris Bourke outpointed him over 10.

What’s next is a decision for Beech, his family and Hickenbottom.

But James previously told me he has little appetite for appearances on small hall shows. It’s whether he has the desire to drop down, then attempt the climb back to where he wants to be.

Whatever the future holds, a succession of brave performances in televised fights has established Beech as one of the sport’s true warriors.