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."
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