BACK IN BUSINESS
Haringey Box Cup returns in style, writes Daniel Herbert
MUSWELL HILL
JUNE 19
AFTER missing two editions because of the COVID pandemic, the Haringey Box Cup returned with plenty of quality action at the Alexandra Palace.
Three days of boxing culminated in 48 finals on Sunday ( June 19), when the simultaneous action in three rings provided something for everyone – upsets, near-upsets, debatable decisions and, encouragingly for the sport, new faces making names for themselves.
Guernsey’s Commonwealth Games selection Billy Le Poullain was given plenty to think about by unheralded Mathis Dalle (White Hart Lane) before prevailing in their 75kgs final.
Le Poullain (Amalgamated) started orthodox and Dalle southpaw, but over the course of the nine minutes both switched stance so frequently it was hard to keep track. For two rounds Dalle’s movement and evasiveness gave the Channel Islander plenty of problems, especially when Mathis landed his left cross. But Le Poullain eventually got his reward in the last when his hurtful punching put two counts on Dalle for a unanimous victory. Also catching the eye was Repton’s Adediji Adegbola, who beat Tobi Lawal (Stonebridge) in an all-southpaw super-heavyweight final that closed the action in Ring C.
When both came out swinging it seemed certain we were in for an early ending – but as it turned out, there wasn’t even a standing count as each steadfastly absorbed the blows the other dished out. Adegbola’s high workrate and more stylish punching proved the difference as he won unanimously.
A desperately close women’s final at 66kgs saw Jem Campbell (Islington) win a 3-2 decision over southpaw Dione Burman that left the Braunstone GG corner distinctly unhappy.
Burman scored well with the left cross, but gradually Campbell got close and forced her to trade in tough exchanges. It really could have gone either way. Campbell, who avenged a loss, was named Best Female Elite Boxer of the tournament.
A 3-2 result came in the 54kgs final, with Hasan Nadeem (Lucky Gloves SOB) getting the nod over Kurt Wiggins (Salisbury).
The day before, Nadeem had eliminated Haringey’s national 52kgs finalist Yusuf Thahmin in the semis, but against Wiggins he seemed second-best for long periods.
The Liverpudlian, recently moved down from 57kgs, conceded height but stayed on the outside and used excellent footwork plus good timing to outbox his opponent. Although Nadeem upped his workrate in the later stages there didn’t seem any doubt the Solly boxer had done enough.
Probably the best contest of the day for sheer technical quality came at 71kgs and saw Ireland’s experienced Dean
Walsh (St Ibars) win 4-1 over Zachary Evans from Priory Park.
Evans never stopped trying but found himself outboxed by an opponent who covered up tightly before opening up with fast combinations. Walsh’s left hook, in particular, was a joy to watch.
The big Irish contingent had other winners, including Paul Loonam and Rhys Owens, both at lightweight. (With no boxer allowed to box more than once a day, weights with more than eight entrants were divided into separate classes).
Loonam, a bronze medallist at the European Under-22 Championships, had a firstround shock when long-limbed Army southpaw Lewis Harvey gave him a count with a left cross. But after that Loonam (Dublin City University) used his fast hands to get on top and a warning for a low shoulder sealed Harvey’s fate as the Irishman won unanimously.
Owens was a 4-1 winner over Dettori Brown (Hoddesdon) in a tactical encounter that never really caught fire. Brown showed some nice moves but waited too long between punching – which allowed the busier Owens to put points on the board with combinations.
Hoddesdon did enjoy a winner in double national champion Ellis Trowbridge, whose stylish southpaw boxing earned him a unanimous victory over Tommy Teers (Amalgamated). Trowbridge has won national crowns this season at 49 and 48 kilos, but this was at 51.
Such is the quality of the Haringey Box Cup that at the same time Trowbridgeteers was happening, another reigning national champion was in action at the other end of the Great Hall in Louie O’doherty.
The Halstead and Essex University light-welter proved too strong for British Columbia Boxing’s Logan Clouthier,
putting a count on the Canadian en route to a unanimous victory.
Oladimeji Shittu (Five Star) won 80kgs gold with a 4-1 points victory over Lucas Roehrig. The Dale Youth boxer put in a big effort, but Shittu used his long arms to tag him on the way in and go 4-0 up in their series!
A bruising 92kgs final saw Jack Daly
(ELBA) edge out Imam Zahmatkesh
(Guildford City) on a 3-2 decision, while quality Irishwoman Aoife O’rourke
(Olympic, Galway) put a count on Demi Carter (Churchills) and stopped her in two rounds at 75kgs.
Best Team prize went to British Columbia Boxing – just ahead of Dublin City University – and Best Club to Impact (Stoke), who won three gold medals. Impact head coach is former pro lightweight Scott Lawton, whose son Lewis Lawton beat Jimmy Dean Wood
(Westree) in the Youth 71kgs final.
UPSETS, NEAR-UPSETS, DEBATABLE DECISIONS AND PLENTY OF NEW FACES