STAR TURNS
John Dennen watches this year’s mammoth Haringey Box Cup
THE 12th Haringey Box Cup finished on Sunday (June 16) at Alexandra Palace with another excellent showing for London’s Repton club, which won the team trophy for the third time in four years.
The Box Cup, the largest tournament in Europe, is a mammoth event. An impressive feat of organisation sees hundreds of boxers competing across five rings simultaneously on the first day of quarter-finals on Friday (June 14), down to four rings for the semi-finals and finals, almost too much boxing to keep up with.
Amongst Repton’s champions was Youth bantamweight Adan Mohammed. He defeated Golden Ring southpaw Lennox Gill on a unanimous decision in their 56kgs final. He was though forced to work for his victory.
Mohammed winged in his backhand to land from range. Their lead hands jostled for position and Gill took his opportunities to bustle forward. Mohammed wisely threw his cross and moved off. Even as Gill piled in, the two were caught up in clinches. As the bout became scrappy in the third round Mohammed was deducted a point by the referee. But it did not derail him and Adan made sure of a points victory.
The prize for Best Youth boxer though went to Bodyshot’s Will Oliphant who unanimously outpointed Sahib Saad of the French team in their 64kgs final. He won all three of his bouts in the tournament by unanimous decision, including a victory over European Junior champion Callum Walsh from Ireland.
There were surprises, with reigning national champions suffering losses. Haringey’s own Oriance Lungu was the victim of an upset when Navy light-welterweight Sophie Colbourn outpointed her on a split decision in their Class A final.
Another of Haringey’s England Elite champions, Amy Andrew also won a silver medal, though she did step up from 57kgs to meet international lightweight Shona Whitwell in their final. The St. Ives southpaw had height and reach advantages, and made good use of them. Andrew rushed across the ring to greet Whitwell with an attack. But Whitwell was sharp. She hooked in her lead right to turn Andrew aside and, once she’d measured out the distance, tagged the Haringey boxer with a firm cross. Shona was dangerous from range, a long left uppercut belting Andrew’s chin. Amy wasn’t shaken but found it hard to catch Whitwell with any great frequency. Andrew did sweep a hefty right hook into the target but Shona put all her weight behind another cross. Whitwell moved round the outer fringes of the ring contesting the bout on her terms and winning a unanimous decision.
Deayndra Allen however was victorious for Haringey, seizing a 69kgs gold medal when she beat Angered’s Marianne Ahlborg on a split decision. Allen was also judged to be the Best Female boxer of the whole tournament.
The winner of the Best Male boxer prize was Coventry University’s Macauley Owen (pictured above). He delivered a stirring performance in the elite lightweight semi-final to defeat the national champion, Islington’s Masood Abdullah. He put his skills to work against the strong England Boxing Elite and Three Nations titlist, winning an impressive split points decision. He had to dig deep in his final as well. At times Tyne, Tees & Wear’s Dillon Clark drew Owen into rough work on the inside. But when the Coventry University southpaw applied his jab he looked good, maintaining a distance between them. His cross shot through, to the head, then the body. In the third round Clark heaved hooks over, landing bursts of eye catching punches. But Owen finished well, angling a right hook through Dillon’s guard and after a breathless battle took a unanimous decision victory.
Brighton and Hove’s Youness Baati was denied in a Class A 69kgs final. He landed jabs early on against Westree’s Sean Noakes, who fired a right hook into his body. Baati doubled his jab to set up a cross but had to cover up himself as Noakes launched a combination. The Westree welterweight fired out fast hands but Baati took control of the last round. A big left hook knocked Noakes backwards on heels, giving him a standing count. Baati kept up the assault, handing Sean a second count in the final round, only to be surprised to see the decision slip away, a split verdict going to Noakes.
Tyne Tees and Wear’s Muzzi Fuyana was victorious at Class A 52kgs, outpointing Islington’s Connor Daly on a split decision. Left Hook’s Marie Connan took the Class A 51kgs title with a split decision win over Statford’s Miriam Zouhou.
Stonebridge middleweight Andrei Dascalu triumphed at Class A 75kgs, setting about Thomas Galbraith. His power punching dropped the West Ham boxer and he slammed a huge cross into Galbraith’s head to seal victory, taking a unanimous decision.
Super-heavyweights closed out a big weekend of boxing. Munster’s Martin Keenan clattered into the Army’s Josh Woods, charging him as he threw hooks. Keenan was prepared to switch stances and lead with a left cross. Woods still kept his composure, holding the centre of the ring and sending out firm jabs. But Keenan would bound off the ropes with a hard left. Woods still managed to push Martin into a corner, firing his right cross through to jolt the Munster boxer. But Keenan was dangerous even when backed up and hefting his left across again made sure of a unanimous decision win.
Earlsfield’s Omar Augustine won an elite 81kgs gold medal uncontested. Gemini’s Alex Pattison picked up a cut early on in his semi-final, getting a decision over the Army’s Carnell Brown, but was unable to box on the last day.
The Army’s Shamim Khan won a second consecutive Box Cup gold medal with a split victory over Intense bantamweight Conner Adaway.
Salisbury Youth 75kgs Jake Tucker won gold taking a split decision over Guildford City’s Joel Bartell. His clubmate, Youth 91kgs Reece Sloan was edged out in his final with Gosport’s Mateusz Bereznicki, losing a close contest on a unanimous decision.
‘NO BETTER FEELING’
Young boxers represent their countries at the GB Three Nations Schools champs
THIS year’s GB Schools Three Nations championships were held at the Barnsley Metrodome from June 8-9. With England as the host nation they were permitted to enter two boxers per category and with a large squad did win a host of medals, 18 of them gold.
“It’s the best weekend ever – there’s no better feeling than winning something like this. I’ve been working for this for a good six or seven months,” said England’s Emmanuel Buttigieg after outscoring Wales’ Cole Rees on a unanimous decision. “He was a strong boy, but I listened to the game plan and stuck to my boxing and that’s what got me the win.”
Jaiden Harradine of West Ham halted Wales’ Liam Williams in their 43kgs final. “I’ve had two really good opponents, so it’s a dream come true to win this,” he said. “I just want to thank all the coaches I’ve worked with for pushing me to get where I am today. Pulling on the England vest is my biggest achievement, and I feel really proud to have done it.”
Sonny Kerr was one of Scotland’s six champions, beating Johnny Docherty on a split decision. “It feels fantastic to win the GB Three Nations,” he said. “All the hard work and training has now paid off… It was two hard bouts against the English champion and the English runner-up, so it’s been a great weekend. Overall the Scottish boxers have done very well.”
Welsh captain William Bennett outpointed Taylor Gray on a split decision.
RESULTS
Finals: Male: 34: Cain Alexander (England) outpd Scott Stannard (England) split decision. 35.5: Nathan Lundie (Scotland) outpd Quie Coleman (England) split. 37: Denaeo George (England) outpd Francie Coyle (England) unan. 38.5: Thomas Varey (England) outpd Paddy Ward (England) split. 40: Chase Loveridge (England) outpd Mohammed Suleman (England) split. 41.5: Patrick Paton (Scotland) outpd Charlie Smith (England) split. 43: Jaiden Harradine (England) stpd Liam Williams (Wales). 44.5: Sonny Kerr (Scotland) outpd Johnny Docherty (England) split. 46: Hamilton Joyce (England) outpd Kian Quinn (England) unan. 48: Aaron Bird (England) outpd Mason Orchard (England) unan. 50: Danny Thomas (Wales) outpd Aman Kumar (England) split. 52: Taylor Gray (Scotland) outpd William Bennett (Wal) split. 54: Emmanuel Buttigieg (England) outpd Cole Rees (Wales) unan. 56: Harry Wilson (England) outpd Luc McCavanagh (Scotland) split. 59: Denis Sorokins (England) outpd Luke Corcoran (Wales) split. 62: Michael O’Regan (England) outpd Kian Govan (Scotland) split. 65: Billy Baxter (England) outpd Callum Slater (Scotland) split. 68: Joe Hodgkinson (England) outpd RJ Draper (England) unan. 72: Ethan Moore (England) outpd Jack Blencowe (England) unan. Female: 36: Billie Marie Baillie (Scotland) outpd Violet Heseltine (England) split. 42: Ffion Wilmott (Wales) outpd Kayla Holdsworth (England) unan. 45: Madison Clarkson (Scotland) outpd Francis Cope (England) unan. 48: Brooke Neely (Scotland) outpd Lyla Bardauskas (England) split. 51: Paige Hoile (England) outpd Chloe Davies (England) unan. 57: Eloise Edwards (England) outpd Grace Holland (England) unan. 60: Abby Briggs (England) stpd Nicole Twomey (Wales). 67: Madison Adkins (England) outpd Amber Moss-Birch (England) split.
Semi-finals: Male: 34: Scott Stannard (England) outpd Lloyd Delaney (Wales) split, Cain Alexander (England) outpd Eillis Jones (Wales) unan. 35.5: Quie Coleman (England) stpd Marcus Miller (Wales), Nathan Lundie (Scotland) outpd Bernie Mongan (England) split. 37: Francie Coyle (England) outpd Joe Williams (Wales) split, Denaeo George (England) outpd Marky Alexander (Scotland) unan. 38.5: Thomas Varey (England) outpd Mikey O’Sullivan (Wales) unan, Paddy Ward (England) outpd Adam Lyon (Scotland) split. 40: Mohammed Suleman (England) outpd Bradley Lowe (Scotland) split. 41.5: Charlie Smith (England) outpd Logan Williams (Wales) unan, Patrick Paton (Scotland) outpd Joshua Rose (England) unan. 43: Jaiden Harradine (England) outpd Paul Graham (England) unan. 44.5: Johnny Docherty (England) outpd Mason Ellery (Wales) split, Sonny Kerr (Scotland) outpd Elie Lessa-Lutumba (Eng) split. 46: Kian Quinn (England) outpd Ewan Gliniecki (Scotland) split, Hamilton Joyce (England) outpd Henry Janes (Wales) split. 48: Aaron Bird (England) outpd Tommy Joe Janes (Wales) split, Mason Orchard (England) outpd Leo Church (Scotland) split. 50: Danny Thomas (Wales) outpd Ellis Panter (England) split. 52: Taylor Gray (Scotland) outpd Elijah Moore (England) split, William Bennett (Wales) outpd Jeziah Vieira (England) split. 54: Cole Rees (Wales) outpd Frank Brazil (England) split, Emmanuel Buttigieg (England) outpd Alan Perrie (Scotland) split. 56: Harry Wilson (England) outpd Anthony Connors (England) split. 59: Luke Corcoran (Wales) outpd Jimmy Delaney (England) split, Denis Sorokins (England) outpd Maison Docherty (Scotland) unan. 62: Kian Govan (Scotland) outpd Ellis Bamsey (England) unan, Michael O’Regan (England) outpd Zayn Burke (Wales) unan. Female: 36: Billie Marie Baillie (Scotland) stpd Alvian Razak (England). 42: Kayla Holdsworth (England) outpd Cortney Hart (England) split. 48: Lyla Bardauskas (England) outpd Brooke Cooper (England) split. 60: Abby Briggs (England) stpd Katie Doig (England).
