TEGAN STOTT, silver medallist at the World Championships last month, is set to reject the pros and move up in weight for next year’s Commonwealth Games.
The 22-year-old from Sheffield City ABC became one of the hottest prospects in Britain at the M&S Bank Arena last month, winning three bouts to reach the final at 85kgs, where he was beaten by outstanding Uzbek southpaw Akmaljon Isroilov.
That put Stott’s name in the record books alongside David Haye, Luke Campbell, Andrew Selby, Anthony Joshua and Pat McCormack as British men who have won silver at the World Championships.
This put him on the radar of the professionals, but the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next summer was one of the incentives to stay in the amateur ranks – although there will be no 85kgs division in Scotland.
The men’s weights are 55kgs, 60kgs, 65kgs, 70kgs, 80kgs, 90kgs and 90+kgs, leaving Stott with a decision to make. Boxing News understands Stott plans to move up to 90kgs.
That puts him on a collision course with Isaac Okoh.
Okoh was Great Britain’s pick for the World Championships at 90kg, but he lost his opening contest on a split decision.
Robert McNulty has a similar decision to make.
The Scot missed out on a medal in Liverpool after a 4-1 decision went against him in the quarter-finals.
He had previously won USA Boxing’s Summer Festival in Las Vegas, propelling him into the top 10 in the world.
Boxing News understands McNulty, who has shared two bouts with Stott, is currently thinking over his next move and will make his decision in the next few weeks.
NAC cruiserweight champion Divine Omojor will be staying at 85kgs, confirmed club coach Ross Wilkinson.
Wilkinson envisages the 19-year-old from Tyneside ABC growing into a heavyweight – but not yet.
Omojor outpointed McNulty in the semi-finals of the Tri Nations Championship in Cardiff in May on his way to gold and had a good win when boxing for England Under-23s in Belfast earlier this month.
England sent a team to take on Ireland, Ulster and Hungary as part of preparations for the European Under-23 Championships.
Bobby Wallace – a new addition to the England squad – impressed with three wins, and Omojor also starred.
The 6ft 5 inch teenager from Wallsend was matched with Sean Mackey and beat him unanimously.
That got Omojor back on course after Dominic Owoo (Barton Hill) beat him on a split on a club show a few weeks earlier.
That snapped a 10-bout winning run for Omojor that started after defeat to Dan Pitt in the Tri Nations Youth final last June.
Following that, Omojor swept to the Haringey Box Cup gold and then NABGCs, BUCs, NACs and Tri Nations titles.
Omojor could get the chance to avenge the loss to Owoo in Sweden at the King of the Ring tournament.
Both are entered at 85kgs in a tournament that runs from October 31 to November 2.
Omojor has Nigerian parentage and described Anthony Joshua as “the biggest inspiration”.
He said: “If it wasn’t for him, I probably wouldn’t be boxing.
“I wanted to be a footballer – like most people do. I was decent at football, but I fell out of love with it.
“I knew a couple of lads who Ross trained. They were national boxing champions and that was big.”
Wilkinson remembered: “When Divine came to us, he was tidy. I didn’t think he was anything special, but he picked things up quickly.
“He made his debut five months after joining and he won in 40 seconds.
“His second was against a 3-0 kid in the Glasgow Box Cup and he stopped him as well. I thought: ‘I have something here.’
“Because he’s stopped a lot, it’s hard to get him matches. He’s been in with good lads and learned lessons. He’s boxed all the top lads around his age and weight,” – including Pitt, who went on to win the World Under-19 Championship.
“The occasion got to him,” said Wilkinson. “It was his first time boxing for England, and he was up against a good kid. He just didn’t perform. That has turned everything around.”
Only a couple of weeks later, Omojor, currently studying computer science at Northumbria University, won the Haringey Box Cup gold with a stoppage.
