Jack Roberts was the lone home town winner at Shrewsbury & Severnside ABC’s annual Christmas dinner-boxing show – earning rich praise from veteran trainer Colin Hough.
Four Severnside boxers made it into the ring on a bumper 13-bout bill in front of a sell-out crowd at the Lord Hill Hotel.
“It was a cracking show and all the contests were well matched,” said Hough.
“We didn’t have a very good night as a club but that’s not the be all and end all.”
Severnside trio Jack Probert, Will Guest and Luke Merryfield all suffered slender defeats but Roberts, now a senior boxer, secured a unanimous points decision over Telford ABC’s Nathan McFarlane.
“In lots of people’s opinions it was probably the best bout of the night,” said Hough.
“It was a really hard fought contest and both lads boxed well. Jack was up against a strong, determined lad and it was non-stop action throughout the three rounds, but Jack always just had the edge.”
Hough added Roberts, of Nobold, was now getting his just rewards for hours of hard work in the gym.
“He’s knuckled down and has started to train properly, and I’m very happy with him,” said Hough.
Probert, 11, from Prees was unable to transfer the bright form he has shown in the gym to the ring as he was outpointed by Karl Sutton from Pleck ABC while Guest, 12, from Hadnall was also edged out on points by another Pleck boxer in Jack Adams.
“Jack Probert’s only just turned 11 and he’ll be better for this experience,” said Hough.
“He had some good spells but it’s a lot different doing it in front of 200 people to doing it in the gym.
“Will Guest hasn’t been in the ring for eight months and he lost a very tight majority decision.”
Hough felt that contest “could have gone either way” and believed it was a similar story as Monkmoor’s Merryfield lost narrowly on points to Ateem Fallani Taleghani of Birmingham’s Studio ABC.
“Their records were identical going into this one,” he added.
“This was another hard contest in which both lads had good spells.”
By Stuart Dunn