City will be well represented in novice events

PLYMOUTH is well represented in this season's national novice boxing competition with several of the city's promising pugilists through to the latter stages.

The novice competition is divided into two classes: A, for those boxers who have had less than 10 contests and B, if they have had less than 20 bouts.

Hoping to progress past the pre-quarter-finals in west London on Saturday, November 3 is Pilgrims ABC pair Jack Bellingham and Jack Dickerson, Devonport's Brad Bugdale, Carl's Boxing Stable's Courtney Richards, Mayflower's Steve White and Mikey Dann of Plympton ABC.

The city contingent will travel to the Feltham show as Western Counties champions, including Bugdale, Dickerson and White, who all received byes.

Dann and Bellingham, in particular, both put in impressive performances on the Western Counties qualifier at Combe Martin.

Plympton light-heavyweight Dann will be flying the flag not just for his home city, but also bearing the weight of carrying perhaps the most famous surname in recent Plymouth fighting history.

The 21-year-old Mikey is the younger cousin of former British and Commonwealth middleweight champion Scott 'Dynamite' Dann.

Scott was ringside in north Devon and watched his relative outpoint emphatically Bristol's Jack Packer to stretch his unbeaten career to seven contests.

Was Scott impressed? You bet.

He told Herald Sport: "I thought Mike boxed with a lot of skill and intelligence and was rewarded for all the hard work he has put in at the gym.

"Mikey has just left uni with a sports psychology degree from Marjon.

"His graduation ceremony is the day before his next novice championship bout.

"He's got a bright future and who knows, it may be in the ring?"

A week earlier, Dann had defeated Packer of Paddy John's ABC, thus becoming Plympton's first Western Counties title holder. He had beaten John Paul Gadan of Newquay and Dan Hearnshaw of Weymouth on the same night.

Pilgrims' Bellingham was another to earn rich praise for winning a Western Counties title.

The Plymothian came up against the highly-rated light-middleweight Sonny Ali of Chris Sanigar's Empire ABC in Bristol.

In the Class B four-rounder Ali boasted a won 10, lost two record, compared to Bellingham's 11 wins and seven losses.

However, if the smart money had been on the Bristol boy, it was misplaced as Bellingham upset pre-fight predictions with a majority points win.

Pilgrims coach Glyn Mitchell praised Bellingham and said: "Ali came down here with the reputation, but Jack sent him packing with a terrific performance.

"He caught him time and again and hurt him with his power shots, well-placed leads and punches.

"I'm really pleased for him as he's worked hard in training on all aspects of his game and it paid off for him."

However, it was not to be Dave Welsh's night as the Pilgrim, who was making his comeback after a four-year absence, was out-gunned by Empire's David Bailey.

The Class B cruiserweight clash was ended in the second by the referee after Welsh had been sent to the canvas and followed a standing count in the opening round.

"It was a gutsy performance from Dave and hard luck on him that he had to come up against someone of Bailey's ability," said Mitchell.

"Bailey has been a senior novice finalist for the past two years and Dave is just returning to boxing. It showed on the night."

A NEWCOMER to the Plymouth boxing scene is promising young pugilist Danny Quinn of Intense Boxing ABC.

The 12-year-old claimed a unanimous points verdict over Bideford 11-year-old Kye Cook in a well-received bout in the city recently.