'We are immensely proud of what they have achieved' - Banbury's boxing twins collect medals at national championships

The two stars of Banbury Boxing Club travelled to Rotherham’s Magna Science Adventure Centre to challenge for national titles last weekend.

Their road to the finals saw them and the Banbury team travel over 1,000 miles across the country, taking on some of the best youth boxers.

The finals would be an opportunity to cement their reputation as up-and-coming prospects and open doorways for them to box for England.

Slightly heavier Johnny was first to enter the ring on Saturday’s (February 8) semi-final stages of the competition.

Johnny faced last year’s champion, the experienced Frankie Thompson of Bridlington Boxing Club, who brought to the ring a record of 65 wins from 80 bouts.

Despite the odds going against him, Johnny relished the challenge and met his opponent in the centre of the ring from the first bell.

The pair set off at a lightning pace, with the Yorkshire boxer finding success with straight shots that penetrated the Banbury boxer’s guard.

Johnny worked his way into the contest and was able to land his own scoring shots; however, it wasn’t enough to claim the round.

The second round proved to be much closer, with Johnny able to find another gear and adapting his defence to avoid much of Thompson’s work.

At the sound of the bell for the third round, Johnny gritted his teeth and went on the offensive, throwing a high volume of punches and making for a thrilling ending to the contest.

This late action was enough for Johnny to win the round but unfortunately not enough to persuade the judges of Banbury's victory.

Johnny received the bronze medal for his fantastic efforts, and his opponent, Frankie Thompson, went on to win gold in the championship final.

Shortly after, Chris then jumped in the ring to face off against the northwest area champion, Freddie Cheetham, in the under 63.5kg class.

The two boxers had a similar size, and both boxed in the southpaw position, so the match-up promised to be an even affair.

The first round was close with both boxers displaying their offensive and defensive skills, with Chris just edging it with the cleaner shots.

As the contest progressed into the second round, Chris increased the pressure and was able to impose his power on the Fleetwood boxer.

In the third round, Cheetham began to fade, and Chris landed a solid backhand, leading the referee to give his opponent a standing eight count.

Chris’ opponent was given the clear to continue, but it proved too late for him to mount a comeback, and the Banbury boxer was awarded a unanimous decision victory.

This meant that Chris would return to the ring on Sunday (February 9) for an opportunity to bring a national title back to Banbury.

Chris’s opponent in the final was Jacob Naismith of Liverpool, a four-time national champion and European gold medallist.

Chris, who has a record of 17 wins from 25 contests, was vastly inexperienced compared to the Liverpool boxer, who had been in the ring 73 times.

A highly motivated Chris met his taller opponent in the centre of the ring from the opening bell, forcing the Scottish boxer representing Merseyside to go on the back foot.

The Liverpool boxer then used his height and range to land long-distance shots and changed angles so that Chris struggled to counter.

Chris then started to find his range in the second round, and his opponent began to show signs of tiring.

The Banbury boxer kept applying the pressure and found success slowing Naismith down with some well-placed body shots.

The contest seemed to be an even affair going into the final round with Chris only having to win one more round to be declared national champion.

Thanks to Chris’ hard training he still had plenty of energy left for the final round and was able to apply pressure once again.

Chris took the fight to his opponent, who was seemingly struggling to keep up with the Banbury boxer's fast pace.

The referee deducted a point from the Naismith for repeatedly turning away and falling to his knees under the strain.

Many at ringside thought Chris had done enough to seal the victory, but unfortunately the contest was announced a 3-2 split decision by the judges, and Naismith's hand was raised to take the England Boxing National Title.

Despite not taking home the gold medals, the Taylor twins have once again made Banbury proud and have set a great example for the junior boxers training at Banbury Boxing Club.

The teenagers have again proved they are the ones to watch and have the potential to be among Banbury’s most successful boxers.

Head coach at Banbury Boxing Club, Ben Malcher spoke very highly of the Taylor twins' achievements at the national championships.

He said: “Both the twins are highly motivated and have trained like champions.

"They have aspirations to box for England and have now shown they belong at this level.

“We are immensely proud of what these two boys have achieved and their ongoing attitude to learn and improve.

“We would like to thank the coaches at Banbury Boxing Club and those who continue to encourage and support these young boxers to achieve their goal.”

For more information about Banbury Boxing Club, visit the club’s website at: https://banburyboxingclub.co.uk/