Guernsey Press

Le Poullain keeps the winning habit

LESS than 24 hours after his big night out being named as CI Sports Personality of the Year, Billy Le Poullain once again showed what all the fuss was about – in double-quick time.

Published
Billy Le Poullain avoids the right hand of Mark Bebbington. (Picture by Andrew Le Poidevin)

His coach Ben Duff had predicted that the top-of-the bill showdown at St Pierre Park between his star man and Mark Bebbington would ‘on paper, be very close’.

It proved to be anything but as it finished early in the second round.

The opening three minutes had already seen Le Poullain dominate and fighting on his terms, but when he caught Bebbington with a couple of booming shots soon after the restart, he sensed the finish there and then.

He got it as, while the referee was giving the Liverpool boxer a standing count, Bebbington’s corner sensibly threw in the towel and the home crowd had once again seen their big name win in style.

Ironically, though, one man not overly pleased to be in-and-out in around four minutes was Le Poullain himself but, with just one more fight remaining until he steps on the plane to the Commonwealth Games, he is in buoyant mood.

He also hailed the advice of Tom Duff in his corner to switch styles at the start of the second round, a move that paid off handsomely and rounded off a 6-3 overall victory for the Amalgamated Club on a night of otherwise close bouts.

‘To be honest, I am a bit disappointed because I was looking forward to a tough three rounds,’ he said.

‘But Tom gave me the instruction in the first round that at the start of the second round to do 30 seconds southpaw, switch and look for a right hand over the top.

‘The second right hand I threw as soon as I switched came off and it landed straight on the button, so I can’t complain.'

  • More in Monday's Guernsey Press.