What a way to sail into the sunset.
Horden ABC boxer, Billie Matthews, signed off her final fight for her club in triumph ahead of starting a career with the Royal Navy.
The 20-year-old defeated Co Durham opponent, Amber Dennis, via a split decision at Horden ABC’s opening show of 2019 at the Welfare Hall.
Matthews had tuned up for her appearance by sparring with Hartlepool Headland’s 2018 European Junior champion, Courtney Scott, and those rounds certainly paid off against her opponent, from Lambton Street.
It proved an exciting contest in which both girls had success.
Indeed, it was a round apiece going into final session but Billie turned up the heat in the to dominate and take a split decision, much to her and the home fans delight.
First up for Horden on the Saturday afternoon show was Louis Wood, who was having his first skills bout, against C Hodgson, from Brandon.
The 10-year-old southpaw showed he has a great future by using his footwork brilliantly, moving in and out, landing clean shots, while also showing his strength when he was required to by forcing his opponent back.
Next up was Bailey Tindale against K Callahan, from Lambton Street.
The short and stocky Tindale kept it at close quarters, smothering his taller opponent’s boxing, working well to the body gaining him a well-deserved victory.
Den Murray probably enjoyed he sweetest of afternoons as he avenged a previous defeat to Nottinghamshire’s Leonard Herne by clinching a unanimous points victory against a boxer trained by former British, Commonwealth and European super-bantamweight title holder Esham Pickering at Newark’s Epic Golden Gloves club.
Murray was in cracking form, boxing a brilliant fight, counter punching his aggressive come forward opponent for the first half of the bout.
In the second half, he put Herne on the back foot in a brutal display, with the visiting boxer doing well to make it through to the last bell.
Next up was Warren Briggs who was up against Sunderland’s Joe Padgett.
Briggs was boxing on the back foot and did well with his counter punching, only to lose out on a split decision.
Warren’s brother, Aiden, boxed next against Layton Mulley, from Lambton Street.
It was a pretty even affair but Aiden lost on a split that could have gone either way.
Words: Roy Kelly
