Berry back with one round demolition job
Nyall Berry...took just a round to blast out Jayro Duran
NYALL Berry exorcised some – he later admitted, not all – of the demons following his European title defeat with a quick-fire demolition job.
The Chelmsley Wood super-bantam produced wrecking ball power to destroy Honduran Jayro Duran inside a round at the Excelsior Sporting Club, Cannock, last night (Thursday).
And that two minute 41 second wipe out – witnessed by American former world champ Ray Mancini and sportscasting legend Al Bernstein – can be looked on as a statement.
Duran is a very hard man to halt. What’s more, he’s two divisions heavier than Berry. He may have won only 15 of 46, but Jayro has mixed in very good company and, going into the contest, had only failed to hear the final bell on three occasions.
Jayro took former British and WBO lightweight champ Terry Flanagan the eight round distance in 2019 and this summer dropped a points decision to Wolverhampton prospect Brandon Bethell.
No wonder the 33-year-old wore a “what hit me?” expression after being chewed up and spat out by Berry.
That performance capped a fine night’s boxing at Scott Murray’s exclusive black tie sporting club. I felt it was the Excelsior’s best for competitive action, with textbook boxing, uncompromising battles and explosive finishes.
Berry, taking part in his 12th contest, provided the bangs, with Duran twice hitting the canvas.
It was a tonic, but not total cure, for 25-year-old Nyall following June’s stoppage loss to quality Italian Francesco De Rosa for the IBF portion of the European crown.
Steve Bunce, Richie Woodhall and Al Bernstein with Nyall after the dramatic Excelsior Club victory
That first professional setback devastated the Birmingham dynamo.
“He was a journeyman,” Berry said of Duran. “I know what I can do and now I need to prove it by stepping up again. I’ll feel much better when I step up again. This was the least nervous I’ve ever been for a fight.
“The loss really hurt and it still does, but I believe I’m a better fighter because of it. We worked on a lot of things. It made me realise I have to stop putting pressure on myself.”
Berry (9st 6lbs), back to the ropes, effectively ended matters with an absolute peach of a left hook counter. Duran (9st 5lbs) dropped as if shot, managed to haul himself up at eight, but his legs had the strength and movement of rubber bands.
He lurched across the ring like a drunk on black ice before being felled by another hook. This time, he was well and truly gone and referee Chris Dean rightly prevented him from taking further punishment.
In the dressing room, Berry’s trainer Paul “Soggy” Counihan said: “He needed that. We told him to use the jabs more and the shots will come.
“He loves boxing. He needed to come back with a win and he did that in spectacular fashion.”
Berry is back – and itching to get back to where he feels he belongs.