Blaine uncorks best performance to date
Williams unloads on Narvaez. Picture: Manjit Narotra/BCB Promotions
SELLY Oak’s Blaine Williams entered the pro game raw, very raw. He made the step without the safety net of experience.
He is very much a work in progress, every bout is a lesson. He is not burdened by expectations.
Under trainer Mitch Pearce, he is progressing nicely – as underlined by last night (Friday’s) landslide four rounds points win over Nicaraguan Cristian Narvaez at Dudley Town Hall.
Narvaez, with 110 bouts to his name, is a perfect opponent for fighter’s learning their trade. He’s tough enough to give them rounds without raining on their parade. He withstands punishment poker faced.
Southpaw Narvaez has been there, done that and worn the t-shirt. He entered the town hall clutching a supermarket shopping bag and wearing headphones: he had the demeanour of a man walking the Tesco aisles.
He took thumping hooks to the body from 30-year-old Williams with a deadpan expression. It was the look of a journeyman who knows what has to be endured for a payday.
Williams, who peeled off his best, most disciplined performance to date, refreshingly refuses to make rash statements about future glories. He is grounded and pleasant, not big-mouthed and boisterous.
“Is the pro game what I expected?” he said, weighing my question. “I didn’t know what to expect – I had nine fights, white collar and amateur. I know I love it.
“We are just looking to improve with each fight.”
To date, Williams is achieving that goal. The Narvaez contest showed he is learning to settle down and select shots rather than triumph through a high tempo.
His left hooks to the body were particularly impressive last night – Williams (10st) touched to the head before driving them home downstairs.
By the third he was working head and body with both hands. Narvaez (10st 2lbs) took them and, in typical journeyman fashion, rallied in the final round, throwing his own body shots.
Williams kept things tight and hit back when the openings occurred.
For Blaine, it was another contest, another classroom. For Narvaez, it was another day at the office.