Malmesbury boxers put on tremendous display (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Malmesbury boxers put on tremendous display

SOME 200 diners packed the Olympiad's Studio Hall last Saturday when Malmesbury ABC staged their annual dinner-boxing evening.

Their patronage was rewarded with 12 entertaining bouts that included explosive punching from the host club's Richard Sheppard, who took under one round to halt the challenge of King Alfred's Phil White.

Difficult to match, Sheppard was having his first fight since going out in last year's schoolboy quarter-finals, but has posted a threat in his 75kg division in this year's championships.

The hapless White, carrying some excess poundage, was soon being rocked by Sheppard's southpaw jab and backed up to the ropes where the Malmesbury boy thumped in some ferocious right hooks to the body.

Towards the end of the round, White, trapped in a neutral corner, was caught with a volley of punches and given a standing count by referee Steve Brookes, after which White's corner threw in the towel.

Clubmate Luke Stevens boxed superbly in the opening round against Bracknell's Steve Masters and looked en route to an early stoppage win as a straight right hand propelled Masters across the ring mid-way through the session.

A nose-bleed in the second caused the Malmesbury boy to lose his way, allowing the Brack-nell boy back into the fight.

Stevens tried to get his jab going again in the third, but it wasn't working effectively enough to keep the shorter Masters at a distance and the Bracknell boxer got the close majority decision.

Earlier, Sam Jenner got the hosts off to a winning start by repeating a recent points win over Lydney's Joe Wilcox.

Conceding ten months in age and almost a division in weight, Jenner had to work all the way for his win and will need to sharpen up his left hand when he travels to London this Saturday for the Golden Gloves finals.

The Malmesbury boy showed flashes of undoubted talent as he varied his punches intelligently. The difference in class was not as apparent as it should have been with a determined Wilcox hell-bent on avenging his previous defeat.

It all made for a spirited contest and the Malmesbury boy got the decision by merit of his cleaner punching. Lightweight newcomer to Malmesbury, John Sykes, came up against a rugged puncher in the shape of Dorking's Joe Burdon.

Signalling his intentions early, the stocky Surrey man connected with several solid shots and had particular success with the right hand.

It was not all one-way traffic as Sykes caught Burdon with several left jabs and left hooks as Burdon came in.

But the Malmesbury lad, always fighting a rearguard action, was caught by a two- punch combination which sent him to the canvas in the third.

Sykes bravely got to his feet at the count of five but the referee wisely stopped the action.

On Saturday, Malmesbury ABC visit Crystal Palace with five boys to take on the London champions in the National Golden Gloves quarter-finals.

Joining Sam Jenner will be Andy Ware, Luke Stevens, Clint Stevens and Joe Hughes. Richard Sheppard is already through to the semi finals by walkover.