Scotland finish the Bring Back Boxing Home International Series in style with a convincing win over a strong Northern Ireland team.
Bringing the curtain down on a hugely successful Home International series boxing fans packed Meadowbank to see Scotland’s Youths and Juniors take on their counterparts from Northern Ireland. Following the first 13 bouts, local hero and Commonwealth silver medallist Josh Taylor maintained his impressive run of form with a convincing victory over former GB and 7 time Irish champion James Fryers.
Setting the tone for Scotland was the diminutive Davie Burrel from Doonvalley ABC who took a close contest after two countbacks against Donegal’s Darryl Morgan. The second bout featuring Kelty’s Donald Stewart was just as close but this time the countback went in favour of Northern Ireland. Jack Brunton, making his Scottish debut from Denbeath ABC in Fife, was unlucky to lose by a single point to Jason McKay and his teammate Darran Pollock was saw off an impressive challenge from Greenock’s Aidan Gough by the same margin.
Having won three bouts in a row Northern Ireland were looking good until Cumbernauld’s Andrew Tham started a five in a row win for Scotland. The Broadwood ABC boxers comfortable win over Neil McClurkin was followed by the Barn’s Aidan McGlynn who out-boxed his taller opponent Chris Durning. Forgewood’s Reece McFadden proved too quick and clever for Kurt Walker and Greenock’s Sam Ball made light work of Sean Higginson in the 54kg category. In the same weight Midlothian ABC’s Scott Brown didn’t give Gerard Callaghan a moment to settle and caught him with a vicious right in the opening exchanges. Callaghan managed to throw a few more punches before his corner threw in the towel. Brown had the fight won in 1minute 10seconds. Taking that as a marker, Coatbridge’s Mark McKeown from the Barn ABC dispatched Stephen Mullholland 30 seconds into round two after a string of jabs brought an early end to Mulholland’s challenge.
Robert Preece halted Scotland’s winning run edging a very close contest with Greenock’s top prospect Robbie McKechnie as Preece just manages to emerge strongest in the final round. Local boy Kevin Skey boxing out of Lochend had the crowd of 500 on their feet for a fabulous contest with Belfast’s Enda Kennedy. Kennedy had the height advantage and did his best to keep Skey at long range to avoid Skeys vicious body assaults. Despite this both boxers reached double figures in points scored and much to the dismay of the partisan crowd Kennedy took the bout by a single point.
In the penultimate bout senior boxers Alferdo Meli and Lewis Akinlami squared off with the Northern Irishman taking Akinlami to an 8 count and dominating throughout against the tiring Scot. That result put Northern Ireland within one bout of levelling the contest but there was only ever going to be one winner as Josh Taylor squared up against James Fryers. The crowd lifted the roof off Meadowbank and with former champions; Ken Buchanan, Alex Arthur, and Kenny Anderson looking on Taylor looked unbeatable against a strong Irish champion. The grandstand finished ended an excellent day for Scottish boxing as they defeated Northern Ireland 8 6 but more importantly discovered a wealth of young talent ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
For more information and image requests please contact Owen O’Leary on 07815 992658 or email owen@ohreally.co.uk
For further info on the Bring Back Boxing Home International series and future Amateur Boxing Scotland events please visit www.amateurboxingscotland.co.uk
Notes to Editors
The Bring Back Boxing Home Internationals are organised to support the development of young Scottish boxers ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. They feature Scottish selections in junior, schoolboy and youth age groups across various weight divisions. In the series of four Home Internationals, Scotland were victorious three times defeating boxers from Sweden, Wales and Northern Ireland while narrowly losing to an experienced English selection.
Amateur Boxing Scotland are the national body for promotion and development of amateur boxing within the country and beyond.
Our aim is to build the popularity of the sport and increase awareness of boxing on a local, regional and national level. We are looking to promote the positive nature of boxing which includes the social aspects, health and fitness and competitive nature which we hope will ultimately produce more boxers and more success at championship events.
A Development Commission is in place to oversee this and focuses on increasing investment and improving the structure of development to allow more boxers to progress to an international standard with a particular emphasis being placed on the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.
The bout results were as follows –
1996
36kg David Burrel (SCO) bt Darryl Moran (N.IRE)
39kg Padraig Mackle(N.IRE) bt Donald Stewart (SCO)
42kg Jason Mc Kay (N.IRE) bt Jack Brunton (SCO)
48kg Darran Pollock(N.IRE) bt Aidan Gough SCO)
50kg Andrew Tham (SCO) bt Neil Mc Clurkin (N.IRE)
50kg Aidan Mc Glynn (SCO) bt Chris Durning (N.IRE)
1995
46kg Reece Mc Fadden (SCO) bt Kurt Walker (N.IRE)
54kg Sam Ball (SCO) bt Sean Higginson (N.IRE)
54kg Scott Brown (SCO) bt Gerard Callaghan (N.IRE)
1994
57kg Mark Mc Keown (SCO) bt Stephen Mulholland (N.IRE)
57kg Robert Preece(N.IRE) bt Robbie Mc Kechnie (SCO)
1993
57kg Enda Kennedy(N.IRE) Kevin Skey (SCO)
-
75kg Alferdo Meli (N.IRE) bt Lewis Akinlami (SCO)
Elite 60kg Josh Taylor (SCO) bt James Fryers (N.IRE)
