It's all on Hamzah Ahmed for Walsall Wood
Hamzah Ahmed carries the hopes of Walsall Wood Boxing Club into tomorrow's National Association of Boys & Girls Clubs final.
Ibrahim Khan's defeat in his decider last night leaves it all on Ahmed to bring a national title back to the gym from the competition,
The tournament will be done and dusted this weekend, as the last event on the calendar for 2015 reaches it's conclusion.
The finals have begun in Croydon, South London, where Class C (boxers born 1997-98) brought disappointment at 49kg for Khan.
He was downed by unanimous points decision against England international Nathan Brown, from Hooks in London. He threw the kitchen sink at Brown in the third and last round to no avail.
Khan can take heart from reaching a national final inside nine fights, having made a campaign of standing firm and commanding the centre of the ring for his three previous NAGBC points wins.
Bout No 8 saw him defeat semi-final rival Saif Yousaf, from Steel City in Sheffield, unanimously at the Spa in Bridlington last weekend.
Class B (1999 born fighters) takes place at the College Wise Campus in Bristol tonight, while Class A (2000) is at the Heart of Portsmouth Boxing Academy tomorrow afternoon.
The female section of Class A involves Paige Goodyear, from the Brooklands home gym in Dudley run by former professional Darren McDermott, at 52kg.
The former England Schools national champion will take on Guildford's Jessie Stevens in the final, her first NAGBC outing.
After a series of byes, Goodyear had been due to meet Hull Saints' Melika Afzali in the last four, but her opponent pulled out with a shoulder injury.
Wood are again represented in the male Class A at 57kg, where Ahmed will tackle Hooks' experienced Francie McDonagh at 57kg.
Counter puncher Ahmed had scored four unanimous successes, but had to settle for a split decision over Leigh's Harry Winnard in the semi-final.
Club-mate Zaryab Khan couldn't join him at 54kg, looking jaded as he suffered from a cold in a unanimous defeat to Darlington's Joe Tyres.
Another former Schools national titlist in Jerry Mongan, from Priory Park in Dudley, also went out at 63kg on a split to Connor Tudsbury, from the Moss Side Fire Station club in Manchester.
