CHAMPS OF LONDON
A sequence of good bouts conclude the London Elite championships, writes John Dennen
ILFORD MARCH 25
A SERIES of exciting contests completed the London stage of the National Amateur Championships at the Coliseum Suite in Ilford on Friday.
Two Dagenham boxers impressed. Darren Bailey was sharp, fast and classy when he took on Haringey’s Yusuf Thahmim at 54kgs. Bailey opened up quickly, getting off to a fast start. Roared on by a great crowd of supporters, Thahmin began to get his punches off, putting power into them. Bailey was drawn to trading with him, but he still moved well, bobbing his head down to escape shots and utilising showy footwork. He fired home his punches as he finished well to take a unanimous decision.
Bailey’s clubmate Billy Adams would not let Aymane Bourhfir into their 57kgs final. A southpaw, Adams sent straight punches shooting to the head. He slid in and out of range well as anxiety crept into Bourhfir’s work. A hard left forced the Powerday Hooks boxer back. Working off the ropes, Bourhfir lobbed rights into him. He caught Adams at times but not enough to turn the tide. The Dagenham featherweight won a unanimous decision.
Churchill’s Mala Misthry won the women’s 57kgs division title, beating Repton’s Elizabeth Palmer-couzens. Misthry, a southpaw, got herself too square on, leaving herself open to straight punches through the middle. But she was too determined. Misthry set herself and heaved punches to the body as well as hurling her left over the top. She slowed Palmer-couzens as she worked her way to a split decision win.
There was a strong showing for Repton overall. Their middleweight Jimmy Sains beat White Hart Lane’s Kievdel Dyer to secure the London title.
Repton lightweight Giorgio Visioli was particularly good when he overcame ELBA’S Hamza Hajee-sheriff. Both southpaws, Hajee-sheriff was a towering presence in the ring, blasting long shots down from a distance. But Visioli found his range, darting past Hamza’s jab to harry Hajee-sheriff with flurries to the head. Hajee-sheriff was dangerous throughout but gradually Visioli dictated where the bout was fought, forcing the ELBA boxer to the ropes and taking a unanimous decision.
Repton 54kgs Jay Dujon patiently crept forward as Afewee’s tall Paulina Biernat tried to pin her beneath straight southpaw one-twos. That work limited Dujon’s successes but the Repton boxer countered judiciously and flung her back hand over the top to take a split decision.
White Hart Lane’s Mitchell Asare swarmed over Repton’s Oliver Donovan. He unleased booming hooks at such a rate that Donovan mostly had to cover up. Donovan could fire off his own shots only in brief moments. Asare was unrelenting and hammered hard hooks into the tough Londoner to take a unanimous decision win at 63.5kgs.
Five Star’s Oladimeji Shittu enjoyed a notable result over last year’s Elite finalist Omar Augustine, even though their bout was scrappy. Augustine drove forwards and often the two collided in clinches. But when Shittu could move off to the sides and catch Augustine on the end of long punches. Finding answers in those moments, that work was enough to take a split decision win in the 80kgs London final.
At light-middleweight St. Pancras’
Christian Thomas triumphed after a close duel with White Hart Lane’s Martin Mcdonagh. The latter, a southpaw, darted his left in before bounding away. He pocketed single shots. But Thomas had more explosive power and began to snag Mcdonagh with big hooks. He finished strongly to edge Mcdonagh out on a split decision.
Romford’s Tim Ola progresses at 86kgs, beating Dale Youth’s Tino Bellot. ELBA’S Jack Daly, at the new 92kgs weight, became London champion once again, defeating Peacock’s Demur Macharashvili. Fight For Peace’s
Ram Singh lost by disqualification to
Cameron Mckay. The White Hart Lane boxer was physical and determined, marching into Singh. Ram lost patience. Instead of throwing straight punches and stepping off, he held too often which led to his disqualification.
In a supporting bout LCB’S Ella Harris outworked and unanimously outpointed Repton’s Seema Aggarwal.