Boxam Tournament 2023, day two: Six out of seven for England’s Youth

Team England enjoyed a highly successful second day at the BoxAm Tournament, with six of their seven Youth boxers progressing through to their respective next rounds of the competition.

Jennings Gym’s Monae Smith opened things up for the Three Lions in what was the first bout of the day and went down on a 4-1 split to an experienced Dutch opponent in Gabriella Weerheim.

But it was success all the way for the Youth boxers from then on, with five of the six subsequent triumphs coming by inside the distance in a series of clinical displays.

First, reigning World Champion Amber Moss-Birch cruised to a first-round stoppage victory over Spain’s Carla Pineiro at Under 82kg as the Golden Ring boxer overpowered her opponent.

Joe Turner, of Jennings Gym, was similarly dominant in his Under 51kg encounter, with the corner of Spanish opponent Alberto Alba throwing in the towel in the second round.

The very next bout saw Lionheart’s Owen Ketley take to the ring and he was well on top against Saudi Arabia’s Fawaz Alluhaybi at Under 54kg prior to securing a third-round stoppage.

Denaeo George was next to go and, after forcing two standing eight counts in quick succession, the referee called a first-round halt to his Under 57kg bout with Spain’s Manuel Martinez.

Equally as impressive as his team-mates was Hamilton Joyce, the Under 60kg Camp Detox boxer, who produced a second-round stoppage against Spain’s Oscar Ortega.

It was, however, much tougher for England’s final competitor in the Youth section, Burton Park’s Ellis Panter, as he took on Wales’ Milwyn Lloyd in a Battle of Britain.

He suffered a nosebleed in his encounter, but remained unperturbed to come through and win a hard-fought contest on a 4-1 split decision.

In the Under-22 section, two GB boxers were in action for England, with mixed results.

NACs 2022 winner Kelsey Oakley, of Priory Park, was outpointed by a 4-1 margin at Under 50kg by the host country’s Carmen Ortega.

But Acocks Green’s Lucy Kings-Wheatley, who retained her NACs crown in April, was a third round RSC winner over another Spaniard, Maria Perez, at Under 60kg.

There is just one bout for England’s Youth boxers tomorrow as Emmanuel Buttigieg goes at Under 75kg against Belgium’s Nicolas Feliqi.

However, three GB Boxers representing England are in action in the Under-22 competition in the shape of Sacha Hickey, Hamza Uddin and Ellis Trowbridge.

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