Civic reception for duo after wins in Dudley

Dudley's Aston scored a second round stoppage over Martins Kukulis on Friday night as he went up the gears to bash away at the body, writes Craig Birch.

Tipton's Summers went the distance with Josef Obeslo, but managed to hurt the Czech tough-man in both the first and fourth round.

The two have now been told to prepare for action at Wolverhampton Civic Hall on Saturday June 6, where Aston will be looking to box for a title at light middleweight.

Summers will undertake a six-rounder against a live opponent which, as the show is due to be aired on BoxNation, could be a formidable light heavyweight from Frank Warren's camp.

It's 10 without defeat now for Aston, who took less time to dispose of the Latvian than it took former sparring partner George Groves and fearsome world champion Gennady Golovkin.

Emerging to the strains of Blue Moon, he brought the sun down on Kukulis with 20 seconds of the second left, after a swift burst of pressure.

The European visitor ate a jab that pegged him back into the ropes and gave Aston the chance to let his hands go, which he did with aplomb.

All Kukulis could do was cover up and avoid getting knocked out, as Aston bashed away to his ribcage with right hooks.

Throwing nothing back, Kukulis was pulled out when referee Robert Chalmers stepped in to confirm enough was enough.

Summers, in the last fight of a five-bout bill which completely consisted of four-rounders, tried in vain to blast out an experienced adversary.

Obeslo was competing in his 30th pro contest having failed to go the distance just three times, and went into survival mode more than once.

Summers got through with a stiff straight right and followed up with hooks after measuring him with the jab during the first, but couldn't find the killer touch before the bell sounded.

The Czech came fighting back in the second but came off worse most times he went forward, as he was pinged with rights on the way in.

A cagey third made way for a frantic last round as Summers looked to force an early finish, the right hand again finding it's target as Obeslo wobbled.

He made it to the final bell but was shut out of the card as Summers, unsurprisingly, was awarded a 40-36 points victory with referee Shaun Messer.

Well-regarded middleweight Andrew Robinson, from Redditch, was left furious and without a contest when his opponent failed to turn up.

Scot Davie Drummond no-showed the meeting point for travelling down with manager Tommy Gilmour, leaving 'D'Animal' high and dry.

Ryan Partridge's middleweight affair with Mikey Byles had to drop down to exhibition status, too, as his late-notice replacement couldn't make the weight in time.

Byles, a campaigner at super middle, still brought the fight the audience wanted, though, which made for a competitive affair, despite there being nothing on the line.

Warwick's Byles took it seriously as he covered up and patiently attacked, as Partridge aggressively bombed out looking to make a statement.

He had to absorb shots to the body and head, before firing back with jabs that the upwardly mobile Partridge had to dodge.

An entertaining run out ended to applause from a sold-out audience, who had just settled into their seats for the first bout of the evening. Chalmers observed and enforced the rules.

Rowley Regis' Tyler Denny and Les Byfield, from Netherton, both made their professional debuts on the rest of the card - but to vastly different outcomes.

Denny had to work but got the job done, in the end, over-the-distance with Shaunn Watt, but Byfield was outpointed by Reece Smith.

The tall and gangly Watt made it tough for Denny to get on the inside to work, but he started to find a way through more regularly in the last round.

They traded right hooks, at one stage, after Denny had rocked his head back with a sharp punch before sucking up when the same shot came back.

Dudley's Messer had the contest 39-37, giving Watt a round along the way, but Denny was a clear winner of a useful test at super middleweight.

Baptism of fire status certainly applied to Byfield's lightweight setback against the determined Smith, with both making their pro bow.

'The Minefield,' a former regular on the unlicensed circuit, had to watch his step from the off as his opponent came out swinging.

Two rounds had passed before Byfield woke up, having spent the first couple of sessions trying to keep Smith off him as he swarmed around the ring.

The 27-year-old did eventually settle down in the third and was given heart when he landed a right hook to the body, as they battled head-to-head. He definitely took the round.

But that still left him behind in the fourth and needing to take the session convincingly just to force a draw, which he was unable to do.

A stiff right hand to the mush instead bloodied Byfield's nose as he went hell-for-leather, nursing a black eye after the fight.

The decision came down to referee Chalmers who, as expected, raised Smith's hand by 39-37 on points. It's back to the drawing board for Byfield.