Budding boxer's golden punch

Remember where you saw his name first, because Liam Joseph could be on his way to the top of the fight game after reaching the final of the fabled Golden Gloves Championships.

The 13-year-old fighter, based at Marlow Amateur Boxing Club, beat Mason Shaw from King Alfreds 3-1 in his semi-final in Aldershot, to reach the national final of the 108-year-old competition.

The tournament pits the best 12 to 14-year-olds from across Great Britain against each other and Joseph has fought his way to the final, which takes place on Saturday in Knottingley, Yorkshire.

The Marlow fighter edged a tight semi-final by keeping his opponent out of reach with his persistent left-jab.

A good left, right combination in the second round saw him collect valuable points that proved to be the difference.

Jack Wilson, head coach at Marlow ABC, is delighted with his latest protege.
He said: "You get boys who come into the gym, and you can just see they have got it.
"Sometimes you have to work hard to bring the talent out of them, but others have just got the natural talent. He is one of those boys."

Joeseph, who weighs in at 54 kilograms, now faces Huw Fury from Skirton, Liverpool, in the final and Wilson believes his young fighter has what it takes to take the title.

He added: "Liam has just to keep doing what he has been doing. To be honest we don't worry about the opponents, we just concentrate on what we are doing.
"I don't put boys into this competition unless I think they can win it."

His coach, who has been in his corner all the way through the rounds, believes he could even taste Olympic success in London 2012.

He added: "He won¹t be that far away if he keeps working hard. We can all dream, but it¹s about taking it bit by bit."