Warrior Jamie adds another war to list

Stewart at the Excelsior…a true gladiator of the modern game

THERE are warriors in this sport – then there’s Jamie Stewart, a rugged man from a troubled past whose chipped and broken features betray his approach to the trade.

The leather tough Potteries fighter has served-up a string of exciting battles – and Jamie can add another to his blood-soaked CV after last night (Thursday’s) clash with Frenchman Dassa Namana.

At the end of four fierce rounds at the Excelsior Club, Cannock, referee Chris Dean couldn’t split the pair, scoring a 38-38 draw.

It was a see-saw battle that divided the room. Former Midlands champ Stewart was mightily aggrieved and had sizeable sympathisers among club patrons.

Others, including sports broadcasting legend Gary Newbon, believed the Frenchman had done enough.

I have no issue with Mr Dean’s assessment – it tallied with mine. He got it right.

And 32-year-old Stewart has only himself to blame for not having his hand raised at the finish. When he kept the exchanges long against Namana – as Jamie did in the first – he looked the better, more polished man by far.

But Stewart allowed himself to be sucked into a firefight. It’s that desire for a dust-up that has made him one of the most entertaining boxers in the business.

Namana was an unlikely addition to the St Patrick’s show following an agreement between Excelsior boss Scott Murray and a French promoter. Dassa needed a warm-up before a Toulouse title fight and in return Scott has secured places for local fighters on that Continental bill next month, Jess Barry among them.

Murray’s pre-fight prediction of Namana’s style proved spot on. He is wild and woolly, he threw right hands as if bowling for the West Indies.

Many boxers are prepared to take one to land one. Namana, who has now won five of 11 (two draws), seems prepared to take three.

The Toulouse tornado is very rough round the edges and Stewart should’ve boxed his way to a points decision. Instead, he got drawn into a brawl.

Jamie (10st like his opponent) was all business in the first, piercing Namana’s guard with precise straight punches.

I gave Namana the second as he swung hooks to the body. Right hands were hurled like someone throwing grenades.

It appeared Stewart had learned his lesson in the third as he jabbed, kept the exchanges long and bagged the session.

Yet Namana slugged back into the fray in the last, connecting with an eye-catching long right and uppercut. Both slugged it out down the stretch.

Namana may win his Toulouse area title fight – I simply don’t know the strength in depth over there. Unless he tightens a leaky defence and adds discipline to his game, he’ll struggle to capture more significant belts.