ANDY Jones’ dream of European Championship boxing glory was ended by the best amateur super heavyweight on the planet.
But the 25-year-old of Deva Police Community Amateur Boxing Club admitted it was not until after Sunday’s preliminary-round reverse to Russian Denis Sergeyev in Liverpool that he realised he had gone toe-to-toe with the Amateur International Boxing Association world and European number one.
Three-time defending Welsh Amateur Boxing Association champion Jones, who sits 10th in the British rankings, said: “My brother has just been doing a bit of digging about him on the internet and we’ve discovered he is the world and European number one.
“I knew he had just been crowned Russian champion but I didn’t know just how good he was.
“Once I got in the ring with him I could tell he was very good, though. He was strong, clean and clever and he picked up on little things people I’ve fought before haven’t.
“It was only my third international for Wales so I knew I had drawn the short draw. I just didn’t realise how short it was.”
In what was Sergeyev’s 176th contest, he was beating Jones, in his 21st, 5-2 on points at the Greenbank Sports Academy when the Spanish official called a halt to proceedings.
But Jones felt he could have fought on. The water board worker said: “I got caught with a straight right hand and the ref gave me an eight count.
“I got up on my feet and told him I was okay but he said that was that.”
Jones is now lining up his first club bout for Deva since moving from Shotton ABC.
Deva, based at the impressive new Deva Academy on the Central Trading Estate, Marley Way, Saltney, aims to provide facilities where members, young and old, can develop their skills, improve their fitness and forge new friendships.
For information on the Deva club, contact Mark Shepherd on 07809540869 or e-mail markshep@fsmail.net
