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England call-up for boxing stars

12/ 3/2008

STUNNING displays by two Darnhill and Heywood Boxing Club fighters have earned them an international call-up.

Nicky Pemberton and Kildare Ward caught the eye of national coach Mick Gannon at the Royal Navy Golden Gloves finals, held in Knottingley, Leeds, last Saturday.

The two boxers will make their England debut in the Three Nations Tournament to be held over two days - 11th and 12th April - in Sheffield.

There were mixed fortunes for the Darnhill duo, in closely-fought contests, as Pemberton took the Class 2 66kg title and Ward was edged out in the 46kg category.

Ward was first up against Repton ABC’s John King and entered the ring to cheers from more than 100 family and friends of the two boxers, who had come to support.

In the first round, Ward, a pressure fighter forced King onto the ropes with an excellent double jab, straight right combination.

King, though, showed great footwork to step to his right and back into the centre of the ring.

Ward closed in again and caught King with a couple of right hands but, once again, the lateral movement from the Repton boxer was good and he whipped in a series of hooks as he stepped from side to side.

In the second, King was catching Ward on the way in but the Darnhill lad was prepared to take one to give one and it was becoming a great tactical fight - Ward’s go-forward, King the slippery counter-puncher.

In the final round Ward upped the tempo and started to get closer to his opponent and land hooks to head and body. King continued to step from side to side and change the angles and was also landing uppercuts and hooks.

This was an outstanding bout with two young boxers giving their all. It was a tense finale but, to the disappointment of the Heywood following, King’s hand was raised.

Despite the electrifying atmosphere, Pemberton looked calm and collected as he entered the ring to take on Bedworth Ex-Service ABC’s Gino Jones.

Pemberton came out doubling the jab and immediately knocked Jones’s head back. Jones replied with a one-two but the Darnhill boxer’s guard was tight and the shots were blocked.

Jones was a strong, stocky lad and was looking to land a big right hand, but Pemberton was in great shape and showed excellent footwork, pushing away and landing his own left hook.

Jones looked tense coming out for the second and Pemberton sensed this and hit him with a straight one-two-three. Jones, though, pushed on and found a way through with a solid one-two of his own.

Pemberton kept flicking the jab out, unsettling Jones’s rhythm but he still came forward throwing one-twos.

It was a close call going into the last and both boxers looked to land big shots. Pemberton’s fast combinations and accuracy was beginning to pay off as he caught his opponent square on with a flurry of one-twos.

Jones wanted it badly and refused to take a backward step, catching Pemberton with some heavy hooks.

Once again it was an outstanding fight and worthy of a Golden Gloves final. There was a hush as the crowd waited but a roar went up when Pemberton was given the verdict.

Darnhill and Heywood head coach Stuart Hampton was delighted with the efforts of both boxers and paid tribute to them and those behind the scenes who have contributed to their success. He said; "It’s been a roller-coaster ride for these two young boxers and to get an England call-up has topped it all off.

"I would like to thank coaches Jamie Dunn, Mark Haynes and retired coach and club founder Mick Rosser for all their hard work. Mick was my mentor and I’m sure he’ll be over the moon to see these achievements."

Closer to home Ali Afzal fought Middleton Select’s Nial Walsh.

Afzal delivered some eye catching one-twos and fast jabs in the first, while Walsh was cagey and threw big hooks.

In the second, Walsh closed Afzal down and the Darnhill man was caught by the hooks. Afzal decided to stand and trade shots but this was to his opponent’s advantage.

In the third Afzal got back to what he knows best and countered Walsh on the way in with left hook-right hand combinations.

Both boxers tired and spent the last 15 seconds standing toe to toe in the centre of the ring. This was a hard, close fight but Afzal took a majority decision.

Nathan Farrell faced Roch ABC’s Ewen Cunliffe, in Preston.

Cunliffe came out trying to take the centre of the ring, edging forward with straight one-twos. Farrell’s boxing skills off the back foot and sharp counter punching was working well.

In the second, Farrell’s right hook-left hand combinations, out of a southpaw stance, worked well and he caught Cunliffe on the way in.

The Roch lad, though, was compact and strong, working very hard to set a high pace.

In the final round, Farrell pushed forward and Cunliffe wasn’t as effective on the back foot.

The Heywood lad caught him with a couple of straight lefts to force a standing count.

Cunliffe battled hard but Farrell’s counter punching and accuracy won him a unanimous decision.

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