Craig Morris is a lion in Midlands final of ABAs

Morris, from Lions ABC in Dudley, saw off hometown fighter Craig Sheldon, from Willenhall ABC, at the Coventry district's Social Club yesterday afternoon.

The 71kg Black Country combatant started slow and felt out Sheldon, but got better and stronger as the fight - his first over three, three minute rounds - wore on.

By the final round, Morris was steaming forward and ramming home straight shots to set up flush right hooks from the southpaw stance that bamboozled Sheldon's defences.

The judges were in no doubt of the decision and went with Morris unanimously on points, propelling him into this weekend's next round with a convincing win.

But there was disappointment for Dudley cohort Josh Aston, from Priory Park ABC, as he came second best to 2011 ABA national champion Alimaan Hussain.

Aston - cousin of pro Ryan - came close to taking a standing count on a number of occasions as he struggled to fend off straight shots from the talented Hussain.

Hussain, from Aston ABC, connected almost at will with right hands that went over his opponent's jab and guard to record a one-sided unaminous points success.

At 60kg, Des Bowater suffered heartbreak for a second year running as he again missed out on the chance of becoming a Midlands champion in the senior ABAs.

The Wodensborough ABC fighter, 21, wanted to put right last year's Midland final, where he and opponent Sukjeevan Brar were both disqualified for persistent rule-breaking.

This time, Bowater lost out on a split decision to hometown fighter Jordan Cooke, from Triumph ABC in Coventry, with three judges over-ruling the other two.

Bowater started by easing off when he was told to box at middle range, negating work to the body and leaving him prone to the long jab of his opponent.

However, Bowater charged in come rounds two and three and peppered the rib cage of Cooke with left hooks, while going for uppercuts as the two came apart.

Christopher Ellis, from Windmill ABC in Smethwick, also came up short for the second time in a Midlands final, following on from ABA Novice disappointment last year.

Experience told against the well-schooled Connor Robson, from Bulkington ABC in Bedworth, who used his height advantage with the jab to win unanimously at 81kg.

Ellis' Windmill club-mate Reiss Taylor wasn't allowed to box Aston ABC's Raza Hamza. Taylor didn't make the weight, tipping the scales at 500g over the 54kg limit.