Boxing: Monir Miah reaches National Youth Semi-Finals

Monir Miah with Hamer coaches Alan Bacon and Steven Connellan

18-year-old Hamer boxer Monir 'Real Money' Miah surpassed all expectations on reaching the National Youth Semi Finals in only his first year as a boxer.

The Rochdale boxer had already exceeded his potential when beating two very experienced north west boxers to become the North West Regional Champion before moving on to the National Quarter Finals to meet the South West Regional Champion Bradley Smith of Downend Boxing Club, Bristol.  

The match between the pair was held at the Spiceball Leisure Centre in Banbury, Oxfordshire on Friday (15 February) and Monir managed to gain victory in a very closely fought contest against the Bristol veteran of over 35 fights, when he took the fight to his opponent throughout the entire contest with solid blows to both the head and body. 

The very next day Monir met the AIBA and NABGC National Champion, the Three Nations Champion and an England International in the shape of Huey Malone of Christ the King Boxing Club in Coventry. Malone had a record of 43 wins with only five defeats coming into the contest and he had been unbeaten in his last 20 fights so Monir knew he had a major mountain to climb if he was to progress into the final. 

The bell rang for the first round and Monir came out to meet his vastly experienced opponent in the middle of the ring and from the very first punch landed it was a non-stop battle of wills throughout the entire contest. Malone used his ring knowledge to pressure the Hamer boxer with fast punches to both the body and head whilst Monir was content in keeping a high guard so that his opponents punches would land upon his gloves before he replied with solid punches of his own.

This continued throughout the round with Malone throwing fast, but ineffective, blows to Monir's head and body whilst the Rochdale lad tried to land the more solid blows. But what Monir didn't realise was that although Malone's punches were causing him no harm, they were impressing the judges, due to his pressure and his incredibly fast workrate.   

The non-stop battle continued in the second round with Monir showing more energy and forcefulness to take the fight to Malone, after the Hamer corner had told him that the Coventry boxer was stealing the rounds with his non-stop action.

The Hamer boxer began landing the heavier blows, but his punches didn't seem to affect his opponent and Malone matched the Hamer lad with his constant and effective action. Malone's energy levels were special and his ring knowledge began to show in the third round as he stifled and suffocated Monir's work in order to showcase his own punches to continue to impress the judges and take the win. 

Hamer coaches, Steven Connellan and Alan Bacon said: "Although Monir lost, we cannot be more proud of our boxer. What he has achieved in such a short space of time with only twelve bouts to his name is incredible.

"We were overwhelmed when he beat two very experienced north west boxers to win the north west title but when he progressed to be in the mix with the last eight boxers in the country and then the last four, he had surpassed all our expectations.

"The knowledge he will have gained from this experience will be invaluable to him in the future and we hope he continues to progress and make our club and town proud of him."