Horrocks always in control to reach national quarters

Joe Horrocks with coaches Roy Thornton and Derek Fitzpatrick. Picture submitted

Horrocks got the better of a rangy southpaw to reach the 50-52kg pre-quarters and found a contrasting opponent in the short, stocky McIntyre whose head-down style led to a scrappy affair.

However, Horrocks was always in control of the bout, gaining a unanimous decision to take him through to the National quarter-finals in Salford this weekend where he will face Birtley Boys’ Lloyd Morris.

And coach Derek Fitzpatrick, who is currently on the verge of announcing a new permanent home for the Warwick club, said the 15-year-old was a deserved winner.

“Joe outboxed him and landed the far cleaner, clearer shots.

“It was a very good performance against an awkward opponent.”

Fellow 15-year-old Jake Finch made an eyecatching debut for Cleary’s ABC’s on Saturday night, stopping the heavier Thomas Connolly from Wayne Elcock’s Box Clever ABC in the second round.

A combination had already forced Connolly to take a standing count in the first round before a right hook to the body and a left to the head dropped him to his knees to end the fight.

However, Lewis Williams lost his unbeaten record with a controversial defeat to Brandon Jones, who also boxes out of Elcock’s gym.

“After watching the DVD of Lewis Williams’ fight twice from Saturday night I’m still baffled to how anyone could have given a round to his opponent,” said coach Edwin Cleary.

“Lewis dominated, controlling the fight with his jab and keeping Jones on the back foot.”

Coaches at Cleary’s had some help last week when cage fighter Alex Reid popped in to lend a hand with the coaching and launch the Dick Turpin fundraising calendar.

The calendar was put together by club chairman Adrian Bush and photographer Johanna Symanowski, with proceeds going towards the Dick Turpin painting which now resides in the Tourist Information Centre on Jury Street in Warwick.

Calendars cost £5.