A QUARTET of Ellesmere Port boxers got a taste of the big time when they fought at Liverpool’s Echo Arena on Saturday.
Three fighters from Vauxhall Motors ABC were joined by Golden Star’s Chris Bartley as Merseyside and Cheshire crowned its senior novice ABA champions.
All four had the honour of fighting at one of British boxing’s most impressive venues, which also staged the GB Amateur Championships over the weekend.
The Vauxhall club, based in Little Sutton, finished the day with one win and two defeats.
In the class B section, for boxers who have fought 20 bouts or under, a cracking contest saw Vauxhall’s Jamie Kelly, 22, overcome Rotunda’s Adam Jones at 51kg.
Vauxhall chairman Peter Phelan said: “Jamie’s extra maturity worked in his favour. It made a big difference and it was a great win.”
But in class A, for boxers with 10 fights or less, Skelmersdale’s big hitting Kyle Rabaca forced the third-round stoppage of Vauxhall’s Myles Tunstall in a 71kg match-up. Rabaca took the wind out of Tunstall’s sails by catching him with excellent body shots in each of the opening two rounds.
At the age of 17, Vauxhall’s David Sheils was only just old enough to take part in the competition. He came up against the bigger, stronger Sean Dodd (Birkenhead Venture) at 63.5kg and was retired by his corner in the second round.
Phelan said: “David’s only a young lad. His entry into the competition was a learning curve in itself.”
The Vauxhall chairman added: “When we first walked in to the Echo Arena, we were like kids in a sweet shop. Everyone was buzzing. It was a great experience.”
Ellesmere Port was also represented in Liverpool by Golden Star ace Bartley, who lost a 15-6 points decision to Paul Gubb (Marsh Lane) at 57kg.
The 18-year-old King Street resident was six years younger than his more experienced opponent and put in a brave display.
Golden Star head coach Carl Teasdale said: “I was very proud of him. It was quite an ordeal for him to make the weight – he weighed in at 56.7kg. But it was a great experience and to fight in the Echo Arena was brilliant.”
The next stage of the ABA Senior Novice Championships sees the Cheshire and Merseyside winners go to Coventry to fight the best boxers from the Midlands division.
