Rhys Black of Lymington’s Lawrence Boxing Club reaches semi-final at England Boxing National Development Championships

LAWRENCE Boxing Club’s Rhys Black fought his way to a national semi-final spot.

The Lymington teenager cruised into the next round of the England Boxing National Development Championships, writes Benji Sampson.

The 18-year-old took a decision victory in Tenterden, Kent, in the U57kg quarter-final in his 21st appearance in the ring.

The slick and slippery Toks Rowaiye from Islington Boxing Club, London, had a strong record of 15 bouts and 14 wins and was a heavy favourite to reach the finals.

Black got stuck in from the opening bell, getting combinations off on his opponent. He landed the cleaner shots and worked at a higher volume when both boxers were in close.

In the first two rounds, Black was on the front foot, chasing his opponent down and trying to cut off the ring, nullifying Rowaiye’s back foot, shot-selecting style.

The final round saw Black take a more relaxed approach, not taking his foot off the accelerator. He kept his hands throwing and landing good shots but did not get dragged into a firefight.

Black got his hand raised at the end of the contest from a 3-2 split decision, though his performance was much more dominant than the scorecards suggested.

This win means he will now appear in Kettering for the semi-final stage on Saturday 19th October.