Awesome foursome get Barrow boxing club off to flying start

The father-and-son pairing of Jim and Connor Braithwaite, plus youngster Cameron McBain and the promising Mike McGoldrick were all triumphant for the Brook Street stable at The Cliffs Hotel, Blackpool.

Twelve-year-old sporting all-rounder McBain, who also plays rugby league and takes part in banger racing, got the evening off to a winning start for the Black and Golds with victory over Isaac Bindloss, of Penrith Elite Community BC.

Barrow ABC head coach Jeff Moses said: “He did really well because he gave away height and a little bit of weight.

“Cameron plays rugby for Roose and he does his banger racing as well, so he is not really fazed by it, whereas some kids are. All kids get nervous but Cameron has such a busy week it’s not as daunting for him as it is for some kids who only play one sport.

“He is spread all over and we are lucky that he is like that.”

Next up was 13-year-old Connor Braithwaite, who earned a split-decision verdict over Lewis Watson, of Penrith.

“It was good to have lads and dads on the same bill,” Moses said of the Braithwaite contingent.

“The other lad had a little bit more experience than Connor but he worked hard and got stuck in. He has matured over these past 12 months. Kids go through a phase when they are not quite sure what is going on and then it all falls into place. That’s the stage Connor is at now. I can only see him progressing now, the more bouts he has. He worked hard and it paid off for him.”

After seeing his son triumphant, dad Jim also did the business – beating Lewis Moran, of Penrith, in their heavyweight clash to reclaim his title as the unofficial ‘king of Swarthmoor’ – a joke he shares with Brook Street stablemate Andy Rawlinson.

“Jim and Andy Rawlinson are both from Swarthmoor so one of them is the king of Swarthmoor until the next one wins!” said Moses.

He added of Braithwaite’s stoppage win: “He is more relaxed now because the more bouts he is having, the more experience he is getting.

“You have to give the other lad his due because he did come looking for a scrap and caught Jim a couple of times. But Jim’s experience shone through because he didn’t fly in as fast. He took his time, picked his shots, and let some big bombs go.

“The lad had a standing count in the first round, and then another standing count early in the second round and then he got stopped.”

The best contest of the night saw Barrow ABC’s Mike McGoldrick earn a revenge win over Carl Howarth, of Layton ABC, whom he had lost to in a cracking bout two months ago at the annual Barrow ABC charity show.

This time, McGoldrick earned a split decision in what was a ferocious battle of two evenly-matched and skillful fighters which earned a standing ovation from the Blackpool crowd.

“It was a belting scrap, the best fight of the night,” said Moses.

“It pays off that the gym doesn’t shut during the holidays so the boxers don’t stop going at full pace. Mike had kept himself in shape for that bout over Christmas and it’s a good job or matey-boy would definitely have beaten him.

“It was that tight that they couldn’t give each other three or four seconds or the other would have taken advantage. It was toe to toe, non-stop, but it was very tidy. The referee didn’t have to do anything. They both got on with it, working from the body up top. They both got marked up and it was close, but Goldie was at a higher standard.”

McGoldrick will be taking on Howarth again in Carlisle on Tuesday, January 24 to complete a best-of-three series. Other Barrow ABC fighters are back in the ring soon, with Ethan Doyle and Jim Braithwaite in action at the annual Grange Freemasons show next weekend, and McBain climbing through the ropes again in Irlam on Sunday, January 29.

Meanwhile, Barrow ABC product Ross Cooksey could be set for his professional debut in March. Cooksey still trains at Brook Street during the week, but spends his weekends in Manchester with the legendary Jimmy Egan stable, with whom he is now signed on as a pro.