PERFECT TEN
The impressive Haringey Box Cup event celebrates its 10th anniversary at Alexandra Palace this weekend. Not to be missed
ONE of the best and certainly the biggest event of the domestic calendar celebrates its 10th anniversary. The Haringey Box Cup takes place over a long weekend from Friday June 16 to Sunday June 18 at Alexandra Palace. The scale of the show is increasingly spectacular, with about 500 boxers expected to enter this year’s competition, at all levels, from novice and youth to elite, five rings will be in action simultaneously at the Great Hall at Alexandra Palace.
The Haringey Box Cup boasts a proud history. Three Olympic gold medallists, Anthony Joshua, Nicola Adams and Katie Taylor have boxed in it at earlier stages of their amateur careers.
Joshua said, “The Haringey Box Cup is so important for your development as an amateur. I was lucky enough to win it twice and it gave me a taster of what the big international tournaments are like; you have to make weight every day, you have to box up to three times in three days, often against a variety of styles and in front of a big crowd. It’s a true representation of the types of competitions you’ll be experiencing at a later stage of your career and an experience you’d be hard pushed to replicate at the earlier stages of your career.”
Adams boxed for the Haringey club itself. She says, “My memories of boxing in the Haringey Box Cup are obviously winning gold. It was an exciting time, an exciting moment for me.”
Olympic silver, World bronze, European gold and Commonwealth gold medallist Joe Joyce has also boxed in the event.
Chris Eubank Jnr had the final bouts of his amateur career at the Haringey Box Cup, vaulting the top rope in his father’s familiar style on his way to winning the gold medal.
In the past countries from as far afield as Nepal and Mongolia have entered.
“We’ve had a few Olympians, they were in the Box Cup before they went to the Olympics,” Haringey’s Brian John said. “You can see someone’s got potential. But Olympic gold and world champion it’s a big ask for anyone at an early stage in their career.
“It’s few and far between who make it to the top. We’ve had some good ones come through.”
The event is massive now but it wasn’t easy to get it started. “It was a struggle [at first] but every year there have been more and more clubs and now we’re fighting them off. It filled up in minutes this year,” John continued.
This year, for the first time, England have entered a team, the Youth team that will going to the Youth Commonwealth Games later this year so look out for them.
Tickets can be bought on the door, either a one day pass for £15 or a three day pass on the first day (Friday) for £35, which when you consider the sheer volume over contests over the long weekend is extreme value for money. Also you can purchase tickets in advance online at www.alexandrapalace.com.
Full credit and huge respect should go to the small team at Haringey Boxing Club, including Ken Marsh, Gerry Wilmott, Terri Kelly and Brian John, who founded the event and have kept it going bigger and better each time for 10 years.
Here’s to the next decade.