Leigh Sport
Burgess hits his top form
4:41pm Thursday 16th February 2012
LEIGH Amateur Boxing Club light-welterweight Matty Burgess (pictured above) was again on top form on Sunday.
The 14-year-old progressed to the National Schoolboy Boxing Championships semi finals by stopping his strong opponent, Tyne Tees champion Ian Fraser of West Durham ABC in the third round.
Burgess ended the first round a point down, with the Newcastle based boxer’s rough tactics making the Leigh youngster struggle to get his shots off cleanly.
The second round was a totally different story though as Burgess mixed his punches to body and head, continually driving Fraser backwards and forcing a standing eight count.
Starting the third round with a five-point lead, the St Marys High School student cranked up the pressure even further, catching the Durham boxer with massive hooks and uppercuts and again forcing another eight count.
The Durham coaches threw in the towel to save their boxer from further punishment.
Burgess will take on Yorkshire and Merseyside champion Aaron Davies, of Rawthorpe ABC, in the national semi final this weekend in Manchester.
Also this weekend, six Team Leigh boxers have been included in the North West region squad which flies out to Guernsey on Friday to take on a powerful Channel Islands squad.
Adam Ridge, Toby Senior, John Turner, Steve Backhouse, Tony Boardman and Ashley Peyton will also be joined by Team Leigh’s Corinna Ridge, who is part of the North West region coaching team.
Training Times at Leigh Boxing and Fitness Gym: junior boys and girls eight-13 years, every weekday night from 5pm-6pm, £1.50; senior male and female 14 years plus, every weekday night from 6pm-7.30pm, £2.50, professional boxers, every weekday night from 4pm-6pm.