Talk about being made of the Wright stuff!
Boxer Mia Wright is celebrating winning her first national title and making a little piece of history in the process.
The 13-year-old, from Spenymoor, became Shildon ABC’s first-ever national female champion when he beat Libby Warren in the National School final in Grantham
Mia, who attends St John’s Catholic School in Bishop Auckland, defeated her opponent, from Queensbury Police Boxing Academy in Stoke via a split decision in the U54 kilo category.
It was exciting stuff from the teenager who will now represent England in the Three Nations Championship in Wales on Saturday, July 26.
If the name Wright rings a bell, no boxing pun intended, it should.
Mia is the eldest daughter of former English light-welterweight title holder, Nigel Wright, who was ABA Champion for Shildon during his own amateur career, which included wearing the England vest at the Commonwealth Games.
Boxing is in the family blood, her grandad, Michael Armstrong was a heavyweight fighter in the 1980s.
Nigel is Mia’s coach as well as her dad and says the family and club are thrilled by her achievements.
“We are all so proud of her,” said the 38-year-old former British and Commonwealth title challenger.
“Shildon ABC is the second oldest club in the country and Mia is the club’s first-ever girl boxer and, obviously, now the first girl national champion for Shildon.
“This was only her fifth bout so she has already made a massive step in her boxing career.
“Mia is now England’s number one and has been selected to box for England in July.
“She’s very dedicated, training three times a week at Shildon ABC, as well as doing her running and going out to other clubs for sparring.”
Mia lives in Spennymoor with parents, Rebecca and Nigel and younger sister, Brooke.
Nigel, a hard-hitting southpaw, knew his way around a ring, winning 24 and drawing one of his 31 pro fights, making five successful defences of his English title. He surely would have won the British title in the winter of 2011 – he had a fight scheduled against Ashley Theophane at Peterlee until being forced to hang up his gloves.
In football parlance, he was a one-club-man, having gone through his entire career with the Gus Robinson Developments team in Hartlepool under the management of Gus Robinson and the coaching of Peter Cope and Alan Temple.
There were a number of highlights, notably a first round KO of Kevin McIntyre in Glasgow in a British title eliminator, a cracking challenge for the Commonwealth belt against Ajose Olusegun in Peterlee and a second-round slaying of Jonathan Nelson in the Sugar Ray Leonard Cup at the Metro Radio Arena, where he had a superb eight-round points win over Alex Arthur.
Words: Roy Kelly
