Elgin Amateur Boxing Club join forces with Lossiemouth United Football Club to stage thrilling fight night
It was a rip-roaring boxing night with 11 competitive bouts and two pulsating exhibition fights.
Elgin Amateur Boxing Club joined forced with Lossiemouth United Football Club to stage a dinner and show at Lossiemouth Town Hall.
Some of Moray’s best fighters pitted their wits against opponents from across the country, much to the thrill of a bumper crowd on the Moray coast.
A non-scoring bouts started the evening with Elgin ABC’s Brodie Pirie and Owen Anderson battling out what one of the judges said was better than most bouts.
The bout also gave Brodie valuable ring time as the following week he boxed at the Perth Railway BC show, beating the home boxer.
For Owen it was his first time in the ring in front of a full-packed venue and he put on a fantastic performance.
A schoolboy bout came next with Elgin’s Austin Richardson taking on a high-paced affair, forcing Cathedral boxer Boyde Valentines against the ropes. The visiting boxer gave as good as he got but there was no complaining when Richardson got his hand raised.
In his second competitive bout, Elgin’s Freddy Gill faced a way more experienced boxer in Harry Clark (Cathedral BC) in a fight that impressed Elgin head coach Paul ‘Ratch’ Gordon.
“If there was any nerves (Freddy) wasn’t showing them as he let the leather flow and attacked the head and body of his opponent,” Gordon said. “Harry using his height and reach used his hooks to great success, but at the bell Freddy had landed more.
“As the bell sounded for the second, Freddy went full steam ahead and Harry tried to counter using his hooks, however this time he went off balance, crashing onto the canvas and damaging his arm. Unable to continue, the decision went to the judges who awarded it to Freddy on a unanimous decision.”
Findlay McKerrel was next in against Toby Cook from Insch BC in a schoolboy 58kg bout.
The home boxer had been involved in two previous non-scoring bouts and could not wait to have his first scoring fight and he wasted no time at all landing combinations and long lead hooks.
Cook showed that he was there for the win, however Findlay pressed on, gave a standing count and even though his opponent showed true guts, the unanimous decision was well deserved for Elgin’s boxer.
Billy Chalmers was next in, having taken a few weeks off for injuries as he took on Gears BC junior boxer Matti Zielinski
Gordon described: “A more technical affair, both boxers used feints and counters to great success.
“Billy looked comfortable in rounds 1 and 2 but in the third, Matti upped the tempo and finished the round strongly. This said, the home team still thought Billy had done enough, however the 3/2 split went towards the away boxer.
Jose Imlach, having had several boxers pull out against him on the build-up to the show, took on the vastly more experienced Luke McDonald from Gears.
“This never bothered Jose one bit and he went about his skilful boxing as always,” Gordon said. “Once again a fantastic bout that could have gone either way but the experienced boxer got his hand raised.
Hayden Windsor returned to the ring after a six-year absence to face Arbroath’s Alfie Roberts.
“This bout was a true fighter against the boxer affair,” Gordon said. “Hayden used his jab to great effect to keep the pressure fighter away, then landing big hooks to the body.
“After the first round it looked as if Hayden already had the away boxer sussed, but Alfie increased his attacks and punch volume and we couldn’t complain when the away boxer got his hand raised.”
Tyler Sked faced Lochee’s Jacksyn King for the second time in a month in their 3x2 minute youth bout.
“Credit to Jacksyn he had made some changes but the fluid back foot counter punching from Tyler made the judges’ job easy and he got the win on a unanimous decision,” said Gordon.
Scottish intermediate champion Fraser Edwards faced to tough and ever-ready Joe Kinsella in their second meeting. The last time was an exhibition where both showed off their skills in the ring, but this had more meaning both coming in off recent losses.
Gordon described: “Fraser started the bout fast flicking his southpaw jab to the head and chest of Joe then following up with back hands.
“In the second both boxers stood toe to toe slipping and countering. This bout was so close it needed a good final round to clinch the win and that’s just what Fraser produced to win on a split decision.”
Youth middleweight boxer Struan Grant was up next against Insch boxer Hayden Taylor.
“As soon as the first bell went Hayden never stopped throwing bombs and the Elgin boxer had to use his ring savvy to avoid getting taken out. Once the fight settled, Struan’s jab was devastation causing the referee to give an eight count.
“As the bout continued another count came and the corner rightly decided to retire their man.”
David Grigor was in the penultimate bout against Kincorth boxer Ryan Norrie and even though it was an exhibition, no one watching would have known as the two boxers went at it from the bell.
“In the last round they stood and traded leather for 30 seconds and as the bout finished they both received a standing ovation.”
Top of the bill for a second Elgin BC show was Andrew Forsyth. In the opposite corner was Stefan Jackson (Kincorth) in yet another rematch.
Gordon said: “Like their bout three weeks earlier, these skilful athletes never wasted any time and set about hitting and defending from the first to the last bell.
“Like the first meeting it was a very close bout, however the aggressive Tyson-style fighting of Andrew caught the judges’ eye and he was declared the winner.”
