PRIORSWOOD Amateur Boxing Club capped off the final two weeks of the amateur boxing season in fine style.

Last week they travelled to the Barnstaple ABC tournament, where first in the ring for them was 11-year-old Alfie Rees for a skills bout against home lad Elliot Worsley.

A skills bout is a concept designed to get beginners into the ring at a show, without having the pressure of having a proper bout. 

There are no winners or losers, it is just competitive sparring to ease youngsters into boxing in front of a crowd against an unknown opponent. 

Rees showed that he was more than confident enough for a proper bout, showing no nerves at all. 

Alfie out-boxed his shorter opponent, using his height and reach to keep the Barnstaple lad at arm’s length throughout. 

Rees showed that when the new season starts in October, he will be one to watch.

Next in the ring was Priorswood’s middleweight Marcel Antonio-Akakpo, against Kingsteignton’s Gage Conrad.

The powerfully-built Antonio-Akakpo was shorter than his opponent, who attempted to use his reach to keep the Taunton lad at bay, but the Priorwood contender’s work rate and accuracy edged the early stages. 

Round 3 saw Antonio-Akakpo tire but not as badly as the Devon boxer, who was hounded all round by the Priorswood fighter. 

All three judges decided that the Taunton lad had done enough throughout the three rounds and declared him the winner.

Last weekend, Heathfield schoolboy Liam Rainment travelled to Launceston to face hometown boxer Trystan Gwennap. 

Rainment, in his first bout, was up against it, with his opponent already having had four bouts and backed by the home crowd. 

None of this put off the Taunton fighter, who boxed to instructions, well blocking his opponents jab and returning his own.

Round 1 was a close affair, but the second round saw Liam’s constant pressure start to pay dividends as the Launceston lad started to lose heart, and in Round 3 it was all Rainment on the front foot, constantly putting pressure on the home boxer. 

Understandably in his first bout, the Taunton lad started tiring, but had already done enough to get the judges’ decision.

Priorswood ABC have had a great season with some good prospects coming through for next season, for which training commences on August 21. 

If anybody wishes to help sponsor the boxing club, all donations would be greatly appreciated – for more details, call 07702713429.