Elgin Amateur Boxing Club's Corey Rizza clinches Scottish Youth Championship title while two more Moray boxers progress in national ring
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
IT could hardly have been a more successful weekend for Elgin Amateur Boxing Club.
While one of the club's fighters who turned professional last year won his latest bout, three more won at the Boxing Scotland Youth and Elite Championships in Motherwell.
It was glory for Corey Rizza in the Scottish Youth Champiosnhips final against Rob Roy rival Shoaib Anaib, much to the delight of head coach Paul Gordon.
"Corey had to move up from 75 kgs to 80kgs and the guy he boxed had come down to 80kg, so you can imagine there was a big weight difference," Gordon said.
"But to be honest Corey boxed probably one of the best fight of his life.
You have a big guy coming towards you with some power behind him and Corey matched him like-for-like and then added some skills to it as well.
"For me it was the best fight I’ve seen him in and it just proves to me he is maturing more and more as a fighter.
"Now he is an open champion."
The club's success in the Scottish Open Championships continued into elite level when Arran Devine marched on into this weekend's semi-finals after an epic victory over a Gala opponent.
Multiple Scottish champ Fraser Edwards also did his club proud with a split decision victory in the quarter-finals of his Elite 71kg category.
However, Edwards hopes of adding another title to his collection were dashed when he was forced to retire from the competition undefeated after sustaining a perforated eardrum.
Devine will be joined in elite semi-final action this weekend by former Commonwealth Games fighter Megan Gordon, who takes on Rob Roy's Kelsey Hughes at the Ravenscraig Sports Centre.
Megan's father, club head coach Paul had a busy weekend of travel as took his fighters to Glasgow last Friday then returned north to Inverness for another one of his boxers, Fraser Wilkinson in his pro bout at the Ironworks.
That resulted in a resounding victory by technical knockout in the first round, and allowed Gordon to head straight back down the road in a positive mood to see his amateur fighters continue to enhance their careers.
"It was meant to be a tough test for Fraser, a step-up in opponents over six rounds - and he blasted the guy out," Gordon said.
"He boxed fantastically well. This was one of those fights that could’ve gone either way so Fraser really did pull it out of the bag."
Speaking about RAF boxer Arran Devine's quarter-final against Gala's Jack Grieve, Gordon added: "The guy he faced had an engine to get on him but as it came to the second round, Aaron started to put his shots together.
"He was putting the pressure on and although it was close until the end, Aaran just edged his way through."
Edwards then defeated Doonhamers' Turpal Ali, who he had also beaten at Scottish intermediate level.
"In the second round, Fraser really got on his toes and hit him with combinations," Gordon said.
"In the last round, Ali came at him, throwing bombs and landing some punches. Credit to Fraser because he took them and it came down to a 3-2 split in favour of Fraser.
"But it was bitter sweet as after the fight he said his ears were ringing like mad.
"As always the safety of the boxer comes first so I took him though to see the doctor and he’s got a perforated ear drum so that rules him out of the opens now.
"It was his first three-round against a tougher opponent and he proved he has the fitness and the skills to carry it through. On that side it is a win-win but on the negative side that is him out of the tournament. It just wasn’t worth the risk."
Gordon said the club is going from strength to strength, not just by producing champion boxers but with the wide range of activities and sessions available at the club.
"Success breeds success and at the moment the club is thriving, so that is brilliant," he said.
Elgin Amateur Boxing Club is doing a home show for Keith Football Club at the town's Royal Hotel on April 1.
A week later they hope to have representation in the Scottish Open finals, with the North District Championships for youth and school ages following a week later.
