Oscar Stevens edged out clubmate Denzil Atito in the standout bout of Oxford Boxing Academy’s first Open Show dubbed the ‘Battle Royale’.
The pair went toe-to-toe at OBA’s new Northway premises and had the crowd on their feet with excitement.
Stevens was the more aggressive, but Atito used his superior height and jab to keep his rival at bay. After three gruelling rounds, Stevens was announced the winner by the thinnest of margins.
The crowd were treated to 12 other bouts, including former junior ABA semi-finalist Bradley Townsend’s victory on his senior debut.
Townsend, 18, beat 20-year-old London ABA Elite Championship finalist Mo Gharib (Finchley) over four rounds.
There was also an opportunity to compare the standards in Oxford and Reading.
Cherwell School pupil, 15-year-old Martell Osman confidently outpointed Gage Nunn , of Reading ABC.
Osman strung together neat combinations of the jab, with the Reading boxer unable to match his accuracy.
Head coach Faz Keyani was pleased with the event, which he said showed that OBA could hold larger shows without causing parking problems and disturbing their neighbours.
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