“Niall’s got what it takes” - Richards
Niall Farrell celebrates with young fans after win
FORMER Team GB star Niall Farrell’s fists were a blur as he attempted to hammer the resistance from vastly experienced veteran Liam Richards at Solihull’s Planet Ice last night (Saturday).
The journeyman, taking part in his 101st bout of a remarkable career, was punished to head and body. But pro newcomer Niall, like so many before him, could not find the punches to halt wily Richards – that feat probably requires a stick of dynamite. The Wiltshire “have gloves will travel” boxer has only failed to hear the final bell once in a career stretching nearly 14 years.
On Tommy Owens’ marathon show, Birmingham’s Farrell won every second of every session of the four round. Referee Chris Dean’s 40-36 card was a formality.
Farrell, in pro bout number two, did have the satisfaction of doing what few others have – hurting Richards. A right to the body in the first clearly took the wind out of his opponent’s sails, forcing the 36-year-old to scurry back, a sickly grin on his face. An even bigger right hook to the flank had Liam in deep water again in the third.
And for once Richards, something of a ring clown prince, was forced to take the job at hand very seriously. Nicked on the nose, he attempted to ruffle and disrupt Farrell by talking to him, but the 25-year-old simply ignored the back-chat and continued to unleash salvo after salvo.
Richards (10st 3oz) copped classy uppercuts in the second and ended the contest pinned against the ropes as Farrell (9st 13lbs) opened up with both hands.
Farrell’s amateur pedigree means big things are expected in the paid ranks. So who better to assess his potential than Richards, a man who has tested Britain’s best?
“Intensity 10,” he said in the dressing room afterwards. “Work rate 10. Speed 10. Fitness 10.
“I knew he was a great amateur. He was digging them in, he caught me to the body and I felt it. My kryptonite has also been uppercuts and he caught me with two big ones. He really did catch me with a body shot – that was a lovely shot. If he’d just followed it with an uppercut, it would’ve been ‘goodnight Vienna’.
“I was talking to him, trying to get inside his head, but he never talked back. That shows professionalism, he was having none of it.”
Farrell’s father and trainer Paddy said: “He (Richards) is a tough kid. It was a good learning fight for Niall, he practiced things in there. He got the rounds in and produced some nice body shots.
“Richards likes to joke and smile. He couldn’t tonight, he had to be serious.”
You can’t take the smile off the warrior’s face for long, however.
As I left his dressing room, the perennial opponent, clearly surprised a member of the press had sought him out for an interview, shouted: “Quite understand if you can’t stick it on the front page, plaster it all over the back.”