Boxing: Hamer Boxing Club report

Calum McLeod, NW representative and Austin Heneghan

On Saturday 3 June, 15-year-old Austin “Powers” Heneghan was chosen to represent the North West region male boxing squad, to compete at Tameside Boxing Club against a select Swedish team along with a boxing team from Yorkshire.

Austin stepped into the red corner to meet Calum McLeod of Eastburn ABC, West Yorkshire. When the bell rang for the first round, McLeod immediately attacked his Hamer opponent with a over-hand right, which hit Austin on the top of his head as he in turn landed a left hook to the side of McLeod’s head. Both boxers then began to use their jabs to find their range, whilst also fainting movement to find openings. McLeod continued to attack the Hamer boxer, who deliberately stepped away slightly to make his opponent miss, before stepping back in to unload his right hand to the chin.

It was a fast and exciting round for the fans to watch, as both boxers connected with fast punches upon each other. But as the round continued, Austin began to force his opponent onto the ropes where he landed telling blows to the head. Just before the bell rang to end the round, the Hamer boxer unloaded numerous punches upon his opponent, who was stuck on the ropes in his own corner.

When the bell rang for round two, both boxers took to the centre of the ring once again, as they probed with their jabs, before they instantly stepped in to unload fast and furious punches upon each other, which saw the Hamer lad throw the more telling blows as the exchange of punches continued.

McLeod began to back off again, and he used the ring to keep his distance, whilst Austin took to the centre of the ring to pursue his opponent, who connected with punches as the Hamer boxer stepped into range, only to receive more solid punches to his head from Austin, as he lay upon the ropes. As the round progressed, Austin continued to force his opponent around the ring and onto the ropes. When both boxers unloaded punches upon each other, it was Austin’s punches that still looked to be taking effect upon the contest and just before the bell rang to end the round, he landed two cracking right hand punches to the chin of his opponent.

Before the bell rang for round three, Austin was told by his coach, Steven Connellan that he believed McLeod was tiring. So, he told his boxer to up the pace of the action, but when both boxers met in the centre of the ring, it was McLeod who landed the first telling blow, which was a right hand to the chin as the Hamer boxer stepped in. The pattern of the fight continued like that of the first two rounds, with Austin forcing his Yorkshire opponent around the ring as he landed punches upon the Hamer boxer on the move, only to receive telling counter-punches from his Hamer opponent.

Although McLeod was tiring, he began to land single punches as Austin stepped in, before using faster footwork to move around the ring and out of range from his Hamer opponent. Then in the final thirty seconds or so, Austin began to find his range once again as tiredness took its toll on McLeod, who began to lay upon the ropes again whilst taking solid punches, which resulted in the Hamer boxer gaining victory by a split-decision.