TWO Stevenage ABC fighters gained valuable experience in the quarter-finals of the senior ABAs at the Liverpool Olympia. Terry Skipper (19) and 18-year-old Luke Gray were having their first tilt at the senior title against the cream of England s amateur b

TWO Stevenage ABC fighters gained valuable experience in the quarter-finals of the senior ABAs at the Liverpool Olympia.

Terry Skipper (19) and 18-year-old Luke Gray were having their first tilt at the senior title against the cream of England's amateur boxers.

Although both were stopped, the boxers proved their worth and will be able to use this experience for future ABA championships.

The pair joined the Stevenage club when they were aged 10 and have amassed nearly 100 bouts between them since then.

Skipper was in against Liverpool's big punching 31-year-old Mick Phillips (Vauxhall Motors) who was known to carry power in both hands.

In a contest that swung in favour of each of the two fighters at different times, Skipper put in the performance of his life.

He was 16-13 down going into the fourth round but he pulled level with a terrific effort only to walk on to a desperate punch.

The referee jumped in to stop the contest as a result.

Gray, boxing at light welterweight after reaching this stage with two excellent wins, was unfortunate to run into England's number one, the tall and rangy Scouser Nathan Brough.

Brough's experience told as Gray was stopped inside three rounds.

P Loz Bell was back in action for the club at Berringsfield on Saturday in a Golden Belt contest.

He was up against the powerfully built and undefeated Mitchell McCann from Watford ABC.

In the first round, Bell quickly showed McCann a lesson in controlled boxing, using his long jabs and hooks. He took the best punches that McCann could throw his way, scoring points and controlling the pace of the fight.

The second round was largely a repeat and the final round saw Bell throw a barrage of punches.

Bell even knocked McCann's headguard clean off with a vicious right hook.

McCann's strength was drained and Bell won by a unanimous decision.

Lewis Skinner faced the highly experienced West Ham fighter Billy Morgan in the quarter-finals of the junior ABA championships.

Morgan's vast experience was just too much although Skinner put up a gutsy display and never gave up. He gave Morgan no rest until the final bell with his opponent awarded the win.

Harry Marsh had the disappointment of his fourth fight on the trot being called off due to an opponent sustaining an injury. Although upset, Marsh is still training hard every day and looking to enhance his record of two fights and two stoppages.