AMATEURS
Kiaran Macdonald is working his way through championships and waiting for his moment
National champs Kiaran Macdonald and George Crotty in focus
BOXING can provide a startling proximity to its star names. When he was just nine years old, inspired by Tony Jeffries’ Olympic feats, Kiaran Macdonald went to Sunderland amateur boxing club. The first thing he saw when he walked through the door was Jeffries sparring Warren Baister.
“I knew Tony Jeffries was from the club I’m at now. He was training for the Olympic Games and it was all over the internet. I was thinking I might try that, have a little look into it. I went down to the gym, Tony Jeffries was in sparring Warren Baister my first day in the gym. It was a bit mind blowing. I just thought I want to be there one day,” Macdonald recalled.
Now Macdonald, just 20 years old, is a two-time England Boxing Elite champion. He is boxing for Great Britain with two events looming in the coming weeks and hopes to be the next boxer to represent Sunderland at the Olympic Games.
“I’m boxing in the Great Britain-china dual November 7 in Sheffield and I’m pending to be in the GB championships in December as well,” he said. “It’ll be good.” The GB championships could see him face Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, Ashley Williams. For the match against China quality opposition is also expected. “I know Olympic bronze medallist flyweight [Hu Jianguan] is coming over. Hopefully it’ll be him,” Macdonald continued. “He boxed Niall Farrell who’s just won European silver.
“He’s good, he’s got sharp hands. He tries to beat you to the punch. But it’ll be either me or Will Cawley fighting him, both of us are fighting, it’s whoever gets the draw.”
“I’m looking to move up, this one fight is at the higher weight because I don’t think they’ve got a light-flyweight,” Macdonald said. “I’ve done a lot at 49kgs, I’ve won the ABAS twice and everything so hopefully looking to move up soon.
“It’s unbelievable, some people just win it once, never mind twice before they’re 20.”
This year he beat Everton Red Triangle’s Connor Butler, a familiar rival, in the final. Previously he edged out Sunny Edwards to win his first senior national title. “It was a good little fight with Sunny. He was expected to go all the way and win it. I upset the cards. I beat Joe Maphosa in the regional round, who was on Great Britain at the time, then I beat Sunny Edwards so I beat two GB boxers before I was on the programme,” he said. “I’ve come on leaps and bounds.”
But there is plenty of competition when it comes to selection for the major tournaments. “It is frustrating but you’ve got to bide your time, keep winning, get the results in,” Macdonald said. “Galal Yafai went to the Olympic Games so you can’t really say anything about it, he’s in that number one spot for a reason because he’s a top level fighter. I’ve just got to keep getting the results in and see what will happen.”
‘I’VE COME ON LEAPS AND BOUNDS’