Boston ABC boxers put on a show

Boston Amateur Boxing Club finally returned to the ring as they held their Autumn show at the Haven High Academy on Saturday night.

First into the ring for Boston was youngster Kenzie Galey, who was competing in his maiden skills contest against Riley Clancy of the Chadd ABC.

Kenzie boxed on the front foot behind his long lead hand and demonstrated some good attacking movements.

He gave a good account of himself in a confidence boosting bout that gave him some much needed experience.

Jared Wiltshire showed very little nerves in his first skills bout against Caiden O’Leary of the Abington ABC.

Jared started very bright and caught O’Leary with some meaningful combination punches that had the Northampton boy on the back foot, a big shot from Jared registered as he was duly pulled up by the referee.

As they continued to box to the same theme, surprisingly the referee had called off proceedings and ordered both boxers to their corners. For the little time the bout ran for, Jared looks ready for bigger challenges in the next step in his progression.

Oscar Watson was next into the squared circle in the first full bout of the evening against Austin Linford from the Leicester Railwaysmans ABC.

Linford started quickly on the attack with Oscar keeping his cool, covering well and pot shotting with hard punches in the breaks of the exchanges that quickly got Linfords respect.

Midway through the opening round the momentum had shifted, it was now Oscar putting on the pressure and taking the fight to his opponent. He got the breakthrough he was looking for - a hard left hand jolted back the Leicester boys head with the referee moving in to administer a standing count.

Another back and forth battled ensued in round two but this time with Watson taking a count.

The bout was set up for a grandstand finish with everything in the balance - Oscar digging deep into his reserves found the power punches he needed to unsettle his man with two standing counts given in quick succession and the referee halting proceedings much to Watsons delight.

Exciting youngster Harley Butterfield competed in his first full bout against the more experienced Ben Bradwell of the Rainworth and Blidworth ABC.

Bradwell tried to engage in warfare from the first bell by rumbling forwards with heavy punches and quickly became tired. Harley used his superior hand and foot speed to score and cleverly move away from danger, a tactic that enabled him to take the first round.

The second was a closer round with Bradwell applying steady pressure that allowed him some success in the exchanges in an even round that could have gone either way.

A big final round was ordered from the Boston corner - Harley quick to work and was met with similar endeavour from the other corner.

The bout was awarded to Butterfield with a fine split decision win.

Reece Morris was in next against Grimsby ABC’s Lux Spreadbury in an evenly matched contest.

Reece begun the bout at a breathless pace and unleashed constant spiteful shots that the Grimsby fighter admirably took and fought back with venomous shots of his own.

Further down the stretch Reece understandably found it difficult to sustain the efforts he’d put in, in the early goings and suddenly the bout was all square.

Reece gave as best as he could going into the last but Spreadbury just had that little bit more and ran out a unanimous points winner.

Boston’s Jamie Burgin was the next called to duty against Ryan Fogarty of the Fenland Sparta ABC in a youth contest.

The bout began at a frantic pace with both boxers looking to scramble the other with hard, hurtful punches - much to the crowds delight.

With both fighters in the trenches neither wanted to give ground or back off as the battle for supremacy raged on.

A breathless finish was administered by both boxers with the bout being awarded to Jamie by a deserved unanimous decision.

The penultimate bout was for the vacant senior East Midlands Welterweight Challenge belt between Boston’s Igors Jermoljaev and Fusion ABC’s Harry Nelson.

Both fighters put in a show stopping performance that ebbed and flowed in each others favour throughout the fight, Igors catching the judges eye with his explosive punching and Nelson with his intricate inside work and looping shots.

Both boxers were shipping and landing hard punches that could be felt by the crowd as they all drew gasps in between the exchanges.

A sprint finish with volleys of punches in both directions in the last ditched attempt to sway the opinion of the judges was given in what was undoubtedly the bout of the night, the results were in; a split decision in favour of Nelson.

A return is booked for next week.

Top of the bill was club captain Coby Brown, was matched against Gage Wesson from the Ashfield School of Boxing.

Coby began brightly in the contest boxing from range and shipping some telling blows in the early goings.

Wesson was a busy fighter looking to work in close and keep the pressure on and smothered some of Coby’s good work and made it difficult for him to get a foothold in the contest.

As the fight wore on Wesson grew more and more into it and eventually went on to win the bout by a unanimous decision.

Coby, who had been a little under the weather to his credit didn’t stop trying and gave everything in a fine contest that had the crowd on their feet throughout as they brought the evenings proceedings to a satisfactory end.