Boxing: Disappointing weekend for Hamer Amateur Boxing Club

Adam Earnshaw, Hamer Amateur Boxing Club

It was to be a disappointing weekend for Hamer Amateur Boxing Club when 14-year-old Adam Earnshaw travelled to the Doncaster Dome on Saturday and was defeated in the National Schoolboy semi-finals.

His opponent, Odel Kamara of Salisbury Boxing Club was a very unorthodox counter-puncher who also rushed into his opponent while throwing multiple punches and in the first round it immediately showed, yet Earnshaw proved he was a match for him.

The first round was the start of a very closely fought contest that began with Earnshaw stabbing out his jab while Kamara waited on his back foot to counter-punch. When Kamara rushed in he was caught by a left-hand punch from a south-paw stance of the young Rochdale warrior but the Liverpool youngster landed the last blow of the exchange between the two boxers.

The bell rang for the second round and Kamara instantly charged at the Hamer boxer, but Earnshaw used quick footwork to spin out of range and the Liverpool boxer stumbled to the floor.

Earnshaw began to take the fight too his opponent with his jab while waiting for Kamara to rush in and when he did, the Hamer boxer was quick to land telling blows to the head.

Earnshaw continuously followed his opponent around the ring while waiting for an opening and he managed to land a three-punch combination while Kamara had his back to the ropes.

It was another closely fought round which the Hamer team thought Earnshaw had nicked.

It was all to do in the third and final round and Earnshaw was told to up his game and take the fight to his opponent more.

The bell rang and Kamara rushed in again, only to be caught by a solid left hand punch to the head. Earnshaw slowly began to take control of the contest as he continuously landed punches as Kamara rushed in.

The Liverpool lad began to tire and when he rushed into the Hamer boxer he began to hold. The referee noticed this and he gave him a stern warning, yet he continued to hold throughout the round.

Earnshaw tried hard to box in a composed manner and in doing so the Hamer team believed he had won the round convincingly, yet the victory was awarded to Kamara by a very close split-decision.

The disappointment continued for the Hamer club when 14-year-old Aeron Maddocks lost to a much heavier and stronger opponent in Liam Pasotre of Jimmy Egan's Boxing Club at the Wythenshawe Forum on Friday (19 May).

Hamer head coach Steven Connellan said: "It was a very close contest between Earnshaw and Kamara and we thought our lad had just done enough to pinch it but sadly it was not to be.

“We cannot complain too much though because it has been a very successful season for us. We are a small club with no financial backing, yet we have managed to get three of our boxers to the National Semi-Finals and one who won the National Open-Class title.

“Our team of very busy boxers continuously gain wins when boxing in other opponent’s backyards. We are a strong outfit with some great coaches who repeatedly volunteer their time for the young people of Rochdale.

“We have managed to regularly get home grown youngsters to the last stages of National tournaments over the last five years or so and we have in place the next group of young and very talented boxers who have seen what the older boxers have done and are excited to step into the ring to show off their own skills.

“All we need to continue with this successful programme is to gain some much-needed funding so that we can continue to school the young people of Rochdale and educate them in the art of boxing.

“If there are any business people out there in Rochdale who want to help this town of ours gain a little success and have positive news reports in the media then what better way than to help our club and the young people of this town achieve their goals, be it by winning boxing tournaments or by just getting fit, healthy and staying off the streets.”