Dale Doody out of the ABA seniors

Wednesbury ABC's Dale Doody was widely outpointed despite a valiant effort in the pre-quarter finals of the senior ABA national championships.

Amateur star Jack Bateson, from Burmantofts ABC in Leeds, walked away with a 12-4 win after three rounds of boxing at 48kg yesterday afternoon.

Bateson got ahead with a great first session at Retford Town Hall in Nottinghamshire, as his opponent struggled to keep up with the pace.

Doody was taken aback as Bateson, who has won a ABA Schoolboys title a record three times and is on the fringes of Team GB, flew out of the blocks.

The jab from Bateson, a good three inches taller than his opponent, was his main weapon and it took Doody time to figure out how to box around it.

Coming on strong midway through the second round was leaving it late as Doody got out of the way of the jab, looking to work in close.

The 18-year-old threw punches around the jab and had his best session in the last round, becoming a moving target through busy foot-work.

But the first half of the fight had gone against Doody to the point couldn't salvage the result, putting him out in his first fight in the competition.

The ABA Novice light flyweight title holder was stepping up to the seniors for the first time and received a bye past the Midlands final.

The teenager's next competition boxing will come in the Clubs for Young People championships in the autumn.