Conna Hincks boxes clever to make the final

The puncher had to stick to his boxing in battling past Saturday's semi-final on a busy day of action at the Oxford Jubilee Hub in Warrington, Cheshire.

'The Bradley Bullet,' from Bilston, had stopped his previous two opponents in the first round and decked his opening adversary in the competition, writes Craig Birch.

And it looked as if last four rival Josh Brunt, from Rotherham, was going the same way when he was rocked from a right hand in the opening session.

Brunt managed to clear his senses and fight on, though, so Hincks had to call upon skill rather than strength to get the job done.

There was no removing him inside-the-distance so the cards were called into play, where Hincks' hand was raised by unanimous points decision.

The 15-year-old, from Merridale Boxing Club in Wolverhampton, now takes his place in the Class A - boxers born 2000 - 66kg decider at Rotherham's Magna Centre on Saturday October 10.

The last hurdle standing in his way of title glory is the capable Callan Phillips, from St Austell in Cornwall, on finals day.

Coach Zabir Ajaz said: "This was the toughest opponent Conna has had so far, we thought we had him in the first but the lad got on the back-foot.

"He regained his energy and made Conna work hard, too, but he stuck to his boxing and stayed on his game.

"He's had 15 fights now and only lost three times, so he's coming along all of the time. This is a massive opportunity for him now.

"He sees his opponents as people in his way and he really wants this. It could take him all of the way. We believe in him."

Hamzah Ahmed, from Walsall Wood Boxing Club, was left flabbergasted after finding himself on the wrong side of the judges' favour at 57kg.

Ahmed clearly won the first two rounds against Ammar Akbar, from Warrior Breed in Yorkshire, and looked on course for victory.

Akbar threw the kitchen sink at him in the third and last round, but didn't appear to have turned the tide. That was until the officials went with him, on a hotly-disputed split decision.

The same fate befell Harry Conlan, from the Brooklands home gym in Dudley ran by retired professional Darren McDermott, at 54kg in Class B (2000).

He was also well ahead with two rounds gone, but still managed to lose on a split to Hull Saints' Mostafa Afzali.

Brooklands' stable-mate Niall Felton was stopped in the last round of his 40kg Class A affair against Lee Rooney, from Wearmouth in Sunderland.

Felton hadn't banked on a right hook that landed on the side of his head, after he'd just landed the same shot himself. The referee intervened with a standing count and later called for the bell.

Warley's Owen Brown wasn't allowed to compete at 50kg, after an issue with his paperwork ruled him out. He'd boxed on their club show the night before.

Brown - who even weighed in for the bout - was raring to go after the previous evening, battering Callum McDonough, from Wild Star in Aldridge, into retirement after two rounds.

In the female section of the tournament, Wednesbury's Maria Bishop bowed out of a three-pronged 52kg in Class A.

Bishop and Hull Saints' Malika Alfrazi came in fresh after byes, with Alfrazi prevailing unanimously. Alfrazi now boxes off with Parsons Cross' Nicole Cherrill for a place in the final.