AMATEURS
Lewis Richardson begins the new season in style at Box Cup
Champs crowned at the Celtic Box Cup
THE UK’S middleweight division is stacked with talent but Lewis Richardson is planning on making his mark this season. He started as he means to go on, after winning 75kgs gold at the Celtic Box Cup in Dungarvan, Waterford on October 1.
“It was a good trip. I’ve done the Haringey the last four years running, I’ve done the Eindhoven Box Cup as well last year and I’ve won them but I just wanted to get experience, travelling elsewhere, different opponents, different styles. It was good and a good tournament. I boxed two Irish boxers, both good, they were both different styles, both a good standard as well,” he told Boxing News.
He outpointed Kelyn Cassidy in the semi-final. “I didn’t realise he’d done the under 22 Europeans this summer and he won the Irish senior title as well. He was quite tricky in the end. He was a switch hitter and counterpuncher. I just had to time things well and draw him in. When I gathered his best stance was orthodox, when he was switching to southpaw I tried to apply the pressure a little bit more. To be fair it worked and I had a good last round and that probably won me the fight,” Richardson said.
In the final he tackled Rory O’donaghue who’d moved up from welterweight. “He had a short aggressive style and to be fair that suits me down to the ground, I’m more a counter-puncher anyway. He applies pressure well but I was on my feet quite nicely, moving, creating angles and that so that was quite a comfortable victory in the end,” Lewis explained.
Richardson boxed four times for England last season and took on Olympian Stephen Donnelly in Ireland, losing on points. “It was always going to be tough, a close decision,” he says. “It was another close one. I boxed in March against Sweden, that was a good win. I fought well.”
He also plans to compete in the NABCS. “It’ll be my final year doing them, I’ve won them twice but hopefully get a third title and then start preparing for the ABAS in April after that,” he said. “That’s my goal for this season to win the ABAS.”
He reached the semi-finals of the Elite championships this year, defeating Kelvin Fawaz in the quarter-final. “In the London divisional area, he’d had four and stopped four, something like that. Then he stopped the boy in the pre quarter final. I knew a bit about him, I did my research, it was an awkward fight. He didn’t throw the superman punch! It was good,” Lewis noted.
This year talented GB middleweight Ben Whittaker stood in his way, defeating Richardson in the semi-final of the Elite championships. “We’re both counterpunchers, we both lead off each other, we know each other quite well now. It’s always so close and it’s always so frustrating, so close and yet so far sort of thing. It’s just trying to reach that next tiny level to be able to beat him. I do believe I can. I will have to one day. It’s always tentative and there’s not a lot of punches thrown. We could go for 12 rounds, it’s very mental, a lot of mind games with us two,” Richardson reflected.
“I do feel like I’m up there. Whenever I box Whittaker, it’s really, really close. I actually don’t believe there’s anyone else in England or Great Britain who gives him the troubles I do. Styles make fights at the end of the day. I think I’m his toughest competition. I boxed [ John] Docherty in the GB championships last year, again it was close. I thought I was unlucky. I haven’t met [ Jordan] Reynolds yet but hopefully we’ll meet soon. I believe I’m a match for any of them.” CELTIC BOX CUP ELITE FINALS RESULTS
52: Mark Corcoran (Corinthians) outpd Eder Clervoix (Boxing Canada) unan. 54: Kristy Harris (Boxing Australia) outpd Kellie Mcloudhlin (Drimnagh) unan.
56: Myles Casey (St. Francis) outpd Tiago Lopes (Uniao SC de Mira Sintra) unan.
60: Kellie Harrington (St. Mary’s Dublin) outpd Caroline Veyre (Boxing Canada) split, George Bates (St. Mary’s Dublin) outpd Frankie Cleary (Ballina) split. 64: Thomas Blumenfeld (Boxing Canada) outpd Stephen Mckenna (Old School) split, Joanne Lambe (Carrickmacross) outpd Chaz O’neill (Athlone) split.
69: Kerry Davis (Cheltenham KO) outpd Gardner Moore (Lochend) unan, David Barrett (Rylane) outpd Conor Ivors (St. Francis) split.
75: Caitlinn Parker (Boxing Australia) outpd Tammara Thibeault (Boxing Canada) split, Lewis Richardson (Essex University) outpd Rory O’donoghue (Defence Foreces) split. 81: Anthony Browne (St. Michael’s) outpd Harley David O’reilly (Boxing Canada) split.
91&: Marin Keenan (Rathkeale) bt Thomas Carty (Glasnevin) w/o.
‘I BELIEVE I’M A MATCH FOR ANY OF THEM. MY GOAL THIS SEASON IS TO WIN THE ABAS’