Leon Cooney has made it through to the England Boxing Schools Championship finals in Sheffield this weekend.
The Wirral Community Police Boxing Club prospect has battled through a series of qualifiers and regional rounds to reach the overall 50kg final.
Cooney defeated Lennox Tyers from York Boxing Club in the northern final at DeMontfort Sports Hall in Evesham on Sunday.
In the previous round, Cooney defeated Muin Khan from the Merridale Boxing Club in Wolverhampton on a split decision at Birmingham’s Great Barr Leisure Centre.
The 13-year-old will face Jimmy Doran from Windrush Valley ABC in the final after the Oxfordshire-based fighter beat Repton Boxing Club’s Rohan Decurdo in the southern final in Bristol.
Cooney, who lives in Moreton, joined Wirral CP Boxing Club last year and chairman Peter Phelan has been pleased with the youngster’s progress.
“Leon and his dad approached us about joining our club and we’ve had a few boys do that so it makes you think we’re doing something right,” Phelan said.
“We had a little bit of a discussion, he came in and he’s fitted in very well. We have done a lot of work with him and ironed a few things out.
“Last year he lost in the quarters and he said he wanted to better that and he’s done that.
“He likes a laugh and to have a bit of fun but beneath that he takes things in and we’ve noticed a real change in his attitude in the past six weeks and he’s a lot more attentive.
“Sometimes you forget he’s only a little 13-year-old kid. He’s done fantastic and now he’s got a chance to become a national champion.
“He’s got one big hurdle left and we don’t know much about his opponent but fingers crossed he can do it. We’ll take it the same as we do every fight and just have a look at him in the first round. The good thing about Leon is he listens and he’s very adaptable.”
Meanwhile, Paul Butler’s comeback fight after the first defeat of his professional career has been moved back a month and switched from Liverpool to Manchester.
The former IBF world bantamweight champion, a product of Wirral CP Boxing Club, lost his unbeaten record to IBF world super-flyweight champion Zolani Tete in March.
Promoter Frank Warren announced the 26-year-old from Great Sutton would make his ring return at the Olympia in Liverpool on June 20.
However, that show has now been scrapped and the fight has been moved to Manchester Velodrome on July 11 as part of a card that sees Terry Flanagan and Jose Zepeda contensting the vacant WBO world lightweight strap.
