Fighters unite for junior ABA semis

Walsall Wood ABC and Pleck ABC are joining forces to back the fighters in the national semi-finals of the junior ABA championships this weekend.

Daniel Breeze, from Walsall Wood, and Pleck's Liam Etheridge are in the same boat and will share a room before their bouts on Saturday afternoon.

The two will travel up to Northumberland tomorrow and stay overnight in a guest house in Whitley Bay to break up the 400-mile round trip.

In tow are Pleck trainer Terry Leonard and Breeze's dad Anthony, before they all make the trip to the Newbiggin Sports & Community Centre.

Breeze sailed through the quarter-finals after his opponent pulled out last weekend so comes in fresh, with trainer Shaun Healy in his corner.

The 16-year-old faces the relentless Louis Claridge, from St Pauls ABC in Hull, at 66kg in Class Four, for boxers born in 1996.

Healy said: "The lad Dan has got is a come forward fighter, bobbing and weaving all of the time so it's important he doesn't get involved.

"That will suit Dan, he prefers to box on the back-foot and wait for his opponent to come on to him.

"Dan can box both ways now, he can put on the pressure or sit back and counter punch.

"He's so fit, as well, so when his opponent tires at the end of each round he will be told to get on him."

Breeze and Etheridge will start their preparations to fight with an early-morning run around Whitley Bay, Healy revealed.

He said: "I used to box for Pleck as an amateur so I know all of the coaches and we all get on well with each other.

"Dan and Liam are friends anyway and they were on about going for a run together along the beach."

Etheridge has the longest shift of the two over four rounds at 54kg against Karl Sampson, from Hillsborough ABC in Sheffield.

The 17-year-old is in Class Six - for boxers born in 1994 - and has eliminated the favourite, five-time national amateur champion Marc Leach.

And Leonard believes his teen will bring back the first national ABA title to the club since Christopher Keane's full senior crown in 2009.

He said: "Take it from me, Liam is going to win this competition, I have never been so sure and he's got it in his head now.

"I was in Christopher Keane's corner when he won the senior ABAs and, sometimes, you just know.

"He's taken out the favourite and now he's got another lad who is a brilliant counter boxer, so we won't go gunning for him.

"One of them has got to commit and it isn't going to be our lad, he's going to wait and his hand speed is very quick.

"We are going up there with Dan and his Dad and the two boxers are sharing a room, so they can gee each other up!

"It would be great if they could both get through, it would be a major boost for boxing in Walsall."