On Wednesday 13th February 2013, a Scotland select competed against the British Army boxing team within the A.T.R (Army Training Regiment) Winchester, Hampshire, England. The 700 spectators in the crowd were to be treated to a feast of pulsating action as both teams locked horns in the latest ABS v British Army dual.
Bout 1 – Christian Flynn (Army) v Brian Forsyth (Sco)
First up for the Scotland select was Brian Forsyth. With the Army’s Flynn looking more like a Super Heavy then a Light Heavy, the Army boxer came out from the opening bell looking to land big hooks on Brian. However, Brian remained composed under the onslaughts and found success early with quick feet and solid uppercuts and hooks at close range. The crowd were on their feet as both boxers traded at close-mid range, both delivering and taking big shots. As the Army boxer started to tire towards the end of the second, Brian saw his opportunity and unleashed accurate quick fire attacks with both hands, forcing Flynn to clinch to survive the onslaught. A battle of courage ensued in the final round, with Brian taking it too his big opponent, neatly using angles to dismantle the guard of Flynn. Flynn was clearly tiring as Brian kept the momentum to the final bell, showing the crowd the added weapon of true Scottish heart. On the sounding of the final bell, the crowd rose to their feet to applaud the gladiator spectacle they had just witnessed. Unfortunately the Army boxer took the majority decision, however many thought Brian had just done enough with the more accurate punching – a top performance by Brian never the less.
Winner – Christian Flynn (Army)
Bout 2 – Craig Beasley (Army) v Josh Sandford (Sco)
Next up for Scotland was Josh Sandford against the Army’s Craig Beasley. With this being Josh’s first Scotland select call up, coupled with the fact he is still a Youth, the Army felt confident going into the bout. However, within 30 seconds of the opening bell, Josh captured the attention both of his opponent and the crowd. Displaying sound ring craft that defied his years, Josh set traps all over the ring to lure his opponent into his scoring range. Then, showing great adaptability, Josh switched tactics by taking the front foot initiative switching his attacks to head and body. Beasley showed his toughness and resilience, trying to close Josh down and apply his more mature stature on the Youth boxer. However, throughout the bout Josh displayed his enviable natural attribute of throwing definitive scoring punches whilst on the move, continuously catching his opponent off guard. Without needing to set his feet, Josh could fire and score with both hands, cunningly moving into space after landing to attack again from the blind angle. There could have only been one winner at the end of this contest, with Josh also picking up the coveted ‘best boxer’ of the evening award.
Winner – Josh Sandford (Sco)
Bout 3 – Thomas Barry (Army) v Robert Forrest (Sco)
In the third bout before the interval Scotland’s Robert Forrest was up against the Army’s Barry, who had only been defeated twice in over 20 contests. The first round witnessed Barry attempting to control the ring with his long range style of boxing, but Robert immediately deployed a positive defence and walked Barry down, edging into close range and launching clear rear hand bent arm counters. It was clear to see Robert was breaking the rhythm of Barry’s favoured tactic, evasively rolling under the lead hand of Barry then throwing bent arm punches to both head and body. Robert began to feel the pace of the bout at the half way point, giving the Army boxer the opportunity to take the momentum and launch successful combinations piercing the guard of the Scotsman. The final stages of the contest saw both boxers unleash everything they had in their arsenal, with toe to toe action which saw the crowd rise to their feet once again. On the final bell, nothing could separate the pair, with both sharing the initiative during the contest. However, to the delight of Robert and the Scotland corner, the Scotsman edged the decision most probably gained from the more accurate punches in the first round.
Winner – Robert Forrest (Sco)
Bout 4 – Joe Marchant (Army) v Dennis Broadhurst (Sco)
After the interval Scotland’s Dennis Broadhurst locked horns with the Army’s tall Marchant. Dennis made a solid start, adopting his trademark high tight guard looking for the openings to launch his effective bent arm punches. Marchant chose to defend using his feet, moving in and out of range in order to avoid the punches coming from Dennis. As with the previous contests, the atmosphere from the crowd and the passion in both boxers meant exchanges were being made at close quarters as both boxers attempted to break their opposite number down. However, due to the offensive nature of the bout and the clash of styles, both boxers received warnings for fouling during the second round. Luckily this did not hamper the initiative Dennis was gaining as the contest matured, with the Scotsman landing some bone crushing rear hands curved round the side of Marchants guard. In the dying moments Dennis wore his heart on his sleeve and mustered up a final assault to catch the eye of the judges, and it was clear to see he would not leave anything in the ring in his first Scotland vest. Dennis’s will to win was clearly evident to the judges, with the Scotsman getting the nod after another closely fought contest.
Winner – Dennis Broadhurst (Sco)
Bout 5 – Trev Littler (Army) v Iain Trotter (Sco)
Iain Trotter was up next for Scotland, against the Army’s reputable Littler, well known for his tough style and go forward nature. It was evident from the opening bell Littler had not changed his style, pouncing on Iain from the off forcing Iain on the back foot. Iain immediately deployed the correct tactic to nullify Littler’s relentless nature, taking the half step back then pivoting off to the side with the aim of catching the Army man off balance. Iain’s chin and composure was tested from the start, and the Scotsman did not fail in either department. As the contest progressed, Iain showed his grit by meeting Littler at mid-range, with both boxers throwing accurate straight punches on target. During the latter stages of the extremely tough contest, Iain displayed his ability to absorb pressure and create space in which to build his own attack from. The Scotsman never gave up the fight, and pressed his opponent even when pushed into the corner. A very good performance in which Iain will undoubtedly learn and progress from, the Army boxer just had the edge over Iain in the experience department.
Winner – Trev Littler (Army)
Bout 6 – Tommy Leigh (Army) v Grant Quigley (Sco)
he last contest of the evening proved to be the icing on the cake to round off a great night of amateur boxing. Both boxers started as the contest would go on, with Grant and the Army’s Leigh locking horns in the middle of the ring. Grant caught Leigh early on with a shuddering lead hook, but the tough Army man kept his composure and decided to attack in order to defend the hard hitting Scotsman. The crowd were in awe of the spectacle they were witnessing, with both boxers working in top gear in order to create the gaps to score. At the end of the first round, both boxers were feeling the effects of the high tempo action with neither willing to pinch a rest during the whole 3 minutes. The start of the second saw both boxers meet in the centre of the ring again, much to the delight of the crowd. As the round matured however, Leigh started to edge the battle landing the more accurate punches. As the momentum started to sway towards the Army, in a split second Grant delivered a ruthless hurricane of an assault, finishing with a rear hand which shook the Army boxer to his boots. The referee quickly jumped in to give Leigh a standing count, with Grant standing in the neutral corner like a lion about to pounce on his prey. As soon as the eight count finished, Grant pressed on to launch another attack, but the Army boxer was saved by the bell. Going into the final round, Grant knew he now had the upper hand and did not want to give his opponent any more time to recover from the previous attack. Initially though, it looked like Leigh had recovered during the interval, as the Army boxer came out on the offensive. However, Scotland’s Quigley pivoted round his opponent and slipped under Leigh’s attack to initiate another full blown head and body attack. As before, the last rear hand of Grants attack caught Leigh bang on the chin which buckled his legs immediately. Again the referee jumped in to force an eight count, but this time on the count of eight the referee deemed Leigh unfit to continue. Another awe inspiring display by the Scotsman, culminating in Grant retiring the tough Leigh in the final round.
Winner – Grant Quigley (Sco)
Overall result: British Army 2 – Scotland Select 4
Any one of these contests could have topped the bill on any boxing show, with the General of British Army boxing stating it was arguably one of the most exiting boxing events he had witnessed over the years.
Every Scottish boxer delivered top level performances, with each team member displaying the courage and resilience Scottish boxing is renowned for. Well done!
