Fighters toil in CYP and ABA area finals

Jack Wood and Ryan Wall kept alive Wednesbury Amateur Boxing Club's hopes in the ABA Novice and Clubs for Young People competitions.

Both were crowned Midlands champions in their respective tournaments and move on to the national stages as the sole representatives for their club.

But club-mates Callum Lewin, Kashif Khan and Jake Doody all went out of the CYP tournament while Christopher Ellis, from Windmill ABC, exited the Novices.

Warley ABC's Ahmad Mahazi and Thomas Howell, of William Perry ABC in Tipton, were also ruled out of further CYP contention at Hinckley United FC yesterday.

First came Wall at the St Francis Centre in Handsworth against late replacement Luke Owen, of Stamford ABC, in for Huthwaite ABC's Nikita Golubs.

Their Saturday battle at 75kg saw all five judges lean towards Wall in Class A - for boxers who have had 10 fights or under - after three well-contested rounds.

Ellis was in Class B - for fighters who have 20 bouts or under - against Royal Oak ABC's Lee Harrison at 86kg and damagingly lost a point in the last round.

Both combatants were on their last warning for pushing and Ellis was penalised for hitting on the break, which proved telling in a unanimous points loss.

The next day, Lewin stepped into the ring for Wednesbury as part of Class A - boxers born in 1996 - competing at 54kg against Phoenix ABC's Bradley Daws.

But Lewin wasn't busy enough to seriously trouble Daws and slipped to defeat in a unanimous points decision, having failed to really get out of first gear.

Khan followed in Class A at 60kg but was up against a formidable foe against Kingsheath ABC's Kieran Conway, although he fought valiantly before losing.

In Class B - for fighters born in 1995 - Wood's class shone through as he comfortably saw off Aston ABC's Iyzac Ali Aston to win the Midlands title at 54kg.

Following him at 57kg in Class B was club-mate Doody, who lost a close fight to Earl Shilton ABC's Callum Blockley to go out of the competition.

In Class C, for boxers born in 1993-94, William Perry ABC's Ainsley Ratcliffe had a bye at 48kg but club-mate Thomas Howell battled at 71kg.

His tussle with Jed Wilson, from the Kettering School of Boxing, went to a split decision and Howell paid for a slow start, despite stepping it up after.

Connor Jones made it through to the national stages of the CYP championships in style with a second round stoppage in the Midlands final.

But there was heartbreak for club-mate Assad Junaid, from Lions ABC in Dudley, who was put out after a scruffy contest against Buxton ABC's Jon Pickering.

However, Jones was crowned Midlands champion after overpowering Earl Shilton ABC's Noel Gilbert in the 75kg decider of Class A, for boxers born in 1996.

Gilbert was pulled out having already been knocked down moments before, sinking to the canvas under the might of a left hook to the body from Jones.

The fallen fighter rose and gamely answered the count but came under fire again as Jones went to work on the head and body, forcing the referee to step in.

In truth, Gilbert was lucky to survive the first round after taking heavy shots from the opening bell, which could have forced his retirement at the end of the session.

Junaid boxed at 70kg in Class B - for fighters born in 1995 - but didn't perform to his best as he got pulled into an ugly fight with Pickering over three rounds.

His quality shots didn't come off as Pickering smothered his work and continued to frustrate Junaid, who ran out of ideas as his CYP dream came to an end.

On Saturday, Walsall Wood ABC's Shaun Cheadle was left to rue his opponent being saved by the bell in the Midlands final of the ABA Novice competition.

Cheadle squared up the massive Joshua Quailey, from Melton Mowbray ABC, in a 91kg minimum battle at the St Francis Centre in Handsworth.

Both fighters tipped the scales at in excess of 100kg for the super heavyweight contest in Class A, for boxers who have had 10 bouts or under.

And Cheadle put Quailey in all sorts of trouble before the end of the second round with a thunderous blow that forced a standing eight count.

Cheadle was ready to pile the pressure on but the bell to end the session saved Qualiey, who looked to be going down to a stoppage defeat.

After clearing his head in the corner, Quailey hid behind his jab to close out the fight and won by a unanimous points decision with all five judges.

Quailey was crowned Midlands champion as East beat West and moves on to the national stages, as Cheadle wondered what might have been.