LAUNCESTON Amateur Boxing Club saw three of their senior boxers — Liam Smith, Dan Smith and Ryan Cook — travel to Emeralds Boxing Club’s latest show at the Chippenham and District Constitutional Club in Wiltshire on Saturday, February 17, managing to bring back two wins to North Cornwall.

It was a long night for the boxers as they were scheduled to box in three of the last four contests on an 18-bout line-up.

Welterweight Dan Smith was the first man to get in the ring for Launceston as he faced the recently crowned national champion Jack Silk from the Lympstone Amateur Boxing Club in Devon.

This contest was taken at last minute for the Bude-based Launceston boxer and was always going to be a tough ask due to Smith’s two year absence from the ring. Nevertheless, Smith welcomed the challenge.

As expected, Smith struggled with a bit of ring rust and his opponent clearly had the edge on snap and speed but Smith’s superior strength and determination kept him a danger in the contest for the full three rounds.

In the end he lost out to a unanimous points decision, however this will make a great rematch once Smith is firing on all cylinders.

Next up for Launceston saw Smith’s twin brother Liam, who’s also a world ju-jitsu champion, making his fourth appearance in an amateur boxing ring in a welterweight contest against local boy and big punching Sam Miller from the Emeralds club. Smith boxed at long range staying out of the way of Miller’s mighty right-hand bombs and landed thunderous right-hand counters of his own.

Both boxers had their successes connecting with right-hand leads to the body and head.

The Launceston boxer’s defences were sound throughout the contest and the final bell saw Smith’s hand raised as the winner on a majority points decision.

Top of the bill saw the rematch between Launceston’s light-middleweight Ryan Cook and Kesar Singh from the Emeralds club. This was a far harder encounter than their previous battle (which saw Cook victorious) as the Cornishmen’s fitness let him down badly.

Both boxers had little bits of success against each other but the very awkward Singh elected to hold and spoil for most of the contest.

Cook was fortunate to have boxed his way to a majority points win. Once he completes his roadwork he will come back fitter, faster and stronger.

Trainer, Des Charnock, was pleased with his boxers, and said:

“There’s lots more to come from the Launceston boxers with shows scheduled every weekend from now until June with the Launceston club aiming to be on most of them.”