PHOTOS:
William Price and family
Referee Steve Glover holds boxers hands aloft
Steve Glover with Callum Weakely
Tenby Amateur Boxing Club recently put on a highly successful show at the De Valence Pavilion as boxers from all over South West Wales showed off their talents to a large and knowledgeable audience who gave every bout the encouragement it deserved.
Evening highlight
One of the highlights of the evening was the boxing performance of William Price (Pembroke) in his unanimous points verdict over a battling Leon Haines (Tenby), who tried hard to keep Price under pressure but was often caught by Price as he coolly kept out of trouble for most of the time.
Price was given a unanimous points verdict and his prize was a framed print of legendary Welsh boxer Howard Winstone as his memento, which will have delighted his family at the show because his father, like Winstone, originally hailed from Merthyr Tydfil! It must have been a close-run decision for the 'Bout of the Night' award because Haines played a big part in a cracking contest.
Best bout of the night
The bout between Callum Weakely (Tenby) and Joe Taylor (Merlins Bridge) was eventually chosen as the 'Best Bout' after a rip-roaring contest between evenly-matched and enthusiastic novice seniors where referee John Phillips made sure they kept themselves on an even keel despite their enthusiasm.
Weakley was eventually adjudged the unanimous winner as reward for looking just
a little more composed at key times, with Taylor also picking up a second trophy on the night to go with his runners-up memento in the bout.Flying start
Joe O'Sullivan (Pendine) certainly got the evening off to a flying start in his bout with Finn O'Donnell (Gwent) as he proved to sharp in his footwork to keep out of trouble and put in some crisp jabs that helped tot up the points so that he was adjudged the unanimous victor as reward.
Leon Morris (Trostre) also boxed well to earn a unanimous points’ verdict over Emyr Simmons (Cardigan) where the verdict was in doubt until Morris gained the edge in the final stages.
In another hard-fought contest at the start of the second half of the programme there was another tough contest before Llion Harries (Cardigan) just shaded out Dylan Cox (Premier) as both boxers were applauded by the referee as well as the crowd.
Crowd on its feet
The final bout of the evening again had the crowd on its feet as home boxer Dan Storer took on Dan Butler (Cardigan) in a senior contest where punches aplenty were thrown but Butler managed to get inside the defences of the taller Storer to land the telling blows that earned him the narrowest of decisions by a majority verdict from the judges.
Minor blip
The only minor blip on a successful evening organised by Mike and Lorraine Haines was the fact that because of the care taken over matching up junior boxers according to age, weight and experience it was decided that five of the bouts should be undertaken as exhibition bouts so that there was more of an attempt to show off the skills of youngsters who were aged ten to 15, rather than have a winner and loser.
To that end, the bouts between Korri Lewis (Trostre) and Jack Williams (Gwent); Kalum Haines (Tenby) and Tyler Hurley (Carmarthen); Kieran Bevan (Premier) and Lewis Burrows (Merlins Bridge); Peter Price (Pendine) and Sean Lewis (Merlins Bridge); plus Josh Edmundson (Pembroke) and Silvek Urbanski (Trostre), fell into the exhibition category and they certainly showed their boxing skills to the full.
Officials:
John Phillips (Official in Charge); Billy Jones (Timekeeper); Steve Glover (Referee/Judge); Mark Smith (Referee/Judge); Jenny Baker (Judge).
Medical Officer: Dr Satish Mummidi
MC: Bill Carne