YOUNG GUNS
Sains leads youthful charge at London finals, writes Daniel Herbert
THERE was a bit of everything when the London Elite finals were held at the Five Star club gym – an absolute cracker, a worrying knockout, one boxer disqualified with two others going close to the same fate, and an unfortunate firstround injury ending.
Whatever happens at national level (next stop the pre-quarterfinals this weekend in Banbury), three impressive youngsters won their first capital crown in the senior ranks, including Jimmy Sains at middleweight. The Repton entry’s 4-0 points victory over Charlie Roche (Islington) was by far the best bout, with no quarter given or taken for nine blistering minutes. Sains let both hands go from the start, winning round one clearly and then wobbling Roche with a right-left for a standing count in the second.
But Roche battled back and made Sains take a count in the last, although when Jimmy put his hand on the deck it seemed more a case of being off-balance. And Charlie pushed his man back in the closing stages, as Sains – in his first bout up at this weight – felt the pace.
Roche had outpointed Jurrell Patterson (White Hart Lane) on a 3-2 split in their semi-final on November 18.
The other two former junior champions coming through were stylish southpaws Billy Adams and Patris Mughalzai, albeit in contrasting fashion.
Dagenham’s Adams had beaten Adem Bencheman on his October 15 Daggers club show, when the Stonebridge boxer was cut in the last – and Billy repeated the feat with a unanimous victory here. Bencheman was game enough, but Adams used his superior speed to land sharp jabs and left crosses.
Mughalzai, from Powerday Hooks, boxed smartly in the early going against Fahad Salum, giving the Limehouse BA man a count with a good shot. But an accidental head clash left Mughalzai with a swollen and cut nose, prompting referee Jumbo Basi to stop it with 1-25 gone. It went to points for the Hooks boxer with a 4-1 split.
Both had won a semi two days earlier: Salum 5-0 over Byron Cox (Dale Youth) and Mughalzai on an injury stoppage over Jiyan Oguz (Finchley).
Limehouse had a winner at welterweight, where Marius Potop scored a crushing secondround KO of southpaw Timon Asiama-southgate (Afewee).
On the bell to end round one, a right hand made Asiama-southgate lurch alarmingly, but he was in his own corner and managed to find his stool. He came out for round two, only for several clubbing rights to send him crashing down. Referee Hilary Lissenden waved it off immediately and oxygen was administered before Timon thankfully was able to rise.
A spirited women’s 51kgs final saw Terri Naylor (Fight For Peace) win unanimously over Alexandra Richards (LCB), who took a count from a left hook in the last.
Mitchell Asare (White Hart Lane) won at 64 kgs when Repton’s Amo Singh (Repton) was disqualified in round three.
Singh was 2019 London runnerup at 52 kgs before entering the ill-fated 2020 championships at 56 kgs. Now up two whole divisions, he met an opponent who looked much more muscular at the weight.
Asare, who stopped Keith Fearon-wilson (Selby) in round three of their semi-final on November 18, forced the action against Singh, whose flighty style is possibly suited to lower weights.
It quickly became messy and in round two referee Brian John twice dished out a public warning to both for headwork. When Singh received a third warning for “head” in the last it was all over at 2-10.
There was nearly another “DQ” in the heavyweight show-closer when Tyrieq Campbell (Repton) was warned by Mr John for holding in round two and again in the last against ELBA’S Jack Daly, who forced a count with a big left hook late on, to clinch a deserved unanimous win.
Daly had outpointed Deevorn Miller (Double Jab) 5-0 in their November 18 semi-final.
Winning at 86 kgs was recent Irish finalist (at 80 kgs) Tommy Hyde, with the Bodyshots club in Dartford. Hyde, son of Irish pro manager Gary Hyde, outboxed strong Taiwo Mosoru (Omnibus Loxford) for two rounds and survived a scare in the last when a right hook brought him a count. Hyde won a 3-0 decision.
There were walkovers for Yusuf Thamim (Haringey) at 52 and Omar Augustine (Earlsfield) at 81. There was no entry at 49 or 91&.