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ANGERED CENTRUM BOX CUP - GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN (09/11/2011 )

TEAM REPORT:

Thursday 2nd November:

Arrive Gothenburg

Friday 3rd November:

0900:- Weigh in & Doctor 1400:- Coaches Meeting

Due to the ABA ruling that we could only box once in the tournament over the weekend the matching fell in our favour with AB Zoë Young (HMS COLLINGWOOD) 50kg Class C boxing Friday, AET Sam Thompson (RNAS CULDROSE) 54kg Class C on the Saturday and the straight finals of POPT Donna Humphries (HMS NEPTUNE) 57kg Class B and Lt Lucy O’Connor (HMS NELSON) 54kg Class A on the Sunday.

Zoë Young in her first bout weighed in at 50kg class C senior and was pitched against a taller, rangier Norwegian girl. Both started strong with Zoë being the aggressor, but the longer range of the Norwegian girl kept picking Zoë off on her way out of range.
The bout was very evenly matched and a fantastic performance by Zoë on her boxing debut leaving nothing at all behind in the ring working 100% for all 3 rounds. Alas though the points decision went to the Norway girl.

Saturday 4th November:

0900:- Weigh-in

Sam Thompson in her first bout back for 2 years weighed in at 54kg class C senior and was matched up with a Swedish girl of equal size and range. Both started strong in the first round and came out at the end of it equal. The second round started well with Sam upping the work rate and taking the second round. We knew the Swedish girl would have to press in the third but Sam’s fitness and aggression paid off and she was announced the victor at the end of the bout. Due to the 1 bout rule given by the ABA the Swedish girl progressed to the next round.

Sunday 6th November:

0900:- Weigh-in

Donna boxed first against a strong aggressive Danish girl who overwhelmed with her come forward strategy. Donna worked her jab well and caught the Dane with her rear hand on a few occasions but was smothered by the Danish girl’s style for most of the bout. Donna’s fitness kept her work rate up and her punches going but couldn’t find her way through the Danes guard and style. In the end the result went to the Danish girl with Donna receiving a Silver medal.

Last but not least to box was Lucy pitched against a similar sized Swedish girl. Both started strong and getting to grips with each others styles throwing flurries of punches in the first round. The second round started were the first finished with both boxers working well off the jab, switching attack and throwing great combinations. The third round was where Lucy’s fitness, aggressive style and punch power came to flourish as she stormed through the Swede taking a well deserved unanimous point’s decision and a gold medal.

All in all a very successful tournament with 2 winners and 2 runner-ups and though only 1 gold and 1 silver medal was awarded all the ladies were winners not only gaining great experience of different boxing cultures and styles but also well needed bouts to get rid of the ring rust ahead of the upcoming national championships in December.

The event was also a great learning experience in organising the whole trip. Learning about the administration involved, searching out the relative funding, flights, accommodation and travel. I gained valuable experience in seeing the whole tournament set-up, the way foreign coaches and boxers prepare and conduct themselves and also had a baptism of fire were lady boxers are concerned.

A big thank you to those involved in allowing the Ladies Team this fantastic experience.

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CAPE OF GOOD BOXING (27/07/2011 )

Not since the post war visit of King George VI in 1947 has South Africa welcomed a Royal Navy Boxing team to their shores. HMS Vanguard, having escorted the Monarch and his family, challenged the Western Cape in the ring only to be matched against the 'strongest possible opponents making the contest disappointingly uneven' according to the Naval Review. 64 years on, the Royal Navy Boxing Team travelled to the Cape on tour with a chance to settle an old score. After a few days of acclimatisation and training, the Royal Navy Team embarked on it's first boxing show against opponents from the Western Cape. The show was hosted in Michell's Plain, the largest township in South Africa and saw a total of seven bouts on the programme many of which included Western Cape champions. AB Glen Coe (HMS Illustrious) opened the proceedings with a fast paced bout vs T. Mbangata (W.Province). Flurries of punches were thrown by both boxers from the initial to the final bell. This captivating bout proved a fitting opener, with Coe awarded a close points decision. Mne 'Sal' Salero (42 Cdo) faced R. Richards (W.Province) in the second contest. From the outset Salero smothered his opponent with strong combination punches not allowing him a single retort. Switching his shots from head to the body the marine overpowered and outclassed his foe, forcing the referee to end the contest in the opening round. This show of naval strength continued into the next contest. ET(ME) Anthony Smith faced C. Kwababama (W. Province) and once again dominated from the first bell. Raining shots upon his opponent the referee was forced to deliver a count to the home town boxer only to be saved by the bell at the end of the first round. Smith landed some sickening body shots early in the second round, taking the wind from his opponent and leaving him unable to continue, forcing an impressive stoppage win. The stoppages continued into the latter half of the competition with Mne Loui Walker (FPGRM) out-boxing W. Mhungwan (W. Province). With devastating combinations from the outset the marine stopped his bemused opponent in the second round. In the heavyweight contest AET R Price (849Sqn) was troubled initially by the strong attacking boxing of D Okoejuale (W. Province). With a cool head and an extremely mature performance, Price rode the initial storm, cleverly holding and turning his opponent when required. Waiting for the perfect opportunity, Price took a half pace back as his foe charged and landed a flush rear hand which KO'd his opponent. Finally the only female bout to be contested saw Lt Lucy O'Connor (RN) face the South African bantamweight champion A. Madikane (W. Province). From the bell the naval officer started fast, throwing quick combinations and phased attacks, forcing her opponent onto the back foot. Dominating comfortably throughout the remaining contest O'Connor cruised to a comfortable unanimous points decision. The overwhelming success of the evening saw the Royal Navy Boxing Team crowned unarguable victors winning all seven contests, four by way of stoppage. It was a great start to the boxing tour and perhaps went some way to redeeming the result in 1947. A short period of rest and recuperation allowed the squad to enjoy the beautiful Southern Cape. Table Mountain, shark diving and wine tasting were experienced by the touring party. There were also plenty of possibilities to engage with the local community. The team visited the townships and boxing clubs, teaching the local children and adults to box, enjoying great hospitality the boxers experienced true South African culture. Before long it was back to business as the boxers prepared for their second show. This time the navy boxers faced South African all comers and after the whitewash of the first show, it was bound to be a tougher test. The second show was held at Wynberg Military Base and saw nine hotly contested bouts. The opening two bouts were enthralling contests. LPT Gareth Smith (BRNC) took his opponent M. Donker (Cape Town) to the trenches winning on a close points decision. In the same vein, AET Jake Beer (RNAS Culdrose) had a 'tear up' with the local favourite S. Bam (W. Province). Practically folding his opponent in half with body shots at times, Beer showed great determination and heart but lost on a close points decision to the cute local favourite. The undoubted star of the show was AB Joel Kirby (HMS Nelson). Facing a vastly more experienced foe A. Mohlabia (Cape Town), the navy boxer gave a mature performance which far surpassed his experience. Keeping his opponent at long range and counter boxing to perfection, Kirby ended the bout in the third round with a looping body shot which dropped the local boxer to the canvas and from which he was unable to recover. Kirby success was even more impressive when it was revealed that Mohlabia was an international boxer, and is presently in contention for Olympic selection in 2012. Top of the bill was once again AET Richie Price. Facing M Malumba (Cape Town) worryingly nicknamed 'Big Bang' who was a mountain of a man, Price had to keep on his toes. An enthralling bout eschewed with heavy shots being landed and well taken by both boxers, the entire crowd was on its feet throughout the contest proving a fitting end to a show full of exceptional boxing quality. At the final bell the result was destined to be close, but the judges awarded a majority decision to the Royal Navy boxer securing a 7-2 victory overall for the visiting team. After a fortnight in South Africa, the Royal Navy Boxing Team can be rightly proud of their phenomenal performance in the ring. From a total of 16 bouts the Navy were victorious in 14, a particularly respectable achievement given the equal effort placed into the rest and recuperation opportunities whilst there. The Royal Navy Coach, POPT Stu O'Connor, was pleased with his team, 'I'm extremely proud of the performances and the professionalism demonstrated by the boxers throughout this tour, it has been a fantastic experience and I'd like to thank the South African Boxing Federation for it's overwhelming hospitality.' This tour was only made possible by the hard work of Lt Doug 'Doug' Wylie (Tour Manager), the financial contributions of the Sports Lottery and Vesty Foods and the Royal Navy Boxers would like to thank all those who made such a successful and memorable tour possible. Full results: RN v Western Province (Michell's Plain) (57kg) AB G Coe bt T Mbangata pts, (57kg) Mne C Salero bt R. Richards rsc1, (63.5kg) ET(ME) A Smith bt C Kwababama rsc2, (67kg) Mne L Walker bt W Mhungwan RSC2, (54kg) Lt L O'Connor bt A Madikane pts, (75kg) Mne J Gardiner bt T Malahla pts, (91kg) AET R Price bt D Okoejuale rsc1 RN vs SA All Comers (54kg) LPT G Smith bt M Donker pts, (57kg) S Bam bt AET J Beer pts, (57kg) L Iikazana bt Mne C Salero pts, (63.5kg) ET(ME) A Smith bt W Mlungwan RSC 1, (67kg) Mne L Walker bt A Whiteboy pts, (75kg) Mne J Gardiner bt T Khumalo pts, (75kg) LPT I Phillips bt S Newton pts, (75kg) AB J Kirby bt A Mohlabia rsc3, (91kg) AET R Price bt M Malumba pts.

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CSBA SENIOR ELITE ABA CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER FINAL RESTULS (08/04/2011 )

The Combined Services Team faced the London region in the quarter final of this year's Senior Elite ABA Championships. The Navy Participated in four of the eleven bouts contested and all bouts were against strong opponents. The results were as follows;

51kg LPT Gareth Smith (BRNC) V Charlie Hoy (Repton)

Smudge got off to a cagey start against the accomplished (ex-England junior) Repton boxer. Both boxers threw plenty of shots in the first round but few landed due to the strong defensive skills from both boxers. Starting more offensively in the second round Smudge landed more shots in the early part but appeared to tire in the latter, allowing Hoy back into the fight. The final round saw Hoy's experience shining through as he beat Smudge to the punch. Despite a spirited effort which saw a crowd pleasing bout, Hoy was crowned the unanimous winner.

71kg ETWE Mark Flowers V Tom Baker (West Ham)

Mark started the bout well picking his shots against last year's finalist and England International. As Mark started to edge his way in against the taller opponent he threw a long range left hook followed by a devastating right hand which dropped his opponent to the floor only for him to get up on the count of eight. Mark continued to catch his opponent at will until he was saved by the bell. The next two rounds were a lot closer however, with Mark looking for the big shot and allowing himself to get caught too frequently and in the end he lost the bout on a majority decision.

81kg MNE Greg Welling V Kirk Garvey

Greg was always going to be up against it boxing the Three Nations senior champion and junior world medallist. Greg set off to unsettle the experienced boxer trying to get him out of his rhythm and try and let his shots go. The bout continued at a ferocious pace however Garvey ended up landing the cleaner shots, and was given the win on a unanimous decision.

86kg LPT Paul Ormston V Deion Jumah

Paul again was up against last year's finalist and England international. This bout was always going to be a bit of a cat and mouse affair with Paul being the more skilful against the powerful Jumah. Paul got off to a good start moving well and picking his opponent of at ease however the longer the bout went on the closer Jumah got to catching Paul with a big shot and coming to the end of the second round that is just what he did forcing Paul to take a standing count, the referee halted the bout (in my opinion prematurely) and declared Jumah the winner.

48kg C Edwards Lynn walkover

‎51kg C Hoy Repton V LPT Gareth Smith Navy - Unanimous

‎54kg P Holland Gator V SPR A Whitfield Army Whitfield - Unanimous

‎57kg C Iaonnou Bodyshots V CPL J Allen Army - Unanimous

‎60 kg B Beadon Repton V LCPL S Dick - RSC3

‎63.5 kg L Adolphe Earlsfield V LCPL M Stead Army - Majority

‎67kg N Thompson Finchley V LCPL S Turner - Unanimous

‎71kg T Baker West Ham V ETWE M Flowers Navy - Majority

‎75kg F Buglioni Repton V LCPL D passarelli Army - RSC2

‎81kg K Garvey Earlsfield V Mne G Welling Navy Garvey - Unanimous

‎86kg D Jumah Dale youth V LPT P Ormston Navy Jumah - RSC2

‎91kg B llyemi Finchley V Rfn E Izonreti Army - Unanimous

91+kg A Joshua Finchley walkover

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A KNOCK OUT EVENING AT RALEIGH (07/04/2011 )

A total of 280 guests took the opportunity to attend the inaugural RN East v RN West Charity Boxing Show, held within HMS Raleigh's gymnasium.

RN East were the overall winners of the contest by five bouts to four. The event consisted of three two minute rounds with three points awarded to the winner and one to the loser.

A total of 280 guests took the opportunity to attend the inaugural RN East v RN West Charity Boxing Show, held within HMS Raleigh's gymnasium.

RN East were the overall winners of the contest by five bouts to four. The event consisted of three two minute rounds with three points awarded to the winner and one to the loser.

Able Rates (ABs) Martin 'Oscar' Wilde, John Norton and Oluwaseyi DaDa, who are all undergoing their specialist training at HMS Raleigh were part of the RN West team.

Norton won in the first round after the referee stopped the contest. DaDa was also victorious, winning the boxer of the night in a closely contested bout with Leading Physical Trainer Scot Jackson, who is currently serving on the Type 23 frigate HMS Northumberland. The display of sheer stubborn effort by both boys, with neither boxer giving ground; had the crowd on their feet applauding for many minutes afterwards.

AB Wilde lost narrowly on points over three rounds in a tremendous battle of skill and fitness with AB Rob O’Donnell from HMS Drake. The bout ebbed and flowed as each boxer attempted to outwit his opponent. In another courageous battle Corporal Pusser Hill based at the Royal Marines' Commando Training Centre came out the winner on points to Marine Mick Binstead, a member of the Royal Navy team who is currently based at HMS Nelson in Portsmouth.

All competitors were professional throughout, and very sportsman like in losing. The effort and will to win was an active display of fighting spirit, one of the Naval core values.

WO1 Dale Randle, HMS Raleigh's PT Officer, said: 'After a 15 year absence to re-introduce the noble of art of boxing back to Raleigh in such explosive manner, was the PT Department's intention. The bouts were so evenly matched that all the boxing produced fine displays of skill, fitness, courage and determination. The tremendous amount of commitment and resolve exhibited by the boxing, was fully appreciated by the large amount of spectators.

The event raised around £3000 for RN Charities. Able Rates (ABs) Martin 'Oscar' Wilde, John Norton and Oluwaseyi DaDa, who are all undergoing their specialist training at HMS Raleigh were part of the RN West team. Norton won in the first round after the referee stopped the contest. DaDa was also victorious, winning the boxer of the night in a closely contested bout with Leading Physical Trainer Scot Jackson, who is currently serving on the Type 23 frigate HMS Northumberland. The display of sheer stubborn effort by both boys, with neither boxer giving ground; had the crowd on their feet applauding for many minutes afterwards. AB Wilde lost narrowly on points over three rounds in a tremendous battle of skill and fitness with AB Rob O’Donnell from HMS Drake. The bout ebbed and flowed as each boxer attempted to outwit his opponent. In another courageous battle Corporal Pusser Hill based at the Royal Marines' Commando Training Centre came out the winner on points to Marine Mick Binstead, a member of the Royal Navy team who is currently based at HMS Nelson in Portsmouth. All competitors were professional throughout, and very sportsman like in losing. The effort and will to win was an active display of fighting spirit, one of the Naval core values. WO1 Dale Randle, HMS Raleigh's PT Officer, said: 'After a 15 year absence to re-introduce the noble of art of boxing back to Raleigh in such explosive manner, was the PT Department's intention. The bouts were so evenly matched that all the boxing produced fine displays of skill, fitness, courage and determination. The tremendous amount of commitment and resolve exhibited by the boxing, was fully appreciated by the large amount of spectators. The event raised around £3000 for RN Charities.

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RN(S) VS RAF (S) BOXING DINNER SHOW 2011 (24/03/2011 )

HMS Neptune played host to this year’s RN(S) Vs RAF(S) Boxing Dinner Show on Thu 24 Mar 11. The event was held in the WO, SR & SNCO Mess with 180 personnel purchasing tickets to the event. All guests were welcomed with a champagne reception.

Everybody eagerly awaited the evening’s proceedings and once the bugle call to dinner was sounded the guests were escorted to their tables. This was followed by a four course meal, accompanied by red and white wine, and a bottle of port to be enjoyed with the cheese board all of which was greatly received. The show was finally on its way and as the wine and food was enjoyed by all, everybody anticipated a great evening of boxing.

The event started with the introduction of the WBO Super Feather Weight Champion of the World, Ricky Burns, who just happens to originate from Glasgow and kindly agreed to attend tonight’s show accompanied by his WBO belt!. Ricky’s presence at the boxing show was warmly appreciated by all with a rapturous applause by every single person in the room especially for his recent defence of his Super Feather Weight title which had taken place only two weeks previously. Ricky did not have time to sip his diet coke due to the amount of people wanting photographs and autographs but full credit to him, he showed a lot of time and patience for both military & civilian personnel and nobody was left disappointed.

There were a total of nine bouts, all of which were three two minute rounds, six of these were competition bouts and the other three bouts were ‘specials’. The three special bouts were contested by RN(S) boxers and a local civilian boxing club, Hill Park. One bout that stood out from the rest was bout eight between Lt Shaun Phelan (HMS Vanguard) and CPO Lee Reay (HMS Ambush). Reay had been training with Lt Jason McEvoy down in Barrow, whilst Phelan had only managed to train for 3 weeks prior to the show at HMS Neptune with LPT Dan Kerr. The bout went all the way to the wire with both boxers displaying outstanding fitness, power, determination and grit, all magnificent attributes of today’s Serviceman. In the end Phelan proved too strong for Reay resulting in a unanimous decision in his favour.

Every bout was fiercely contested with some excellent boxing being produced by both Services. 3-2 up with only one scoring bout to go, RN(S) thought they had clinched victory in the final bout with CPO Thorne (HMS Ambush) showing excellent technique, but unfortunately for RN(S) the call went the RAF’s way after a split decision by the judges. This meant the trophy being shared by both teams with the final result being RN(S) 3-3 RAF(S).

To round off the boxing, both squads, including coaches, were invited into the ring to receive their much deserved final applause from all spectators, with both coaches, LPT Dan Kerr (RN) and FO Andy Parker (RAF) invited to jointly receive the trophy awarded by Capt M Tarr OBE. The trophy for the outstanding boxer of the night was presented by Ricky Burns to the unanimous winner, SAC Brason.

The night concluded with a raffle and auction with all prizes being generously donated by various businesses and individuals, which included VIP hospitality tickets at Bolton Wanderers FC, signed Ricky Burn’s Boxing Gloves and a signed Birmingham FC shirt from this year’s Carling Cup Winners. This all contributed to an overall total of £4599 being raised which will be generously donated to the RNRM Charity, Help for Heroes and local charities. Every single person who attended the show contributed in some way to helping amass this vast sum of money for which the organisers were extremely grateful.

It took a huge team effort from POPT Mickey Preston and the rest of the HMS Neptune PT Staff to organise the event, but this would not have been possible without the support and help from numerous personnel from around the Naval Base and from afar, all of who contributed immensely towards the outstanding success of the evening.

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CSBA TEAM & INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (05/03/2011 )

The Army retained the CSBA team trophy for the 28th year running. A fine showing for the RN, with a bit more luck the Dark Blue could have brought the Championship Trophy back to Portsmouth. The level that our boys competed and acquitted themselves bodes well for the future of RN Boxing. The RN Coach and assistants had prepared, and got the boxers conditioned to compete at this high standard, the nights efforts proved that with timeless work and dedication we can compete with the best in the UK. The team displayed an abundance of the RN core values, in this gritty demonstration that drew plaudits from afar. The boxers, coaches, officials and spectators were a credit to the RN, well done to all.

Team points as follows:
ARMY 9

RN 4

RAF 0


Also, I would like to congratulate Lt Lucy O’Connor RN for being rewarded for her many years of dedication to female boxing within the Service and the UK; with being given the honour of receiving the Combined Service Sportswomen of the year award. Well done and very well deserved.

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