Steve Collins Jr’s return ends in gallant defeat

Steve Collins Jr got very little reward for one of the performances of his career on Friday Night.

‘The Wolfhound’ played his part in a very entertaining Liverpool Olympia hosted eight rounder but came out second best to local lad Nathan Quarless.

Collins pressed from the off, in what was his first fight since March 2020, landed the fight’s bigger shots but the scoring referee preferred the more fleet-footed busier approach of the home fighter.

The 26-year-old did enough to get the nod, particularly when you consider he was the home fighter but Collins was always in the fight and may argue the 78-73 was a bit wide.

Collins wasn’t playing on Toy Show night and started fast, backing the Merseyside fighter onto the ropes from the off. He worked the body well and slipped the jab to fire back right hands.

He brought his own jab into play as the round progressed, firing it up and downstairs and while he did take shots, he appeared to do enough to win the round.

The home favourite held centre ring more in the second and doubled up his jab to negative the slip counter, but the Dub continued to force the pace and although he enjoyed less success he did land the punch of the round, an overhand right.

Quarless continued to fire out the jab in the third but the Pete Taylor trained fighter was by that stage happy to walk through it and let big shots go.

The straight right to the body seemed particularly effective against a backhand shy opponent – and by the end of the round, Collins was out jabbing the back foot boxer.

The Liverpool side of the fight adapted again in the fourth, he held when the Irish fighter closed the gap and let his hands go more regular, something he managed to repeat in the fifth.

Collins put it on his foe in the sixth but Quarless showed he wasn’t one to be bullied and fought back, leading to a highly entertaining final minute.

The former BUI Celtic super-middleweight title challenger enjoyed more success in the seventh and eighth but again when called on to fight Quarless showed he was willing to trade and was landing combos when Collins fired single shots.

The result see’s Collins slip to 14-5-1 while Quarless improves to 9-0.