The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Top Yard fighters finish the season with a bang
Top Yard boxers finished the season with a bang over the Jubilee weekend at the Gladstone Park Recreation Centre.
They put on an 11-bout show with six of their own Amir Khan Academy boxers fighting.
British professional boxer Qais Ashfaq was there to support and present the trophies, sponsored by Superchick.
First up was 11-year-old Beanie-Joe Foster, boxing in his first competitive bout. He took on Tzah Sadiq from Far Cotton BC, in a 34kg contest.
This was such a close bout with both boys showing exceptional skill, the decision was a 2-1 split in favour of Sadiq.
Lewis Burton, 11, was up next, taking on Billy Lee from Mid Essex in a 38kg contest.
Burton impressed with his movement and kept it clean and simple with straight shots off the front foot in the first round. The second round showed Lewis could equally land his straight shots.
Both came out fighting in the third, but Lewis landed the cleaner shots and took an impressive win.
Adam Javed, 13, and Charlie Meeks from St Ives battled it out again for the second time in a 46kg rematch that the St Ives lad fancied.
Javed, who had already beaten Meeks at 44kg a couple of months ago, knew he had to put in a solid performance.
Sticking to the game plan from his dad, coach Bilal Javed, the stiff jabs and solid right hand were too much for Meeks as Javed took his second well-deserved victory.
At 56kg, Bobby-James Harris, 15. was up next against another St Ives opponent, Max Ward, in an action-packed bout.
Both boys really wanted it and showed exceptional fitness to throw countless
punches toe-to-toe in all three rounds, but Harris had the stamina and determination to make it a third win for him in as many months.
This was a real crowd pleaser and Harris took the Superchick Fight of the Night award for his performance.
He is a real talent who is improving rapidly.
Top Yard talent and 40kg national champion Aamir Shirazi, 15, moved up to 42kg to take on a national open class finalist, Jayden Louis (Harrow & District).
This was a bout Shirazi really did not have to take at club bout level, but he was eager to take on the challenge from a formidable and accomplished opponent.
Shirazi’s performance was exceptional. Showing his experience, he started cautiously to work out his opponent and then stepped it up a gear in round two.
The third round showed Shirazi in full flow as he claimed a unanimous decision and the Superchick Best Junior Boxer award.
The last fight of the night saw Junayd Ali take on experienced 46 bouter Billy Cowling from South Normanton BC.
Ali had the longer reach and full of confidence he found his rhythm straight away and unleashed a relentless attack.
After taking a standing count in the second round, Cowling tried desperately to close the range but found himself on the end of Ali’s stiff jabs and precise right hands.
The third round was too much for Cowling with the referee giving him another standing count and stopping the fight.
Ali took the Superchick Best Senior Boxer award.