Express & Star

'Bradley Bullet' Conna is a shooting star

Conna Hincks claimed the West Midlands title within a round of his England Development Junior Championship area final.

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He took out his adversary with the first session still in its infancy at the Donnington Sports & Social Club on Sunday afternoon,

writes Craig Birch.

Hincks, who represents Merridale Boxing Club in Wolverhampton, is already well-schooled in Junior action so far this year.

He's had to progress from a three-pronged 66kg category in Class A, for boxers born in 2000, having now boxed twice.

The 15-year-old from Bilston, nicknamed 'the Bradley Bullet' as he hails from the village nearby, shot down his opponent in swift order.

He's had to progress from a three-pronged 66kg category in Class A, for boxers born in 2000, having appeared twice.

First he defeated Brad Willetts, from Priory Park Boxing Club, in the regional semi-finals unanimously the previous Sunday, after dropping him in the second.

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

He was in the same unforgiving mood with Atherstone's Corey Gilks here, ploughing in windmilling with hooks from both hands.

Gilks, overwhelmed by the pressure, was glad of the respite when the referee called for intervention, with him needing his boot-laces tied again in the corner.

There was no escape from the big right hand which forced a standing count when action resumed, or the same shot which forced the finish.

The man in the middle decided enough was enough after the second blow, which Merridale trainer Zabir Ajaz was confident his fighter could pull off.

He said: "Conna can frustrate us as coaches sometimes, he hits very hard with both his left and right hands, but we are seeing only spiteful shows with the latter.

"He also keeps holding his hands down when he's on the back-foot, but we've almost stopped trying to tell him that

"At the end of the day, a boxer is at his best when he's at hislmost natural and this seems to be the way that Connor operates.

"It's important not to disrupt him - and it's tough to argue with results."

Merridale now have three area champions and a national title winner to call their own after two-and-a-half-years in existence, Hincks the latest.

He joins Raheem Mohammed, Muin Khan and girls' Schools champion Simran Kaur in the club's fast-growing hall of fame.

The gym, based on Merridale Street West, are seeing a bit shoot up in adult members, which could serve them well in the senior development tournament.

Ajaz added: "We've got four new carded people for the season and there's more men and women around than there are boys and girls. There's a great atmosphere, it's a good place to be."

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