Three left in as Ryan Tyrer is edged out
Ryan Tyrer was left aggrieved by the manner of his exit from the England Youth Championships - but three Shropshire fighters are still left in the competition.
Tyrer tumbled out on a hotly-disputed split decision in the latest area round at the Wallace Centre in Stoke-on-Trent last Sunday,
The southpaw from Tristan Davies' Donnington Boxing Club thought he had done enough after scoring a knockdown in the last round.
The first national tournament on the unpaid boxing calendar for 2016 continued, at the same venue which will also host the West Midlands finals on Sunday.
A single age range - born in either 1998 or 1999 - houses the hopefuls, who have been split into weight classes before being whittled down. Bouts take place over three, three minute rounds.
Tyrer stepped through the ropes with Ben Edwards, from Hall Green in Birmingham, for a place in the area decider at 56kg.
The left-hander came back and forth as he controlled the first round, keeping his opponent at close quarters, before Edwards chased the fight in the second.
Pressure from the Brummie turned the tide in that round but backfired in the third as he walked onto a counter punch, a back hand with that trademark left, that dropped him.
He answered the count and carried on to see the final bell, with the three judges called into play to decide the victory. They went with Edwards on a split.
Davies said: "I thought it was Ryan's win all day long. It was the best performance I've seen from him in this event.
"The other lad pushed him back a bit from the second, knowing he was behind. Then he's put him over and it still wasn't enough."
Wellington Boxing Academy duo Idris Mohammed and Husan Hussain join Hadley's Akash Tuqir, who represents Merridale in Wolverhampton, are still in Youth contention.
Mohammed and Hussain benefitted from byes after their opponents pulled out last weekend which, in the case of the Wellington prospect, brought him welcome respite.
Mohammed had boxed three times in six days just to get that far at a jam-packed 64kg, taking the first two outings unanimously before battling to a split.
He was due to box again against Connor Goodchild, from Small Heath in Birmingham, who was ruled out through illness. He will now tackle Kaash Buttery, from Tom Lowe in Stoke, on Sunday.
Hussain, Wellington's first national champion in the England Juniors last year, is preparing for a straight area final against he Second City's Lewis Coley at 49kg.
Tuqir walked over when Burton's Shazad Amran withdrew in a three-pronged 52kg. The reigning European Youth champion will now take on Hall Green's Zach Davis, with both fighters fresh.
The experienced Tyrer, who has 27 wins and now 15 defeats from 42 bouts in the vest and headguard, had recorded two unanimous wins in Youth action.
The 16-year-old will be back in the ring for Donnington's club show at the Telford district's Sports & Social Centre on February 20.
The previous Saturday, the venue will again host national championship boxing, when the first area round of the England Junior competition takes place.
The host club's Bradley Thompson will be entered, having travelled up from 34kg to 42kg after a growth spurt. He reached an England Schools national final last year.
