Minaaz sparkles in second pro outing

Minaaz Gurung…showing improvement

Minaaz Gurung, the only British pro of Nepalese heritage, and Harwich’s Kasey Bradnum produced the best bout of the night, a sparkling, fast-paced four rounder, on Tommy Owen’s show at The H Suite, Edgbaston.

Nuneaton’s Gurung (142lbs), now unbeaten in two, was sharp, busy and, in the second, landed a body shot Bradnum appeared to feel.

But Bradnum (146lbs), who has won only one of 16, stayed with the 22-year-old, blazing back when stung. Referee Dean scored 40-36 in favour of Gurung.

Importantly, the performance was a marked improvement on Minaaz’s debut when his work appeared rushed.

He told me: “I felt I improved, I was much calmer, but I still felt I could’ve done more. It’s a learning curve.

“Probably the main thing to work on is my fitness. I can push myself to the limit, but I want to do it without that voice in your head saying, ‘you’re getting tired now’.

“I woke up on the morning of the fight with a cold and I didn’t feel 100 per cent, but I wasn’t going to let everybody down.”