Future stars of the sport showed their potential in the final of the England Boxing National Amateur Championships.
Boxing in the elite finals in Derby on Saturday, Ruby White won her first senior national title with a flyweight victory over Madi Gittens of Box Club.
White, a World U19 champion, is also a four-time European champion at age group level. The Sturminster Newton boxer continued her astonishing winning run.
With her unanimous decision victory over Gittens, White is unbeaten in over 60 contests.
“I’m over the moon. I think I proved a lot of people wrong being a first year senior and winning this tournament. The level from youth to senior is a massive jump and I think I proved to everybody that I’m meant to be on these big stages and hopefully will be competing for GB very soon,” White told Sky Sports.
“The secret to my success is that I want it more. I train harder than anybody,” she added. “My want and my willpower to be the best is better than anybody else’s.”
Men’s flyweight Billy Macey became a two-time national champion, with his opponent Yusuf Uddin being disqualified and then shoving the referee.
“Win, lose or draw, you hold your head up high, you keep your head up high, you keep your back straight and you stay sportsman-like. There’s no need for the screaming, the shouting,” Macey said afterwards. “Win, lose or draw, you’ve got to behave like a sportsman.
“I’m following in the footsteps of many great fighters that have gone and done it. Joe Calzaghe went and won it three times,” Macey told Sky Sports. “It’s an absolute honour to go and win it because it is the pinnacle of amateur boxing domestically.”
De Hood’s Adekali Kargbo impressed as he dethroned reigning 90kg champion Akinola Tijani on a 4-1 split decision.
“Any time I hear I’m close to losing or anything happens, I dog it out, I show why I want it more,” Tijani told Sky Sports.
Longsight’s Clinton Achusim closed out Finchley’s Anthony Ibekwe to secure the super-heavyweight title in arguably the bout of the night.
“I loved every single minute of it. This is what we train for,” Achusim told Sky Sports. “I know how to adapt, I can box really well, I punch really hard.
“This is one of many and more to come.”
Repton’s Amo Singh unanimously outscored James Smith of Sandygate to win the 65kg title. GB boxer Joe Turner prevailed in a high class 62.5kg final, beating Halliwell’s Joe Peel on a 4-1 split decision.
“There was no one taking that belt away from me tonight,” Turner told Sky Sports. “Fair play to my opponent as well but it’s what I’m made for, these sort of moments.
“I know one day I’m going to be world champion as a pro, no doubt in my head, so until that day keep pushing forward.”
GB at World Boxing Cup in Brazil
GB have a squad of boxers competing in the first World Boxing Cup event of the year that is getting underway in Brazil.
Sacha Hickey (65kg), Lauren Mackie (54kg) and 2025 World Boxing Championship bronze medallist Chantelle Reid (70kg) make up the women’s team for the tournament that concludes on April 26.
GB’s men’s line-up is comprised of Ellis Trowbridge (55kg), Will Hewitt (60kg), Patris Mughalzai (65kg), Paddy Hewitt (70kg), Dimeji Shittu (80kg) and Teagn Stott (90kg).
Teagn Stott won a World championship silver medal
For Sheffield’s Stott, who won cruiserweight (85kg) silver at last year’s World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, it will be a third outing at heavyweight as he looks to consolidate his position at the new weight by building on the silver medal he won last time out at the Bocskai Memorial Tournament in Hungary.
“It’s a great opportunity to test myself against some top-level international opponents and gain more experience on the big stage,” Stott said.
“Every tournament like this is another step in my development, especially as I continue to grow into the heavyweight division. The aim is to keep improving with each bout, take on each challenge that comes and hopefully that puts me in a good position for the future looking ahead to the Commonwealth Games and beyond.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: skynews.com
