Shropshire Star

Belting result for Wellington's first champion

Wellington Boxing Academy finally have a national champion to call their own after four-and-a-half years of existence thanks to Husan Hussain.

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The 15-year-old made the most of his bye to finals weekend and then battled through two fights in 24 hours to claim an England Junior championship title.

The Charlton School pupil was performing at 42kg in the combined boxers born 1999 and 2000 category with three others competing at the weight, writes Craig Birch.

First Hussain boxed on Saturday at the Ponds Forge Arena in Sheffield with Croxteth's Anthony Rollinson, his scheduled quarter-final opponent before the bout was upgraded.

A unanimous points victory saw him then climb through the ropes with Humslet's Hope Price on Sunday, for a competitive and close-run final.

Scenes of elation among the 50-plus supporters at the venue met the raising of Hussain's hand on a split decision, with a new prize on offer.

He had a belt strapped around his waist which England Boxing are awarding to all national title winners from this competition onwards, while trainer Mo Fiaz also picked up a medal.

Fiaz said: "I can't remember an Asian person from the Telford district ever winning a national title and it's a first for the club, so it's quite historic.

"It's a beautiful belt that he's allowed to keep but there's no chance of us putting it up in the gym, we will never get it out of his bedroom now!

"They give a medal to the champions coaches now, too, which I wasn't expecting. Maybe we will get that framed and put up.

"Husan's done the business, but it's for everyone at the club really. His Dad Malik, Tim Stevenson, Kully Singh and my lads, Amir and Aroon, have all worked hard with him."

Hussain relied on back foot boxing to see off Rollinson, but then faced a completely different test against Price.

A good foot taller, the Shropshire teenager had to battle to work inside and throw punches in bunches when he got under the jab.

Just champion - The coaches celebrate Wellington's first national champion in Husan Hussain at their Mill Lane gym.

The result was still in some doubt at the final bell but it was Hussain who got the nod, sparking wild celebrations in the corner.

Fiaz said: "We hoisted Husan up into the air - it's a good job he's only 42kg! The crowd was going berserk. He really had to work hard and think hard in the final.

"His usual game which had worked so well against Rollinson - sitting back and punishing the lad with counters as he came in - just wasn't coming off.

"This lad was too big for that and was a southpaw, too, which we didn't know about as we hadn't heard of him before!

"When he got his tactics right, we felt he had just nicked the fight but you can never be sure until the result is announced. It was a great moment."

Club-mate Idris Mohammed, eliminated in the Junior national quarter-finals at 60kg in boxers born 1999 and 2000, proved a knockout in his first fight since.

The Ercall Wood Technology College student, also 15, returned to action on the club's show in the Whitehouse Hotel at AFC Telford's New Bucks Head.

And a crippling right hook to the body ended his meeting with Harry Hughes, from William Perry in Tipton, inside a minute. The shot, which caused a countout, broke two of his ribs.

Trainers Amir and Aroon Fiaz are both involved in the England Elite competition, where they reached the national semi-finals when it was the old senior ABAs.

Amir, 19, and Aroon, 22, received a bye through last weekend's opening round to this Saturday's West Midlands semi-final at the Newdigate Colliery & District Club in Bedworth.

Donnington's Liam Davies is also through without boxing at 52kg and has no opponent again this weekend, so progresses to the West Midlands final.

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