Lothian produces shock to reach final
LEONARD LOTHIAN pulled off the biggest win of his amateur career to move into tonight's senior ABA Midlands final.
The Kingsthorpe Amateur Boxing Club fighter out-boxed England No.2 James Flinn, of Triumph ABC, to win the light-welterweight Midlands north zone final at Ilkeston in Derbyshire on Sunday.
Trainer Arthur Daly had described the bout as Lothian's acid test and he came through it with a comfortable 12-2 margin according to the computer scoring system over four rounds.
Lothian was NABC national champion in 2000 as a junior and is now hoping to go all the way as a senior and repeat Kingsthorpe ABC's achievement in 2000 when Francis Doherty won a senior ABA title.
Daly said: "It was as good as Leonard's boxed in his whole career. He won in some style. He never looked in any trouble. It was a superb performance.
"He left Flinn standing at times. Leonard was a massive underdog and will really have caused a shock. There were a couple of England coaches there as well.
"We knew that he couldn't get too involved and would have to box on the outside. Leonard's hand speed was superior. He was very focused and boxed to the instructions. It was a flawless performance."
Lothian, aged 21, now takes on Peter Gordon, of Lions ABC in Dudley, in the Midlands final at the Jungle Club in Leicester tonight.
And Daly knows that Sunday's win over Flinn, who is also ranked No.5 in Britain, will count for nothing if Lothian does not beat Gordon.
"We don't want to get carried away yet," said Daly. "We haven't won anything yet. Gordon is a very experienced fighter and you can't afford to underestimate anybody at this level."
Also at Ilkeston on Sunday Kingsthorpe ABC's new Midlands schoolboy champions Michael Joyce and JJ Davis were knocked at the national quarter-final stage.
Joyce was involved in a close contest with Sam Volley, of Bradford's Karmand ABC, who is the reigning schoolboy champion, while Davis was defeated by last year's national finalist at his weight in George Springer from the same club.
Daly said: "It was a great effort from both of them."
Email to a friend
Print this page- Northampton company faces multi-million-pound damages claim over “toxic” Chinese sofas
- BREAKING NEWS: Tributes paid to Niamh Curry as brave five-year-old loses battle against cancer
- BREAKING NEWS: Pensioner dies after collision at Northampton shopping centre
- Man tied to tree and beaten on Northampton Racecourse
- BREAKING NEWS: Seven-year-old boy dies following house fire in Northamptonshire
- Northampton binmen at ‘breaking point’
- Saints’ stadium plans get support as long as traffic issues solved
- Eastern European pupils helping school standards across Northampton
- Northampton Town: Boothroyd ‘It’s all about stability’
- Northampton benefits advice agency reports surge in people losing entitlements
- Northampton company faces multi-million-pound damages claim over “toxic” Chinese sofas
- Northampton Saints: Aussie international Cameron signs on at Gardens
- Northampton binmen at ‘breaking point’
- Social housing tenants blamed for crime wave across Northampton housing estate
- Behind The Headlines: Crisis - What crisis this winter?
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Northampton
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: East
