Four take junior ABA Midlands titles

The Black Country today counted four new junior ABA Midlands champions as they marched through to the national stages of the competition.

Walsall Wood ABC's Daniel Breeze, Warley ABC's Ahmad Mahazi, Wednesbury ABC's Jack Wood and Pleck ABC's Liam Etheridge all won.

But Windmill ABC's Faluk Hussain went out on Saturday, with another five fighters ending yesterday's action as beaten area finalists.

It was Wednesbury duo Kashif Khan and Dillon Rattu and Pleck two-some Haran Bains and Ryan Burrows who reached the end of the line.

Meanwhile, Zishaan Hussain missed out on a Midlands champion vest after being thrown out at the Riddings Sports Hall in Scunthorpe.

On Saturday, Afghanistan-born puncher Mahazi went up against the Evans Boxing Academy's toughest Pole, Jacob Barzyhski, in the 75kg decider.

Mahazi had stopped his last two opponents – the second in 30 seconds –to earn a reputation as a dangerman in Class Four, for boxers born in 1996.

But he found Barzyhski a tough nut to crack, as his opponent just kept on coming for the duration of their gruelling three-round contest.

The bout disintegrated into a brawl, a state of affairs which suited Barzyhski more than Mahazi as he went 8-6 down after the first round.

But Mahazi then started to get the upper hand as he shut out Barzyhski to turn the scores on their head, leading 10-8 by the end of round two.

He saved his best work for the last session, as his highest-scoring round took him away from Barzyhski and to the Midlands title, by 17-10.

Meanwhile, Breeze claimed the win at 66kg in Class Four after overcoming the plucky challenge of Kings Heath ABC's Noel Smith.

The England international constantly fended Smith off with the jab and attacked with straight punches to go 4-1 up after the first round.

Smith had the better of the second round exchanges but still trailed 10-8 at the end of the session, as Breeze sought to see out the fight.

A see-saw last round finished 14-11 to Breeze, who will see the national stages of his junior ABA debut after handing Smith only his second defeat.

Also in Class Four on Saturday, Hussain was eliminated at 46kg as Birmingham ABC's Faisal Zaman exacted revenge on his old nemesis.

Hussain had twice beaten Zaman previously but it was the Brummie who had the last laugh this time, taking the decision by 14-10.

But his lead would have been cut to two points if Hussain, who led 5-3 at the end of the first round, had not been penalised.

The Black Country fighter was docked a point, while his opponent gained one, by the referee for dropping his head too low.

Yesterday afternoon, Wood was in action as he tackled Heart of England ABC's Harry Bray at 54kg in Class Four.

Wood found Bray an easy target as his left jab consistently set up the big right hand, as took command of the contest.

The Midlands title was his by 20-9 at the final bell, but fellow Wednesbury competitors Khan and Rattu were not so lucky.

Khan and his opponent Tahbib Mohammed, from Aston ABC, tucked up and waited for an opening in their 57kg clash in Class Four.

But Mohammed's sharper work saw him take the decision by 11-7 before Rattu faced another Aston fighter, Humza Basharat, at 50kg.

They were also in Class Five - boxers born in 1995 - and it was Basharat who emerged the victor, as he went through with a 13-9 win.

But Etheridge joined Wood in the pre-quarter finals with a 13-6 win over Chris Allen, from the Terry Allen Unique club in Lincoln.

They clashed at 54kg as Etheridge made the step to four rounds in the most senior of the divisions in Class Six, for boxers born in 1994.

Both fighters tried to work from distance as windmills of hooks rained in from both parties, before Etheridge tidied up his work.

The talented teen got in close and short, sharp punches gave him the advantage at the end of the second round, by 7-6.

His best work came in the last round as Allen was unable to register a further score, with Etheridge handed the decision by 13-6.

Back in Class Four, Bains lost out to Tom Cowling, from the South Normanton School of Boxing, by 11-8 at 48kg in a scrappy affair.

There was not much clean to speak of from either fighter and Bains was further pegged back by a public warning, for excessive holding.

Fellow Pleck combatant Burrows was widely outpointed by Aston ABC's Mason Lynn at 48kg in Class Five, for boxers born in 1995.

Burrows persisted in boxing with his hands down and found himself constantly picked off with the jab as he was defeated by 13-6.

Hussain could only blame himself after he was thrown out of his fight in the Midlands final of the junior ABA championships.

The teen, from Lions ABC in Dudley, was disqualified for persistent holding in the second round of their regional decider.

His first year of boxing in the competition came to a sour end due to his antics in dealing with Westley Sykes, from the Capitol ABC in Coventry.

It cost him a place in the pre-quarter finals this weekend and there were no complaints from his corner or his trainer John Shakespeare.

They were duelling to become the Midlands champion at 52kg in Class Four, for boxers born in 1996, and Hussain had been struggling.

Sykes' short and stocky build was tailor made for him to rush in under the reach of his opponent, who remained static, and attack to the body.

Hussain's reluctance to use footwork to nullify Sykes' threat had a hand in his expulsion, as he tied him up rather than dodge out of trouble.

It appeared the Black Country fighter had chose to ignore the game plan devised by his camp, who knew Sykes from when he boxed club-mate Connor Jones.

And, by the end of the second round, the referee's patience had also ran out as he brought an end to the contest, with Hussain the one punished.