Lymington boxer Rhys Black brings home silver in national tournament

LYMINGTON teenager Rhys Black has brought a silver medal home in the England Boxing National Development Championships.

Lawrence Boxing Club’s Black, 18, fought twice over the weekend in Kettering, Northampton.

The semi-finals took place on Saturday, where Black won via stoppage over Essex’s Camaron Nicholson, writes Benji Sampson.

The referee stopped the contest on the advice of the ringside doctor after Black caused a nasty cut in the third round to Nicholson’s eye.

The victory propelled Black into the finals to face Owen Reid from Birmingham’s Aston Boxing Club on Sunday.

The two-time Southern Counties champion, Black, displayed a brilliant effort in the final, scoring a knockdown in the second round on his opponent.

Both boxers showed tremendous heart and willpower to leave every ounce of energy in the ring when the final bell rang.

The scorecard results read a three-to-two split decision announcing Reid as the winner. Black had done enough to win the favour of two judges, showing just how close the fight was.

Black said: “None of this success in the championships would have been possible without my coaches. I owe them and my support a lot.”

Having won three out of four bouts in the contest over four weeks, Black has brought home a silver medal and will look ahead to the ABA Elite championships in April.