Jack Bateson happy with points victory to maintain impressive pro' record

Jack Bateson on the attack against Elvis Guillen. Picture: Joel Hirst, No Curfew Media.

Leeds boxer Jack Bateson says he's happy with Friday night's points victory over Elvis Guillen, despite putting pressure on himself to try and force the knockout.

Bateson won all of the scheduled six rounds at the Elland Road Pavilion against the Nicaraguan Guillen, hurting him in rounds three and four, but was unable to do enough to ensure an early finish.

The former amateur sensation admitted that he was eager for a knockout to make a statement, with Guillen previously going the distance with European level operators.

“I want to be a world champion one day and those guys that have been the distance with Guillen didn’t make that level,” Bateson told the YEP. “That’s why I wanted to go out there and make a statement.”

Jack Bateson wins on points against Elvis Guillen. Picture: Joel Hirst, No Curfew Media.

“For me, I feel I need to be beating these kids well. Sometimes, I’m thinking about going in there and proving a point by stopping them. Just because a certain fighter has stopped him, doesn’t mean I have to. I’ve had eight fights in the space of 14 months. I’ve not lost a round yet as a professional, so I’m happy.”

Though Bateson won every round, he was hurt in the first after being caught by a swinging Guillen right hand which forced him on the ropes and to momentarily hold.

“Martin [Bateson, uncle and trainer] said to me after the fight, ‘you got wobbled.’ But I didn’t think I got wobbled, I just got buzzed,” Bateson added. “He only caught me with that one shot in the whole fight. I caught him with about 100 shots after that one.”

“I regained my composure and made sure that I wasn’t caught again. I won every round of the fight and I thought I did so easily enough.”

Bateson’s constant educated pressure was an impressive theme and a short right and left hook in the third and fourth had Guillen rocked, though Bateson had to settle for a points win. Providing his hands overcome some minimal swelling,Bateson makes a swift return to the ring this Sunday afternoon, again at the Elland Road Pavilion.

On the undercard, debutant Ismail Khan scored the only knockout against Jake Pollard while Billy Pickles, Mick Learmonth and Ishmael Davis (all of Leeds) beat Fonz Alexander, Istvan Orsos and Scott Hillman respectively on points.