Luke Saunders

Three junior ABA title triumphs plus two outstanding performances from the runners-up made the Junior ABA finals at Rochester, Kent, on Saturday a day to remember for West Ham Boxing Club.

Tom Beaney, Luke Saunders and Charlie Driscoll were the talented winners in West Ham colours, while Myles Cousins and Lucien Reid gave two of the classiest champions on view really tough bouts.

Beaney met reigning junior ABA champion Macauley McGowan in the Class Five 63kg final. Beaney stamped his authority on the contest from the first bell, when a right hook sent McGowan to the canvas, forcing him to take a standing count,

The West Ham boxer was always in control, landing with quick-fire attacks to take the 20-5 points victory and the national title – adding to the four awards he has previously won.

Reigning junior ABA champion Saunders gave a master class in boxing against fellow NACYP champion Connor Loftus of Burmantofts in the Class Five 66kg contest.

The slick southpaw allowed Loftus to attack and replied with counters to body and head, occasionally driving his opponent back with a ramrod jab to take the 31-3 points victory and his second national title of the season.

Fellow reigning champion Charlie Driscoll faced Jack Catteral of Leigh in the Class Six 57kg contest and, despite trailing by three points after the second round, the West Hammer stepped up the pace and landed solid combinations to take the 20-18 points victory.

Lucien Reid faced the multi-titled Quais Ashaq in the Class Six 54kg contest, both boxers showed respect throughout their high standard clash and gave little away.

The points were balanced at the final bell with many ringsiders seeing Reid as the winner – but Asaq took the 9-8 verdict.

Myles Cousins faced one of the oustanding names at the finals, Henry Thomas, a Darlington boxer with a list of title honours at home and abroad. But the West Ham boxer matched him all the way in a classic Class Six 60kg clash which Thomas took by a 42-28 margin.