It's girl power for national ABA champions

Lions ABC's Victoria Morgan, Priory Park ABC's Amie Smith and young Paige Goodyear, of Brooklands ABC, went into 2014 ranked at the top of their class.

Goodyear won a 46kg title at just 12-years-old in December. Since turning 13, the High Arcal School student from Wren's Nest has already been boxing for over a year.

Her involvement in the Schoolgirls competition brought home the first national title for the club, based at the home gym of 35-year-old former pro Darren McDermott.

The former British and Commonwealth title challenger and English champion from Woodsetton, who retired in 2010, admits he's warmed to the ladies' side of the sport.

He said: "Paige is my first national champion, which is absolutely fantastic for a club that is only into its third season. Hopefully, we can have a few more.

"She's been brilliant and if I had a gym full like her, I would be well happy. I am starting to think that the girls give more than the boys do, actually.

"I was a bit against it, at first, I have never trained a girl to box before but I give all her the credit in the world, she has converted me! It's good stuff.

"Even watching the finals on a whole, there was some good boxing on display and I was impressed. There will be some good competition in the future."

Priory Park trainer Paul Gough is planning to heavily invest his club's time in building up a female "squad" for future competitions, after Smith's success.

She took a senior title at 48kg in Class C, for fighters who have had none to five bouts, despite only making her unpaid debut on a club show in November.

Gough said: "When the work on our gym is finished, which is looking like the end of March, we want to build our own female squad to box out of the club.

"Amy's looking forward to boxing on our club show next month and her winning a national title means exactly the same to the club as the lads' did.

"It makes no difference, they have won it and put the hard work in to be ranked No 1 in the country."

It was second time lucky for Morgan, after she was beaten in the 71kg Class C final the previous year. She made no mistake in the same category this time.

Lions trainer John Shakespeare said: "Victoria has been with us for about three years now and bouts can be scarce to come by, but she's getting better each year.

"You need a bit of grit to survive in any area of boxing - and some shy away after getting a little tap on the nose - and gritty fighters are the ones that keep coming back.

"To have our first female national champion means a lot to our club."