THIS MONTH’S National Association of Boys and Girls Club Championships marks the return of a fighter who last year felt like the pound-for-pound No. 1 in the country.
Oliver Jones was awarded the Mickey May Trophy for being the best boxer at the 2024 National Amateur Championship finals.
The trophy headed to Liverpool after the Croxteth southpaw claimed the 63.5kgs title with a points win over Harvey Orriss (Herat of Portsmouth).
“Winning that trophy is my best achievement so far,” said the 20-year-old.
“It’s like an award for being the pound-for-pound best in the country.
“That’s how I look at it. I was the best out of all the champions.”
What’s more, he did it with one hand.
“I did it [injured his hand] the year before I won it and let it heal,” said Jones.
“In the lead-up to the quarter-finals, it went in sparring again. I boxed in the quarter-final, semi-final and final with my hand knackered!”
The path to the title was far from straightforward as well.
William Tyers, Amo Singh – who went on to win the title 12 months later – and then Orriss stood in his way, and Jones beat them all on points.
“After that, I went to GB for an assessment and after two rounds my hand was killing me, so they sent me home a day early,” said Jones, who works as an electrician and lives in the West Derby area of Liverpool.
“I had an operation with a top surgeon. They did a bone graft from my hip and it’s fine now.
“It was hard for me to take the time off, but I had to let it heal. Now I’m back and I want a big season.”
That starts with the NABGCs that Jones has won three times before.
He enters unbeaten in his last 30-plus bouts – but would rather look forward instead of back, having had the longest face in Liverpool last month.
The World Championships came to his home city and Jones said: “It was a killer [to miss out].
“The plan was to get on GB and go to the World Championships in Liverpool. I just had to take it on the chin. I want to get back on that platform and go to the Commonwealth Games and Olympics.”
Patris Mughalzai represented Britain at 65kgs in Liverpool, and Jones said: “I have watched them all at my weight and I’m definitely better than all of them. I’m confident I can beat anyone.
“I’m technical, but I have that determination as well. I have good range and head movement.”
Coach Jason Steven makes comparisons with Vasyl Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk because Jones “is always in range, but he never gets hit”/
Jones has been developing that style for more than a decade.
“My next-door neighbour went to boxing and asked if I wanted to go,” he said. “My mum would never let me go. She didn’t think it would be for me. I went once when I was nine, fell in love with it and after that nobody could stop me going.
“I had a few losses early on when I was still learning and then I won the juniors when I was 15 before covid hit.”
