Ibrahim Khan's debut proves a real knockout
He walked into Walsall Wood Boxing Club a year ago and has barely said a word since - but Ibrahim Khan could be a national champion by the end of the week.
The quiet 14-year-old, a pupil at the Joseph Leckie Academy in Walsall, is through to the final of the England Development junior championships,
A stunning first round stoppage in his tournament debut on Sunday afternoon announced his arrival in some style, after a series of walk overs.
There were less than 90 seconds on the clock when opponent Matthew Carr, from Millenium in Rotherham, hit the deck from a two-pronged attack.
He was already dazed from the same left-right hook punch combination that he had walked onto close to the opening bell.
They clashed in the 46kg section of Class B, for boxers born in 2000 who have taken part in two to 10 bouts, at the Clowne Sports Centre in Chesterfield.
Now only Mohammed Kizeer Amed, from Broad Street in London, stands in his way of glory, at Merlin's Nightclub in the Isle of Sheppey on Saturday afternoon.
Trainer Shaun Healy said: "He's such a quiet lad, he just comes into the gym and trains and never gives us a moment's bother.
"We have got him smiling and coming out of his shell a bit more now, but he's never going to be a chatterbox. In the ring, he's boxing to his strengths.
"He's basic but strong and that's what the amateur game is all about. And any national title you can pick up is something you will always remember.
"What an achievement for him that would be and champions make the club look good. Let's get him in there on Saturday and see what he can do."
Fellow West Midlands entrant and name-sake Mohammed Khan competed in Class A, incorporating 1999 entrants of the same experience, at 42kg.
But Khan was badly penalised for a dubious standing count, with the scores close to level, and eliminated on points in the semi-final.
Representing Merridale Boxing Club in Wolverhampton, the 15-year-old was incensed when the referee took action with little time left on the clock.
The Highfields School student protested he was fine and should not have been impeded, after an innocuous left jab raised concerns.
It was enough to leave him unanimously behind on the cards when the final bell sounded, putting him out after his first bout in the competition, again because of byes.
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