Could be a Breeze in ABAs for Daniel

Walsall Wood ABC's Daniel Breeze is a favourite to make it through to the national quarter-finals of the junior ABA championships.

The England international is in Class Four - for boxers born in 1996 - and will go up against Northside ABC's Dane Barraclough at 66kg.

The 16-year-old took the Midlands title against Noel Smith last weekend and handed the Kings Heath ABC fighter only his second defeat.

But Breeze is expected to encounter less resistance in dealing with Barraclough, who has won 11 and lost 14 amateur contests so far.

And trainer Shaun Healy today urged the two-time national ABA Schoolboys champion to go for the kill if they get to the last round.

He said: "Dane has boxed lads from our club before so we are expecting a hard fight, but we are expecting to win.

"He's a skilful boxer but he's not a puncher, whereas Daniel has found his power and is beginning to hurt people.

"Maybe we will look for a stoppage if, come the third round, the lad is still there and we are comfortably up on points.

"This kid is a good novice but Daniel is a good open class boxer - if it had been a club show, they wouldn't accept the bout.

"But, because it's the championship, you have to fight."

The Manchester Boxing Centre of Excellence will stage all of Sunday's pre-quarter finals, with three other Black Country entrants.

Also in Class Four, Warley ABC's Ahmad Mahazi moves on to duel with Morgan Jackson, from Roche ABC in Burnley, at 75kg.

Afghanistan-born Mahazi went the distance with Jacub Barzyhski but stopped his previous two opponents, the second in 30 seconds.

In Class Five - for boxers born in 1995 - Wednesbury ABC's Jack Wood has walked through to next weekend's quarter-finals.

Wood has sailed through two rounds by virtue of a 20-9 win last weekend, as the North West Region has not posted an entrant at 54kg.

In Class Six - the most senior section, for boxers born in 1994 - Pleck ABC's Liam Etheridge wants revenge on Ardwick ABC's Marc Leach.

Leach edged out Etheridge on points in the national semi-finals before going on to win his second Clubs for Young People title last year.

Etheridge boxed four rounds for the first time in winning the Midlands title last weekend and will again look to take Leach the distance.