Wins for Hamer boxers Mehran Khan and Husnain Ali

Mehran Khan and Husnain Ali, of Hamer Amateur Boxing Club, travelled to Selby to take on Beck Emery and Jake Winfindale, two local favourites.

This small, intimate setting was a packed house, with standing-room only, with an eager and expectant crowd, who were not disappointed, as they were rewarded with two fantastic bouts.

Khan (84kg), 16, fresh from recently winning the North West Region Challenge Belt, entered the ring brimming with confidence. His opponent, Beck Emery (85kg), from Mickey's Boxing Academy, Selby, seemed unperturbed by the taller Hamer lad's credentials, as they faced-off before the opening bell.

In round one, both boxers met in the centre of the ring while looking to land early exchanges.

Khan began by working his long, stiff jab, while Emery was content to keep bobbing and weaving, trying to find an opening in Khan's defence.

It was an evenly fought first round and both boxers had some success, with Khan landing his long jab and back hand punches, while Emery managed to avoid sweeping hooks to hit the target with his shorter, heavier shots to both the body and head.

Seemingly aware that this fight could be won at distance, Khan started round two by focusing fully on keeping his opponent at bay by constantly firing out his long, stabbing jab and, as he found his range, he continually unleashed destructive right hand crosses to the head of his opponent. It was a tactic that worked brilliantly, as it didn’t allow the Selby boxer to get in close enough to work on the inside.

Khan dominated the third and last round by continuing with his piston-like jab, which consistently forced Emery onto the ropes.

The Hamer youth began to look for an early finish, but the much shorter Emery managed to escape Khan's precise punches and somehow hung on until the final bell.

In what was described as a “fantastic display of boxing and ring awareness”, all three judges awarded the fight to Khan.

Husnain Ali, 18, faced Jake Winfindale, 22, of Sheffield Boxing Centre, an aggressive inside fighter who looked like every ounce of his 65kg, which seemed made up of raw steel.

The crowd bore witness to what can only be described as an absolute war.

From the opening bell both fighters met in the centre of the ring and stood toe-to-toe, unleashing power shots to both the head and body.

Winfindale caught Ali with a thunderous right hand that visibly stunned the Hamer lad and the crowd jumped to its feet, anticipating a first round stoppage.

Another left hook crashed into Ali's head moments later, which shook the more diminutive fighter again and he wobbled on unsteady legs.

The noise in the room reached fever pitch when it looked like the tough fighter from the city of steel was going to force a first round stoppage, but incredibly the Rochdale boxer began to show true grit and determination and it was he who began to force the pace at the sound of the bell to end the round.

When the bell sounded for round two, Ali immediately shot from his stool, looking to take the fight to his opponent and, as he seemingly found an extra gear, he began doubling his work-rate, unloading a continual barrage of power shots to the body and head of the Sheffield fighter.

Winfindale looked stunned by this sudden attack, unable to escape the heavy fists of Ali, as blow after blow rained down on him.

Trapping his rival against the ropes, Ali let loose with a combination of punches that rendered the Sheffield lad immobile and the referee jumped in to give the bewildered Winfindale a standing eight count.

Ali was relentless and another eight count followed moments later when he caught Winfindale on the ropes again.

The referee allowed the contest to continue but the man from Sheffield was totally exhausted by Ali’s work rate and the Hamer youth began to pummel the now tired boxer from Yorkshire with punishing blows to the head.

Winfindale tried to gather himself and in desperation he began looking to land his crushing right hand, the shot that had almost stopped the Hamer boxer in the first round, but Ali had found his rhythm and he was slipping the dangerous shots with ease while countering with blistering pace.

Winfindale slumped heavily against the ropes again and, at the mercy of Ali's fists, the referee had no other option but to step in and save the Sheffield fighter from further punishment, giving the Rochdale fighter the win by a second round stoppage.