World Boxing Cup GB Open: England dazzle on Day Three
January 19, 2024 | by Chris Boyd
English boxers displayed their world-class ability on Day Three of the World Boxing Cup: GB Open 2024, guaranteeing at least 14 medals from the tournament.
10 boxers advanced into Saturday’s Finals Day, ensuring they’ll leave with at least a silver medal, whilst Demie-Jade Resztan, Kerry Davis, Chantelle Reid and Olivia Holmes bowed out of the competition with a bronze medal.
Kiaran MacDonald, Pat Brown and Lauren Mackie can still earn themselves gold, as they compete in round robins in their weight categories.
Day Three began with a frantic all-English affair, as Savannah Stubley (Empire SoB) and Demie-Jade Resztan (New Astley) competed for a place in the female, Under 50kg final.
Following a first close round Resztan tried to force the issue in the final two but Stubley, boxing off the back foot, landed a great uppercut and clean backhands to win the eyes of the judges and take the bout by a 3-2 split decision.
Lauren Mackie picked up where she left off on Day Two with an impressive unanimous decision victory over Wales’s Zoe Andrews at Under 54kg.
The Burton Park boxer kept finding the target with superb straight backhands, marrying them up with three and four-punch combinations to continue her hot streak in the competition.
Despite insisting he wasn’t at his sharpest, Jack Dryden (Washington) beat Mahmoud Al Chabtoun of the Netherlands via a unanimous decision in their Under 57kg contest.
The Tyne, Tees & Wear boxer controlled the ring throughout, displaying great head movement and landing crisp shots – much to the delight of his fans in the stand.
Acocks Green’s Lucy Kings-Wheatley faced Lena Buchner of Germany for a spot in the female, Under 60kg final.
Kings-Wheatley’s ring awareness was on show as she consistently slipped out of trouble whilst point-scoring. A perfect backhand down the middle in the final round ensured she advanced via a unanimous decision.
It was then the turn of Shona Whitwell (St Ives) as she boxed another German in Felicitas Ganglbauer at Under 60kg.
Whitwell showcased her great jab throughout the nine-minute bout as she kept Ganglbauer at bay. Despite receiving a standing eight count in the final round, Whitwell advanced to the final via a unanimous decision victory.
Small Heath’s Kerry Davis was handed a very tough bout against two-time Olympian Athenya Bylon of Panama.
The Under 75kg boxers produced an entertaining contest as Davis used her jab well to set traps against the Panamanian, delivering a lovely bank hand shot in the final round.
Ultimately, Bylon’s experience showed, and the judges picked up on it, awarding her the decision unanimously.
Cindy Ngamba (Halliwell) and Chantelle Reid (Kode Red) met in the other Under 75kg semi-final and the sparring partners brought the heat.
Ngamba, well-known for her high intensity, applied pressure through fast flurries which forced Reid to box on the back foot. It was Ngamba’s great shot selection that caught the judges’ eye earning her a unanimous decision victory and a place in the final representing the Refugee Boxing Team.
Last up for England in the afternoon session was Moss Side Fire’s Patrick Brown, as he met Paris 2024 Olympian Adam Olaore of Nigeria at Under 92kg.
Brown entered the contest with laser focus and laser-like accuracy, flooring Olaore with a huge left hook early in the first round. Another heavy left forced a standing eight count in the second before another in the third round forced the referee to stop the contest.
Six English boxers were set for action in the evening session, with Rotunda ABC’s Olivia Holmes first up against Maud Van der Toorn of the Netherlands.
Holmes held the centre of the ring well across the three rounds, landing impressive combination punches at times. However, it was Van der Toorn’s outside work that the judges admired, handing her the victory unanimously.
Elise Glynn (West Warwicks) had a significant height advantage over her German opponent Canan Tas and she made great use of it.
Glynn peppered Tas with punches whilst working the outer circle and attacked her whenever she came into range, dampening a vocal German support to take a unanimous decision victory.
Billingham’s Joe Tyers found himself in a bout of the day contender, fuelled by a raucous crowd in support of the Englishman and his German opponent Assan Hansen.
A fast-paced contest saw it all to play for in the third round, but Tyers landed great combinations and a huge right hand to rock the German and take the victory by a 3-2 split decision.
Next up was southpaw Patris Mughalzai, as he faced Mongolian Tulga Oyunbaatar in an Under 63.5kg semi-final.
The Powerday Hooks boxer showed quick hands off the backfoot, hitting on the move throughout to win over all five judges to cruise to victory.
Essex University’s Lewis Richardson earned a unanimous decision victory over the Czech Republic’s Kelvin Soquessa in the penultimate English bout.
The Under 71kg southpaw was elusive throughout, displaying superb footwork to land impressive backhands with few consequences.
Ramtin Musah (Beartown) defeated Ben Ehis of Germany via a unanimous decision to advance into the male, Under 80kg final.
Musah caught the eye with some heavy flurries, landing a memorable uppercut alongside big shots to leave the judges with no doubts.
Kiaran MacDonald (Sunderland ABC) and George Crotty (Royal Navy) both received walkover victories after their opponents withdrew from the competition.
Tickets
Saturday 20th January’s World Boxing Cup: GB Open Finals Day is sold out! Please do not travel without a ticket.
You can also follow all the action live via BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app as well as both GB Boxing and World Boxing’s YouTube channels.
Where to watch?
Saturday 20th January: 11:00-14:00 GMT and 17:00-20:00 GMT –
BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app
The event is delivered by England Boxing in association with World Boxing and GB Boxing and is supported by the National Lottery, UK Sport and Sheffield City Council.
For results, interviews and behind-the-scenes content, visit England Boxing’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter channels.
