Dozen dazzle for Billericay at boxing show (From Echo)

Dozen dazzle for Billericay at boxing show

3:00pm Thursday 24th January 2013 in Sport By Ryan Goad

BILLERICAY ABC showed off 12 of their junior boxers – including the youngest fighter ever to represent the club – during a show in Basildon.

More than 200 people watched the night of action at the Holiday Inn Hotel with former world champion Terry Marsh on hand to present trophies.

The show started with Billericay’s youngest ever representative – 10-year-old George Liddard – who had a skills bout against Harwich ABC’s Stevie Martin. The home support really got behind the local youngster who showcased the talent which coach Les Cooke says will take him a long way in the sport.

Jim Head also showed real class in a skills bout against Cheshunt’s Harry East. Head, who is a current Essex Metropolitan Novice junior champion, looked good when going forwards and also boxing on the back foot.

Recent Billericay recruit Taylor Hills had a skills bout against Southend’s talented Max Wastell, with both fighters putting on a terrific show which the crowd appreciated.

Jack Mcinerney met the tall and skillfull Frazer Mann, from Harwich, and both showed some great moves and demonstrated how well schooled they were.

Luke Hasson, fresh from his recent call up to box for Essex ABA, came out with a flying start and dominated all three rounds, before taking the win on a unanimous points decision over Zak Lawson from Sudbury Boxing Club.

George Stephenson, who was also coming off of a county representative bout when he travelled up to North London for Essex ABA, met a boxer from the home counties Bletchley ABC.

Stephenson, who has been knicknamed “The Rocket”, showed how he got that name after a lightning fast bout, before taking another win on points.

Shaun Gillam, who only joined Billericay four months ago, has made remarkable progress in the gym, learning to box at range and shoring up his defence.

This all paid off when Gillam took a very comfortable first round on points, before stepping on the gas in the second to give his opponent Ryan Day, from Bury St Edmunds, a standing eight count.

Day’s corner retired their boxer as he could not continue, and Gillam received the joint boxer of the night accolade.

Joseph Molloy, another fighter who switched to the Billericay Gym from Chelmsford, boxed the strong Aaron Virciglio from the Cheshunt club.

Molloy, who is still unbeaten since joining Billericay, put in another fine performance before taking another unanimous points win. Callum Smith, who made the national NABC Championship finals recently, was matched up against Sam Daly, who was also a national finalist.

Daly was a year older than Smith, so this, on paper, was expected to be a tough bout. Smith started fast and got faster as both went toe-to-toe for the complete bout, before receiving a standing ovation from the crowd for their show of fitness, strength and guts.

The home fighter won the points decision, a win and performance that saw him share the boxer of the night award with Gillam. Joe Adams had an opponent change at the last minute, and found himself up against Kanran Najib, from The Fight for Peace club in London. Adams won yet another points decision for Billericay.

Jake Gibson was matched against the current British Three Nations schoolboy champion – Lewis Richson from the Centurians Club in Colchester. Gibson went for it and only missed out winning on a split decision. He will be itching for a rematch in the national Junior ABA championships in March.

Billericay’s new boxer Joe Gonella had another close bout, but was just pipped at the post by Cambridge boxer Charlie Benton.