By Eden Chambers, President
On Sunday 12 April, students from across the country gathered in Wills Memorial Building to celebrate the University of Bristol’s Amateur Boxing Society.
The Great Hall set the perfect backdrop for the exciting action that was about to take place. As people found their seats, President Sam Noble took to the stage, albeit with a dodgy microphone, to introduce the event.
First in the ring was the University of Bristol’s Louis D’Abero, facing Prem Pratap Matharoo from King’s College London in an under-68kg bout. It became apparent that D’Abero, who had excited the crowd walking out to Oasis, was much taller than the built KCL fighter. It was D’Abero’s first fight, but he looked light on his feet, working defensively and securing some great blows as his confidence built.
As the match continued and D’Abero found his flow, he showed some clean, intentional combinations, but this was, unfortunately, no match for Matharoo’s technique, which seemed too mastered for someone’s first fight. By round three, D’Abero looked tired but powered through to deliver a beautiful left-hand blow to Matharoo, who was also flagging. D’Abero finally took some powerful head shots that ultimately left him looking startled and the win was awarded unanimously to KCL – a valiant effort from D’Abero in his first fight.
Representing the University of Bristol in the under-73kg bout was Alex Richardson versus Artem Shportko from Imperial College London. The first round started with a bang as both boxers charged at each other, the referee struggling to stay out of their way. Shportko kept the pressure on, taking advantage of Richardson’s low hands as he searched for gaps to create space between the pair. Richardson showed his ring IQ, starting to make more controlled decisions in the face of Shportko’s wild approach.
In the second round, Shportko was taken aside to have his gash checked whilst the University of Bristol fighter tried to maintain his focus. Shportko was then repeatedly caught by Richardson’s gloves, using his range to his advantage, until the Imperial fighter required a standing count from a punch which left him stunned. Even towards the end of their bout, Richardson remained quick on his feet and dominated the ring with his relentless, powerful hits that eventually forced Imperial coaches to throw in the towel, rounding off a dynamic match that started nothing like how it ended. As incoming Vice-Captain for 26/27, the future of the University of Bristol ABC (Amateur Boxing Club) looks bright.
With the University of Bristol and Imperial coming head-to-head again for under-70kg, we saw Oscar Leney take on Yueyu (Steve) Zhang. This was a messy and aggressive fight from the first bell, as Leney tried to keep Zhang at range. Although a loss of footing led to a standing count for Leney before the end of the first round, neither morale nor crowd support was lost. Leney came back to round two with clarity, and a couple of big swings made the crowd erupt with excitement, steadily using jabs to keep distance between the pair. The pressure and output caught up with Leney just before the end of the second round, getting caught in the corner and taking a battering from the Imperial fighter. Saved by the bell, Leney wobbled off to medical and the bout was waved off, providing an automatic win to Zhang.
Although not a Bristol-centred bout, it’s worth mentioning the Two Kings ABC fighter Aaron Stewart’s knock-out (pun intended) performance in the under-53kg match against Pratap Sunuwar from KCL. Although Sunuwar had all the confidence as he made his way to the ring, it was Stewart who dominated in the end, as a large blow made Sunuwar hit the deck in the event’s only knock-out.
Next, we saw an under-61kg bout with Stirling Thomas, the University of Bristol ABC’s Treasurer, taking on Jack Stafford from Swansea University. The audience had doubled in size in support of Stirling, giving a buzz to the cold hall. Both Thomas and Stafford had big boots to fill after the commotion of the last match, but Thomas looked evidently excited to be there, composed enough to be smiling from his corner. Thomas was weightless as he bounced around the ring, making it hard for Stafford to catch him. Even when he did get caught, Thomas’ blatant love for the sport and engine persisted, giving him bursts of energy, even after he’d received a standing count. If there was one piece of crowd advice the boxer didn’t need, it was ‘composure’.
Coming back with vengeance, Thomas delivered a dynamic start to the second and third rounds. Although Stafford seemed to have a slight height and reach advantage, Thomas was still well in the action and used his speed to escape Stafford’s chase. Although ultimately Thomas did not win, he received a lot of support from the crowd and both boxers left the ring with smiles on their faces, embodying their love for the sport. ‘I think I boxed well, he was just a bit stronger than me, a bit older, a bit more experienced, but [it was] a good learning experience. We’re onto the next one!’ Thomas beamed after the bout, a true show of character from the boxer.
For his first fight, Jack Wang from the University of Bristol took on Frome Amateur Boxing Club’s Kieran Carpenter in an under-67kg bout. With multiple warnings issued to both fighters within the first minutes, members of the crowd desperately tried to get Wang’s attention as his low hands left him open to offence and undermined the brilliant combinations he was delivering to Carpenter.
The high energy continued into the second round and Wang’s speed did not cower to Carpenter’s powerful blows. Although he struggled to recover from an impressively accurate punch from Carpenter, he was quick to defend himself, allowing him to regain composure. An onlooking supporter described the action as ‘intense’, moments before Carpenter’s uppercut solidified his win. Although not the result Wang was hoping for, it was a great show of resilience from an inexperienced boxer.
In the penultimate bout of the evening, the anticipated under-76kg face-off between the University of Bristol Captain Joseph Muckle and Redley Mireku-Boateng from KCL ignited the crowd. Both successful amateur boxers entered the ring with humble swag, the room erupting especially for Muckle’s entrance. The support didn’t stop there for the Captain, with his own ring-side fan base holding signs saying ‘Muckles got knuckles’. From the start of round one, the calibre of Muckle’s performance set him apart from the other boxers. Looking springy and light on his feet, Muckle got Mireku-Boateng on the ropes early on, forcing him to resort to clinching within moments of the bout beginning. The first round concluded with a standing count for Mireku-Boateng, foreshadowing a strong round for Muckle.
Muckle remained controlled and calculated, even as fatigue started to creep in, keeping the pressure on and resulting in another standing count for the KCL boxer. Mireku-Boateng started to show signs of fatigue, swinging wildly as the crowd roared for Muckle. The KCL corner encouraged the fighter to ‘dig deep’, but it was clear he had little left to give. It was a great effort from Mireku-Boateng, but the Captain’s top-quality boxing performance meant he left the ring the well-deserved winner and was crowned Best Boxer of the night.
The final University of Bristol versus Swansea University bout brought Vice Captain Felix Clarke head-to-head with Sebastian Brogan in an under-83kg match. Strutting to the ring to Lovefool, Clarke seemed to have a lot of self-assurance and nerve: was he cocky or confident? Round one started with strong blows to the Vice Captain’s face but he remained unconcerned. The rivals had polarising boxing styles, putting Clarke’s agility to the test against Brogan’s heavy, powerful moves. Although Brogan was a hard hitter, Clarke was able to dodge them and reciprocate with more accurate strikes, concluding the round with a facial blow.
In an impressive spectacle, Clarke managed to knock the unnerved Brogan’s gumshield out in the second round. Moments later, Brogan complained that Clarke had struck him on the back of the head. In response, the referee gave both fighters some sound advice: ‘if you’re in a boxing match, don’t keep turning around’, and the match continued. Not letting fatigue dull his performance, Clarke floated around as the fighters traded jabs, making Brogan’s powerful swings look heavy. Although a close call at the end, Clarke’s earlier commitment paid off and resulted in a unanimous win for the Vice Captain.
Following his final bow, Clarke said of his performance: ‘it was a very good contest, it went the full distance, but I thoroughly enjoyed the whole time. I felt like I was in control and I’m really happy with the result.’
Clarke’s words on the event can be echoed from a spectator’s perspective. The crowd’s enjoyment can be put down to the outstanding quality, attention to detail, and devotion of the committee, which I hope will carry on for next year’s boxing show!
Will you be attending next year?
Featured image:Paul Clarke Photography
