Phoenix boxing show is a big hit with fans at the Nevis Centre
LOCHABER Phoenix Boxing Club held their latest home show at the Nevis Centre recently and it proved a big hit for the local supporters and the boxers.
Ten local boxers featured on the 12-bout bill.
Top of the bill was local senior welterweight Adam Watson who was on a revenge mission against Elgin’s Scottish Intermediate Champion Charlie Lynott, who defeated Watson on his way to winning the title.
Both boxers showed in rounds one and two that they are approaching open class status as they tried to maneouvere the other into a position to land their heavy artillery whilst defending soundly.
The camps from Elgin and Lochaber both knew that going into the last a big round in their boxers’ favour would be enough to clinch victory.
Watson was the man who had the composure to do just that, finding a home for his signature backhand uppercut to shake Lynott to his core.
The follow-up attack floored the Elgin man and though he made it to his feet Watson continued to attack with smart punch picking and take home the honours via a unanimous points decision and Best Boxer of the Night award.
Fourteen-year- old Cameron Whyte put an exclamation mark on his superiority over everyone else in Scotland in his weight division as he convincingly outpointed Scotland’s number two Marc Johnstone from Forgewood.
Whyte has now been Scottish champion for four years, and while Johnstone is a tremendous talent, he had no answer to the terror from Spean Bridge in the opposite corner.
It was a virtuoso performance from Whyte.
Eighteen-year- old Lee Bruce engaged in a war of attrition with Forgewood’s Keiron Burke.
Bruce had defeated the Motherwell lad after a war last month and looked to be on his way to victory again after a strong opener but in the second and third his enthusiasm at times counted against him as he at times smothered his own work allowing Burke opportunities to land some clean counters.
The local camp were hopeful of the decision but the split went to Burke after another cracker.
Fifteen-year- old Dan Nixon has not had the rub of the green in his most recent outings but showed what hard work, dedication and no shortage of talent can do as the performance that he has been threatening to produce came to fruition against Forgewood’s Shane Young.
Young had bested Nixon last month but this time had no answer to the lightning sharp attacks and clever counters of Nixon, who showed the vast experience of someone who has been in the boxing gym for five years learning his trade.
Nixon collected the Best Young Boxer of the Night trophy.
Both Ewan Easson and Robert MacDonald looked unfortunate not to take anything from their bouts against Insch’s Jimmy Laing and Keir Hardie’s Jack Moore respectively.
Max Derbonovs, 12, participated in a spirited exhibition