Paige Goodyear can't claim a Junior title
Dudley's Paige Goodyear has seen her dreams of a national title in the England Junior Championships come to an end - without ever getting in the ring.
The 15-year-old High Arcal Secondary School pupil has gone through with the entire competition with no opponents to face,
Entry into the female side of the boxers born 2000 section, rather than the 1999-2000 category, left her without a match through the line-up.
Finals weekend at Sheffield's Ponds Forge Arena, consisting of Saturday's semi-final and the decider 24 hours later, will take place without her.
England Boxing rules state that a fighter must compete, at least, once to claim a national title, with a lack of entrants at 50kg putting paid to that.
The Schools title holder is from Brooklands in Dudley, operating out of the gym of former English middleweight champion Darren McDermott.
Meanwhile, Rugeley Police Boxing Club want to get Oliver Cooper in the ring again as soon as possible after his Junior loss last weekend.
His corner felt aggrieved when Cooper was pulled out of his national quarter-final contest and was stopped for the first time, in the second round.
The 14-year-old from Cheslyn Hay was tackling Gemini's Ethan Brown on the Scouser's turf, at the Croxteth Sports Centre in Liverpool.
They met at 46kg in the boxers born 2000 section, with Cooper on top in the first round and coming forward to taking the fight to his opponent.
All that changed come the second when his gung-ho approach saw him walk onto a straight right hand, from which the referee acted.
Cooper was still throwing punches as the man in the middle pulled him back, ending his challenge in his first Junior outing after walk overs.
Coaches Ian Lear and Kenny Basford are now looking to get him another fight, although a planned bout for Friday has been scrapped.
He was due to box on a Trinity club bill in Derbyshire but his opponent has pulled out, with a spot on Shrewsbury & Severnside next's show at the end of a month a possibility.
