DUNDEE’S Sam Hickey has added to his growing list of accomplishments after being named as the Best Male Boxer of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The 22-year-old won the Middleweight Gold medal in Birmingham, as he won four bouts in eight days against top opposition.
The Lochee boxer started his campaign by defeating Kyghan Mortley of St Lucia via unanimous decision in the preliminary rounds, before a third-round stoppage victory over Nigeria’s Adeyinka Benson in the Quarter-Finals.
But it was his stunning second-round knockout over home favourite Lewis Richardson of England in the Semi-Finals that made the boxing world sit up and take notice of the Scot.
Hickey had lost to his GB teammate on a split decision in the Semi-Finals of the European Championships three months ago in Armenia, as he became the first Scot in 16 years to medal at the senior Europeans.
But it was a very different story in Birmingham, with Hickey walking the English boxer on to a huge straight right hand midway through the second round to score the knockout.
Hickey followed that up with an all-out brawl with Australia’s Callum Peters in the Final, coming out on top with a 3-2 split decision to win the 75kg Gold.
“That’s amazing,” said Hickey on receiving the news this morning.
“There were obviously loads of good boxers in the tournament, but to be named the best is brilliant.
“I put on some good performances, and I think myself and Reese Lynch would have been in the top two.
“The Gold has still not even sunk in yet to be honest.”
Sam’s performances in Birmingham received the praise from Britain’s greatest ever amateur boxer, and fellow Dundonian, Dick McTaggart.
“I watched Sam’s contest and he was fantastic,” said the former Commonwealth, European and Olympic Gold medal winner.
“For someone else from Dundee to win Commonwealth Games Gold is just fantastic.
“Sam looked really good and I’m really proud of him.”
McTaggart won the Commonwealth Games Gold in 1958 in Cardiff, two years after winning the Olympic Games Gold medal in Melbourne, Australia.
“To even be in the same sentence as him is amazing,” added Sam on hearing of McTaggart’s praise.
“I met him as a wee kid, and to emulate him is brilliant.
“If you do even half of his achievement’s you are doing alright.”
Meanwhile, fellow Scot Reese Lynch’s Light-Welterweight Final victory over Richarno Colin of Mauritius was named as the Best Final of the competition.
The 21-year-old outboxed the 35-year-old veteran for the first two rounds, before a dramatic final round which saw the Scot cut and receive a standing count.
However, the Rob Roy boxer had done enough to still take the decision 4-1 from the judges to become the 63.5kg champion.
Sam and Reese were joined at the top of the podium by Light-Heavyweight Sean Lazzerini, as Scotland won three Gold medals at a Commonwealth Games for the first time.