Special Delivery From Altringham

I think we can all agree that we witnessed an absolute belter of a show on Saturday night in Altrincham, one which delivered on every level.

The main event is obviously the one which will capture the most attention, and deservedly so, but all of the title fights developed into something special.

Jack Rafferty and Mark Chamberlain will literally be licking their respective wounds over the coming days because there really was no quarter given in this British and Commonwealth cracker.

In the case of Jack, I hope his battle scars heal up in time for his forthcoming nuptials, or the wedding pictures will require a bit of air-brushing!

It was such a close-run thing and, even though draws are never a popular outcome in boxing, I don’t think many people will mind too much on this occasion because neither man deserved to be declared a loser.

Mark started brightly with some crisp punching and smart movement but he, and the rest of us, knew that Jack would come on strong. I think Mark was a little deflated for a couple of rounds before finding his own resolve that we haven’t had to really see in him before and he can be very proud of it.

Even with Jack marching forward and pushing Mark back, hardly a punch went unanswered and this is what made it such compelling viewing.

The good news for the rest of us is that we will get to see a sequel. I think, whatever happens next time around, both fighters will still move forward into world title contention.

As we always say in this game, it is how you lose and there isn’t really a loser in a great fight.

Jack’s great mate and comrade from Steve Maylett’s Finest Gym, Zak Miller, was also in a barnstormer against Leon Woodstock. Zak, another special person and tremendous character, is now reaping the bounty of his own endeavours after toiling away on the non-TV circuit for the majority of his career.

His desire to succeed is so strong and I couldn’t be happier that he is now getting his time in the spotlight. He has massively achieved already with winning the British and the Commonwealth, so now we will see how far he can go and don’t bet against him hitting the heights.

Jack Turner was afforded an unfamiliar experience in his WBA title defence against Nicolas Agustin Muguruza, but it was he who came out with a smile on his face, along with a few war wounds for souvenirs of a genuine toughest career test.

I believe we were always going to get something a bit special in this one because both held an 11-0 record and both wanted a notable scalp to boost their prospects moving forward.

Make no mistake, this was a proper 50-50 match and the way this fight played out verifies this statement. The confident Argentinean found his rhythm and was getting his own way for much of the six rounds of absorbing action.

Punch power can sometimes be an overrated commodity, but Jack used his to devastating effect half way through the sixth and closed the show. The experience of being in a fight like this, where he doesn’t have things all his own way, will be invaluable for young Jack.

I believe he has got what it takes to go all the way in this super flyweight division