Last Friday evening Michelle Chambers from Castlebar Boxing Club claimed the 54kg national intermediate title after a nail biting bout with Rosmary Doherty from Carndonagh Boxing Club in Donegal. Chambers got off to a great start with some great overhand rights to Doherty's head, and led at the end of the first round, 5-2. However in the second Doherty produced a great round of long range boxing to keep Chambers away, the score at the end of the second was 6-6. Chambers, now on the back foot, was feeling the pressure, the third round started the same way the second ended with Doherty in the ascendancy.
However Chambers was getting to grips with Doherty's long range tactics, the third ended on a score of 9-9. The fourth and final round was tit for tat, however both boxers were tiring, and the fight was becoming a scrappy affair. The referee cautioned both boxers for holding on a couple of occasions, but he decided to issue a public warning to Chambers with 30 seconds to go in the round, awarding two points to Doherty at that late stage which should have been the nail in Chambers’ coffin. However the Castlebar ace was having none of it, and in the last 10 seconds of the fight, Doherty relaxed, to her detriment. Chambers unleashed a three punch combination that brought her back into contention and afforded her a chance at a third title. Chambers won the title on a deserved 15 - 14 computer score. The coaching staff and all the members of the Castlebar Boxing Club extend their congratulations to Chambers for a fine performance in winning her third national title.
Another winner on the night was Michelle Lynch of the Golden Gloves Boxing Club, Belmullet, in the 57kg intermediate final. Other boxers to perform well but not come home with a title were Lisa Browne, Eagles Boxing Club, Westport, and Eamon Walsh, St Anne’s Boxing Club, Westport.
