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One fight from the final in Development

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West Midlands fighters will try and land a place in the England Junior Development Championship national final on Saturday.

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The semi-finals take place at the Oxford Jubilee Hub in Warrington, Cheshire, with a number of prospects gunning for glory,

writes Craig Birch.

Hamza Ahmed, from Walsall Wood Boxing Club, takes his place having progressed through at the Lighthouse in Manchester last weekend.

The 15-year-old recorded a second straight unanimous points victory, this time defeating the super-game Callum Coburn, from Sharp Style in Blackpool.

Ahmed had upset Wirral's Thomas Berry in the previous weekend's pre-quarter finals, handing the Scouser just his second defeat.

Coburn was a cruder test and drew him into a fight, but Ahmed managed to beat him to the punch and progress at 57kg in Class A, for boxers born in 2000.

Now comes Ammar Akbar, from Warrior Breed in Yorkshire, with both entrants stepping through the ropes with an 11-1 unpaid record.

Walsall Wood coach Shaun Healy said: "We thought the lad from Merseyside would be as tough as it got for Hamza, but this kid was something else.

"He was a machine, he never stopped coming forward and throwing punches, while our boy wanted to prove he could box and fight.

"He's tall and rangy counter puncher, but he came out on top in most of the exchanges and showed a bit of class.

"We're up against it again here, his opponent is the trainer's son and will be going all out, but our lad just keeps on winning."

'The Bradley Bullet' - Conor Hincks is making an impact in the England Junior Development championships.

The feared Conna Hincks, from Merridale in Wolverhampton, benefitted from a bye at 66kg when his opponent pulled out.

'The Bradley Bullet,' from Bilston, has stopped his last two opponents in the first round and dropped his opening adversary.

Hincks had been due to take on Skerton's Luke Gudgeon in Manchester, who pulled out with a leg injury. He now faces Rotherham's Josh Brunt.

Brooklands duo Niall Felton and Harry Conlan, from the home gym in Dudley ran by retired professional Darren McDermott, come into the tournament having walked over.

Felton enters the tournament for the first time against Lee Rooney, from Wearmouth in Sunderland, at 40kg in Class A.

Conlan has Hull Saints' Mostafa Afzali at 54kg in Class B (2000), having been out of Development action since beating William Perry's Jack Grainger unanimously in the first regional round.

Warley's Owen Brown also has his first Development bout at 50kg, taking on Plains Farm's Josh Wilkinson.

Wednesbury's Maria Bishop could box once or twice entering a three-pronged 52kg in Class A, with Parsons Cross' Nicole Cherrill and Hull Saints' Malika Alfrazi also at the weight.

Brooklands' Paige Goodyear, meanwhile, will be travelling to Denmark on Friday to take part in the Haslev Box Cup.

The 15-year-old will captain the England squad in her age group, with McDermott also making the trip. Darren Elwell and Jay Hodgkiss will be in the corner for Felton and Conlan.

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