Teenager at Hamer Amateur Boxing Club triumphs in NABGC semi finals

Hamer Amateur Boxing Club celebrated a pivotal moment in their season with 16-year-old Austin Heneghan’s commanding performances in both the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Northwest Region NABGC National Championships.

In the quarter-final bout on Sunday 13 October, Austin, known as “Powers” in the ring, faced off against Henry Barlow of Sale West Amateur Boxing Club. From the first bell, Austin moved out of the red corner with a series of sharp jabs, which he used to keep his opponent at a controlled distance.

Meanwhile, Barlow adopted an aggressive approach, throwing powerful hooks aimed at both Austin's body and head.

As the first round progressed, Austin began to shift tactics. He made slight backward steps, avoiding Barlow’s powerful swings before re-engaging with precise and fast punches to Barlow’s head.

Austin’s coach, Steven Connellan, advised Austin to take advantage of his opponent’s lowered left hand. “He was attacking with his left hand down,” Steven said, advising Austin to “throw more right-handed punches to the chin.”

Austin heeded his coach’s advice as the second round began, using his jab to gauge distance before dodging Barlow’s attempts to close in.

He took control of the centre ring, waiting on his back foot to deliver a calculated right hand when Barlow approached.

After landing several solid right-hand punches to Barlow’s nose, blood began streaming from his opponent’s face, forcing the referee to call a ringside doctor’s assessment. Following the doctor’s clearance, Austin maintained his aggressive stance, landing more effective punches until the round’s end.

As the fight entered its final round, Steven encouraged Austin to intensify his attack. Austin responded by delivering six consecutive right-hand punches, leading the referee to administer Barlow a standing eight-count.

Despite Barlow’s efforts to continue, Austin’s relentless accuracy forced the referee to call the doctor again, who ultimately ended the bout in Austin’s favour. The victory moved Austin into the Northwest Region NABGC Semi-Final.

In the semi-final on Thursday 17 October, held at Audley Sports Centre in Blackburn, Austin faced Preet Solanki of Premier Boxing Club.

Employing a tactical approach, Austin kept his distance and focused on landing swift combinations to both Solanki’s head and body.

Solanki, however, managed to close the gap and often attempted to hold onto Austin, leading to a more scrappy round. Although Austin continued to land cleaner punches, Solanki’s clinching affected the fight’s rhythm.

In the second round, Solanki landed a solid left hook, but Austin maintained composure, countering with a series of accurate punches.

Towards the end of the round, Austin delivered a decisive left hook that dislodged Solanki’s gumshield, showcasing his growing control over the match.

For the third and final round, Steven advised Austin to fight from his back foot to create room for powerful right-hand counters.

Austin followed this guidance, waiting for Solanki to step in before releasing well-placed right-hand punches that pushed Solanki into defensive holds. As the round drew to a close, Austin delivered a string of unanswered punches that secured a unanimous decision victory, propelling him into the Northwest NABGC final.

Austin’s performances marked a turnaround for Hamer Amateur Boxing Club, signalling a promising trajectory in the NABGC Championships.