The same demons surface as Kaisee suffers Euro defeat

Kaisee Benjamin…”too little, too late,” said Paul Counihan

PAUL “Soggy” Counihan was no mood to pull punches after his Eastside gym’s Kaisee Benjamin failed to take the IBF European welterweight title.

The morning after Kaisee’s points loss to Lucas Ballingall at York Hall, Bethnal Green, the frustration was still raw.

Friday’s fight was, he insisted, one Benjamin could – and should – have won with greater graft in the middle rounds.

The same demons surfaced, with supremely talented Benjamin finding top gear too late in the contest. He should’ve ignited the fire earlier.

A favourite with the bookies, Benjamin lost by only one point – 94-95 – on judge Grzegorz Molenda’s card. Both Marcus McDonnell and Jerome Lades had it 93-96.

In fairness to the 28-year-old fighter, he was hampered by a badly swollen right eye from the fifth and still had Portsmouth’s Ballingall down and nearly out in the final round.

A break in action to replace Ballingall’s gumshield may have been the difference between defeat and dramatic last gasp victory for Kaisee.

That drama should not have been necessary, said Counihan who was in the corner. Son Louis serves as Benjamin’s chief trainer.

“Tenth round he went out and waded in,” said Counihan. “Ballingall was almost gone. If that had happened in the eighth or ninth round, there is no way he would’ve finished the fight.

“We told him, ‘if you did it in the last round you could’ve done it in the fourth or fifth’.”

For former British title challenger Kaisee, it was a tale of allowing another big fight to slip away by stepping on the gas too late. That appears to be the flaw in his boxing make-up.

This, his fourth defeat in 23 contests, is a heavy blow to Benjamin’s hopes of gaining major honours.

Yet he has the tools to achieve big things – stamina, sturdy chin and KO power in each fist.

“The only attribute he hasn’t got is urgency,” said Counihan. “Sometimes he’ll make them miss and admire his work rather than countering them.

“Ballingall is a good kid, but he shouldn’t live with him.

“Kaisee dominated the first, then got a bit lazy and let the rounds slip.”

With the right eye closed and visibility hampered, Counihan admitted the corner warned Kaisee they’d pull him out unless he “showed something”.

“We told him from the eighth he had to knock the kid out,” he said. “It came too late.

“In the 10th round, he went for it, dropped him and Ballingall was almost gone. You have to listen to your corner when your corner tells you you are behind. It was too little too late.

“All of us, especially Louis, know the potential Kaisee has got. If he doesn’t win a major title with the skills he’s got, it will be a crying shame. He will be kicking himself because he knows he can do it.

Counihan added: “You can always recoup. Sam (Eggington) has come back after losses. The difference is Sam comes back with a strong performance.”