ELITE THREE NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIPS
THE GB Three Nations Elite championships took place from May 25-26 at the Ravenscraig Regional Sports Centre in Motherwell, Scotland.
English welterweight Harvey Lambert won the 100th bout of his career in his final when he unanimously outscored Scotland’s Stephen Newns, a good win in itself. Lambert had beaten another Scotsman, Sam Hickey, also on a unanimous decision in the semi-final. In the other semi-final Newns defeated Wales’ Shane Taffesauffer on a split decision. “Fight number 100 boxed and won. Tri Nations gold, seven fights, seven wins for 2019 so far. Ready to spend some time with my Mrs and my other favourite people,” Lambert said.
Super-heavyweight Delicious Orie capped a good year. As well as winning the England Boxing national championships, he took gold at this event. Orie unanimously outscored Scotland’s Nick Campbell and then beat Wales’ Guilio Galliana in the final, also a unanimous points verdict.
Marauding Englishman Sam Noakes [pictured] also took a good victory in the 64kgs final, when he overcame Scotland’s Robbie McKechnie, taking a unanimous decision win.
At featherweight Vicky Glover won gold for Scotland, beating Englishwoman Raven Chapman on a split decision in their 57kgs final. She said, “British champion three years in a row. Grateful as always to Boxing Scotland for the opportunities and my club and team at Forgewood for getting me her.”
Welsh flyweight Jake Dodd beat two-time England Elite champion Hamza Mahmood when he took a split decision victory in their final.
At heavyweight Scotland’s Scott Forrest, a GB boxer, suffered a surprise defeat when Welshman Sam Leyson edged him out on a split decision. Leyson however came up short in the final. The Army’s Natty Ngwenya unanimously outpointed him to continue his breakthrough year.
“I’m well happy to say I am the three times GB Elite Champion! I have had a year with great success and this couldn’t have been done without a lot of people that pushed me through,” Ngwenya said.
Wales’ Helen Jones beat another English champion from the Army when she took a split decision win over Tori-Ellis Willets in their 51kgs final.
Ramtin Musah bounced back from his disappointment at losing a hard-fought national final to Mark Dickinson in April to seize the Tri Nations title. He pipped Scotland’s Darren Johnstone on a split decision in the middleweight final in Motherwell, after unanimously outpointing Wales’ Kyran Jones in their semi-final the previous day.
“What a weekend, two-times GB Tri Nation champion. Two good wins to crown me champion again, can’t thank England Boxing enough [and] well done to the other England boxers,” Musah said.
Islington lightweight Masood Abdullah continues his surprising run of form. As well as becoming the English national Elite champion, he was also victorious in this event. He stopped Welshman John Wilson in the semi-finals and a split decision saw him beat Scotland’s John Casey in the final.
Aaron Bowen also needed two victories to take gold, first outpointing Scotland’s Robbie Connor then beating Wales’ Harris Khan, both wins coming by way of split decisions.
RESULTS
Finals: 51: Tori-Ellis Willets (England) outpd by Helen Jones (Wales) split. 52: Hamza Mahmood (England) outpd by Jake Dodd (Wales) split. 56: Ibrahim Nadim (England) outpd Stephen Donald (Scotland) unan. 57: Raven Chapman (England) outpd by Vicky Glover (Scotland) split. 60: Masood Abdullah (England) outpd John Casey (Scotland) split. 64: Hannah Shield (England) outpd Megan Reid (Scotland) split. 64: Sam Noakes (England) outpd Robbie McKechnie (Scotland) unan. 69: Jem Campbell (England) outpd Lynn Calder (Scotland) unan, Harvey Lambert (England) outpd Stephen Newns (Scotland) unan. 75: Jodie Wilkinson (England) outpd Hannah Bell (Scotland) unan, Ramtin Musah (England) outpd Darren Johnstone (Scotland) split. 81: Aaron Bowen (England) outpd Harris Khan (Wales) split. 91: Natty Ngwenya (England) outpd Sam Leyson (Wales) unan. 91&: Delicious Orie (England) outpd Guilio Galliana (Wales) unan.
Semi-finals: 51: Helen Jones (Wales) outpd Stephanie Kernachan (Scotland) unan. 52: Hamza Mahmood (England) outpd Steven Ferguson (Scotland) unan. 57: Raven Chapman (England) outpd Jade Gitsham (Wales) unan. 60: Masood Abdullah (England) stpd John Wilson (Wales). 64: Megan Reid (Scotland) outpd Rachel Banks (Wales) unan, Hannah Shield (England) stpd Gardner Moore (Scotland) 3rd, Sam Noakes (England) outpd Clay Davidson (Scotland) unan, Robbie McKechnie (Scotland) outpd Liam Taylor (Wales) split. 69: Harvey Lambert (England) outpd Sam Hickey (Scotland) unan, Stephen Newns (Scotland) outpd Shane Taffesauffer (Wales) split. 75: Ramtin Musah (England) outpd Kyran Jones (Wales) unan. 81: Aaron Bowen (England) outpd Robbie Connor (Scotland) split. 91: Sam Leyson (Wales) outpd Scott Forrest (Scotland) split. 91&: Delicious Orie (England) outpd Nick Campbell (Scotland) unan.
EUROPEAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
THE European Junior champions concluded in Galati, Romania on Saturday (June 1). Both Sacha Hickey and Enriko Itauma won gold medals for the England squad, with their team-mate Shelby-Marie Lee securing a silver medal. English boxers Royston Barney-Smith and Vinny Huczmann secured bronze medals. Ireland eclipsed that with a nine-medal haul, including two gold and one silver, to go with six bronze medals. “The squad have been fantastic out here. Every one of them boxed their hearts out and with a bit of luck we might have had more medals. They’ve been absolutely brilliant and congratulations also to their clubs and club coaches who prepared them,” said IABA president Dominic O’Rourke.
RESULTS
46: Frank Varey (England) outpd Marcel Ursu (Moldova) unan, Dylan Eagleson (Ireland) outpd Rafael Lozano Serrano (Spain) unan, Laura Kovacs (Hungary) outpd Breda Quilligan (Ireland) unan, Shelby-Marie Lee (England) stpd Natalia Yordanova (Bulgaria) 2nd, Cristinel Mazareanu (Romania) outpd Varey split, Eagleson outpd by Timur Khalilov (Russia) split, Lee outpd Laura Kovacs (Hungary) unan, Alena Tremasova (Russia) outpd Lee split. 48: Blu Bowers (England) outpd Conde Oier Ibarreche (Spain) unan, Michael Donoghue (Ireland) outpd Zoltan Czervak (Hungary) unan, Robin Kelly (Ireland) outpd Iryna Melnyk (Ukraine) unan, Bowers outpd Romeo Costa (Wales) split, Donoghue outpd James Sweeney (Scotland) unan, Kelly outpd Gamze Soguksu (Turkey) unan, Anastasiia Kirienko (Russia) outpd Megan Bainbridge (England) unan, Boris Eroshkin (Russia) outpd Bowers unan, Donoghue outpd Said Abdullayev (Azerbaijan) unan, Kirienko outpd Kelly unan, Donoghue outpd Boris Eroshkin (Russia) unan, Donoghue outpd Dmytro Molodan (Ukraine) unan. 50: Julia Szeremeta (Poland) outpd Dhesi Charan (England) split, Saba Tkebuchava (Georgia) outpd Jason Nevin (Ireland) split, Muhammad Ali (England) outpd Robert Lavrinovic (Lithuania) unan, Marie Gabriel (Ireland) outpd Veronika Zajicova (Czech Republic) unan, Aleksei Starodubtsev (Russia) outpd Ali unan, Gabriel outpd Lucia Ayari (Italy) unan, Gabriel outpd Valeriia Linkova (Russia) split. 52: Zoe Andrews (Wales) stpd Karyna Sharshneva (Belarus) 2nd, Viktoriya Zastryalina (Russia) outpd Chloe Roberts (Scotland) unan, Jayne Bardauskas (England) outpd Mihaela Manea (Romania) split, Sophia Mazzoni (Italy) outpd Rachel Lawless (Ireland) unan, Asad Aghayev (Azerbaijan) outpd Cameron Lavery (England) unan, Isa Akram (Scotland) outpd Elias Idrissi (Denmark) split, Aghayev outpd Pearse Donagh (Ireland) unan, Andrews outpd Claudia Totova (Czech Republic) split, Akram outpd Manea unan, Mazzoni outpd Bardauskas split, Boyana Gojkovic (Montenegro) outpd Andrews unan, Krasimir Dzhurov (Bulgaria) outpd Akram split. 54: Aaliyah Butler (Ireland) outpd Elle Taylor (Wales) unan, Royston Barney-Smith (England) outpd Mustafa Edris (Ireland) split, Barney-Smith outpd Aram Khrikyan (Georgia) unan, Butler outpd Andreea Alecu (Romania) unan, Barney-Smith outpd Vahag Galustyan (Armenia) unan, Liana Tarasian (Russia) outpd Butler unan, Mikhail Grigorian (Russia) outpd Barney-Smith unan. 57: Gerard McTaggart (Scotland) outpd Mikita Harbuz (Belarus) unan, Martin McCullough (Ireland) outpd Kevin Bohm (Sweden) unan, Samuel Roman (Romania) outpd McTaggart split, Ivan Kobzev (Russia) outpd Tom Price (Wales) unan, Ellis Price (England) outpd Oliwier Szot (Poland) unan, McCullough outpd Ares Hakobyan (Armenia) unan, Sacha Hickey (England) outpd Elif Yavuz (Turkey) unan, Hickey outpd Stelina Shahanas (Albania) unan, Mihaela Ciobanu (Romania) outpd Nicole O’Sullivan (Ireland) split, Kobzev outpd Price unan, McCullough outpd Matvei Starikov (Estonia) unan, Hickey outpd Ciobanu unan, Kobzev outpd McCullough split, Hickey outpd Alina Pushkar (Russia) unan. 60: Maryna Muliarchyk (Belarus) outpd Shelby Myers (Ireland) split, Viktoria Sawatzki (Germany) outpd Butler Anastacia (England) split, Jake Abrol (England) outpd by Magomed Mamaev (Russia) split, Michael McCarthy (Ireland) outpd Giorgi Zhorzholiani (Georgia) split, Mamaev outpd McCarthy unan. 63: Isa Novruzlu (Azerbaijan) outpd Jimmy Lee (England) split, Niv Rahamim (Israel) outpd Thomas King (Ireland) split, Katie Grover (England) outpd Viktoria Varga (Hungary) split, Winnie McDonagh (Ireland) outpd Zehra Tuncer (Turkey) unan, Viola Piras (Italy) outpd Katie Grover (England) unan, McDonagh outpd Lia Pukkila (Finland) unan, McDonagh outpd Ani Manukyan (Germany) unan, Piras outpd McDonagh split. 66: Tegan Farrell (Ireland) outpd Petra Kovacs (Hungary) unan, Taylor Guiney (Ireland) outpd Orhan Mehmet (Turkey) unan, JimmyDean Wood (England) outpd Vladislav Chepizhko (Russia) unan, Guiney outpd Andrei Mustet (Romania) unan, Farrell outpd Radmyla Rodionova (Ukraine) split, Francesca De Fazio (Italy) outpd Huma Caglayan (England) split, Guiney outpd Narek Zakharyan (Armenia) unan, Natalia Zavialova (Russia) outpd Farrell unan, Vladislav Chepizhko (Russia) outpd Guiney split. 70: Eoghan Lavin (Ireland) outpd Alperen Terzi (Turkey) split, Prince Dubois (England) outpd Eitan Gabdouline (Israel) split, Beatrice Moldovan (Romania) outpd Shaun Doherty (Ireland) split, Mikhail Usov (Russia) outpd Lavin unan, Mykyta Gorbatenko (Ukraine) outpd Dubois unan. 75: Vinny Huczmann (England) stpd Muhammet Deniz (Turkey) 3rd, Mark Duffy (Ireland) outpd Lucian Mititelu (Romania) unan, Huczmann outpd Duffy unan, Dearbhla Tinnelly (Ireland) outpd Sena Kocaoglu (Turkey) split, Valeriia Vorontsova (Russia) outpd Tinnelly unan, Yehor Fedosenko (Ukraine) outpd Huczmann unan. 80: Jack Turnbull (England) outpd John Ward (Ireland) split, Nataliia Hodyk (Ukraine) outpd Margaret Stokes (Ireland) split, Giorgi Dekanozishvili (Georgia) outpd Turnbull split. 80&: Dzmitry Barysau (Belarus) outpd Thomas McDonnell (Ireland) unan, Enriko Itauma (England) stpd Kevin Burca (Romania) 1st, Itauma outpd Michel Dobler (Germany) unan, Itauma outpd Valentin Milanov (Russia) unan, Itauma outpd Hovahnnes Papazyan (Armenia) unan.
IRELAND ANNOUNCE
THE European Games are looming. The tournament, continental Olympics essentially, begins in Minsk on June 21.
Ireland have confirmed their boxing team, a strong squad led by reigning World lightweight champion Kellie Harrington. Joining her on the women’s team will be middleweight Aoife O’Rourke, welterweight Grainne Walsh and Commonwealth Games medallist Michaela Walsh who will box at 57kgs.
Light-heavyweight Joe Ward is highly experienced now and hugely successful. He is a multiple European champion and will hope to maintain that standard in Belarus. Irish bantamweight Kurt Walker has been in good form and will be one to watch at 56kgs. Another seasoned operator Brendan Irvine will be going at 52kgs. Completing the Irish team are Dean Gardiner at 91&kgs, Anthony Browne at 91kgs, Michael Nevin at 75kgs, Kieran Molloy at 69kgs, James McGivern at 64kgs and Regan Daly at 49kgs.
