Whittaker is just champion at finals weekend
Friends had to become foes for Darlaston's Benjamin Whittaker to become a national champion in the England Youth Championships.
The talented 17-year-old, who represents Steve O'Rourke's Wodensborough Boxing Club, avenged defeat in last year's final,
Whittaker didn't get the chance to settle the score with nemesis Jimmy Smith, though, with the Repton fighter beaten in the other semi-final.
That left Whittaker and big mate Zak Chelli to decide the 75kg crown and it went the way of the West Midlands prospect, on a points split decision.
It secured his England place, in his first year at middleweight, for next month's Tri-Nations and took him one step closer to his ultimate goal of September's Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa.
Trainer O'Rourke said: "We took Ben up from 69kg and he will be stopping where he is now. He's not a fully-fledged middleweight, yet, but he will grow into it.
"It's a shame we couldn't get Smith again. I have asked for that fight five times since the final, on clubs shows and the like. As it turns out, we don't need him now.
"This second title has been a long time coming for Ben and he deserves it. He's been brought up the right way and he's a very dedicated and pleasant young man.
"With everything that he has achieved and what's to come, the future is very bright for him."
Whittaker first competed on finals weekend at the Ferryhill Community Hub in County Durham, taking on Bedford's Connor Wright in the quarters on Friday.
Wright crumbled in the third round from sustained attacks to the body, where a short right hand to the ribs set up a stiff left that dazed his opponent, the referee waving him off on his feet.
Back came Whittaker to the venue on Saturday to take on the game Shakiel Thompson, from Sheffield Boxing Centre, in Saturday's semi-final.
Thompson's aggressive demeanour tried to drag him into a brawl, with Whittaker following orders to stick to his boxing.
He had to suck it up, too, as the two traded at close quarters. He hit him with every shot in the book, but there was no removing Thompson. However, Whittaker proceeded unanimously.
That set up Sunday's showdown with pal Chelli, the champion at the weight for the past two years representing Times Boxing Club in London.
Whittaker got his hands and feet moving to catch the eye for the first two rounds, before a Chelli fightback in the last half of the fight saw it go the cards, with the Black Country stylist prevailing.
Meanwhile, Akash Tuqir suffered national final heartbreak for a fourth time after a split decision went against him at 52kg.
Twice in the England Schoolboys and once in the Junior championships has the former Tri-Nations title winner come off second best.
And the 16-year-old, boxing for Merridale in Wolverhampton, felt aggrieved after he was nudged out of the verdict by Brandon Doard, from Everton Red Triangle in Merseyside.
Warley's Corey Clarke also lost in the heavyweight final of 91kg to Barnstaple's Robert Squires unanimously, after outpointing Spennymoor's Andrew Grover in the semi-finals.
He's had a bye to finals weekend, as did Megan Ellis at 69kg in the female side of the competition. The 16-year-old, from Right Stuff in Stafford, didn't travel due to school commitments.
