Scragg tops bill as trio land awards

Wolverhampton's boxing heroes were honoured at the Midlands Area Council's awards night in Birmingham.

Steve Saville, Lyndsey Scragg and former British light-heavyweight champion Tony Wilson all walked away from the Eaton Hotel clutching trophies after their ring achievements were recognised yesterday.

Scragg is currently Britain's only women's world champion and was handed a special award, while Wilson was given the trophy for being the Boxer From The Past.

Wilson boxed in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles - controversially losing in the quarter-finals - and as a professional, won the Lonsdale belt outright.

Wilson, currently running his successful Get Fighting Fit personal training business, is the last boxer from the city to win British honours and Saville can take a massive step towards emulating him at Wolverhampton Civic Hall a week on Friday.

Saville's thrilling seventh-round knock-out win over Baz Carey at the same venue last November, that secured the vacant Midlands Area lightweight title, was named the Midlands Area Council's Best Fight in Birmingham.

His next battle will be for the vacant English belt.

He has been paired with John Baguley from Sheffield for the title and the all-action Black Country powerhouse knows another win will propel him to the brink of a crack at the British championship.

Saville promises more thrills when he squares up to Baguley in the 10-round bill-topper on First Team Promotions' show that also includes Scragg boxing Big Brother contestant Angel McKenzie.

Saville said: "People pay good money and they want to see knockouts, they want to see a brawl. My aim is to go flat out from the start and keep up a hell for leather pace. There's no escape when you're in the boxing ring with me.

"It's a big honour to win the Fight of the Year award. We both wanted the title so much. Neither of us took a backward step from the start of the fight and it was just that I landed the right punch at the right time."

That thunderous left hook swept Carey off his feet and brought a spectacular finish to a sensational fight.

Jamie Ball, the unbeaten middleweight from Coseley, was nominated for the Best New Boxer award that went to Frankie Gavin and Wolverhampton flyweight Delroy Spencer missed out on the Best Supporting Boxer award that went to Sid Razak.