Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Thomas topples champion
YOUNGSTER CATCHES EYE AS PRINCE OF WALES FIGHTERS IMPRESS IN HOME SHOW Boxing
Seven of the nine host club fighters in action picked up victories when the Prince of Wales Boxing Academy hosted a show at their Military Road headquarters on Saturday. Pride of place went to 14-yearold Maurice Thomas who maintained his 100% record at 82kilos by beating a reigning national champion. Thomas, whose father – also called Maurice – is one of the academy coaches, made it five wins from five with a unanimous points win over Cricklewood’s Iyaleh Constant, the 2019 junior cadet title holder.
Thomas – part of the England Talent Pathway programme – was conceding age and weight to his rival, but boxing to instructions, produced a classy display to win the verdict from all five judges.
The only POW boxer to stop his rival on the night was 14-year-old Joe Lee, who was making his debut for the academy having moved over from another club.
Lee took on Cobie Brownson of the Westree club, Maidstone, with the referee calling a halt to proceedings in the second round.
Ronnie Granger, 10, marked his competitive debut with a well deserved points win over D. Jeanes, from Welsh club Pumas, while Amadou Samb (12) overcame a weight disadvantage to claim a unanimous points decision over Billy Hill (Boxing Stables)
Sonny Nash (14) produced a committed display to win an unanimous points decision over Shaye Pinnell (Downend Bristol).
Alfie Sutcliffe, 16, boxed James Scarrott (Worcester City) and looked nice and compact on his way to winning a split decision.
Senior George Saunders, 18, boxed B. Edwards (Hastings) in what was only his second outing and the pair produced a real ding-doing affair, won, on points, by the POW man. Luke Fordyce’s corner felt their boxer had done enough to land the verdict over G Chambers (Boxing Stables) but to the surprise of many the 16-year-old lost on a split decision.
Jack Peacock (15) made a losing debut against Worcester’s Demi Aceto going down on points, but the following morning he was back in action at Crawley, gaining his maiden victory, courtesy of a unanimous points decision over A. Cummings.
The show started at 6.15pm and finished, 26 bouts later, at 11.45pm, and POW head coach Kevin Place was delighted with how it had gone.
He said: “It was our third or fourth show and the biggest so far. It was a very busy night of boxing, 26 bouts went ahead which was great for just after Christmas.
“We’d like to thank Joey Wicks (POW centre co-ordinator) and his staff for their help and my coaches Martin Mckelvie, Kevin O’rourke and Maurice Thomas senior.
“We were also grateful to the Kent and Sussex ABAS for their invaluable support.”