The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Golden Gloves Ben heading to America
Aberdeen teenage boxing star Ben Bonner has set his sights on a third British title after securing Scottish Golden Gloves glory.
The highly rated 17-yearold defeated Cain ABC’s Zane Lawson in the Youth 2006 67kg Golden Gloves final to secure his third national title.
Granite City ABC star Bonner aims to rack up the title wins to secure a spot at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Bonner is now set to travel to the United States to train in some of the best gyms in world boxing as part of his preparation for a British title shot.
Bonner will travel across the Atlantic with trainer Davie McAllister Jnr and other Granite City ABC fighters to train in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Bonner will spend time training at the legendary Wild Card gym in LA, having previously trained there in 2022. Wild Card is run by ring great Freddie Roach, who trained eightdivision world champion Manny Pacquiao.
Bonner said: “I’m really buzzing to secure the Golden Gloves title. It is a really good achievement as the final was a tough fight against a top opponent.
“That is what I want, to challenge myself against the best of the best. This is my third Scottish title and I’m looking for my third British title in June.”
Boxing great Roach has trained 27 world champions to date and established Wild Card in 1995. World champions Pacquiao, Cesar Chavez Jr, Cotto, Zou Shiming and George St-Pierre are some of the legends to have trained with Roach at the gym.
Bonner said: “I’m off to Las Vegas and Los Angeles in May for a training camp.
“We went to Wild Card in 2022, which was an amazing experience.
“I did pads with Freddie Roach, which was fantastic, and I learned so much.
“Over there they target your body and it is roasting hot as well so you have to adapt to that. Freddie gave me tips on certain ways to throw punches.
“He focused more on movement and things like that. He wanted me moving more instead of standing in the same place and being stiff.”
Bonner is not the only Granite City ABC star to claim Golden Gloves glory as Kai Stitchell won the Scottish Youth 2007 63.5kg title.
Ultimately Bonner aims to represent Scotland at the next Commonwealth Games.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games were due to be held in Victoria, but the Australian state pulled out of hosting the event last year due to rising costs.
Now the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is in advanced talks with other nations to host the games. A back-up plan has been drawn up for the competition to return to Glasgow if talks with other countries fail.
Bonner said: “My ambition is to fight in the Commonwealth Games. Hopefully I can get into the GB squad and win as much as I can in amateur boxing. Then possibly turn pro, those are the main goals.”