TALENTED teenagers Ethan Holt and Brandon Smith showed the future is bright for Barrow ABC with impressive winning performances.

Holt and Smith produced tidy displays to the appreciation of the sell-out crowd at the club’s annual charity show on Saturday evening.

It was a successful evening all-round for the Brook Street outfit, with seniors Jordan Dix, and Josh Jones, and super-heavyweight pair Andy Rawlinson and Jim Braithwaite also triumphant at Cloud 9.

Barrow ABC head coach Jeff Moses was proud of the efforts of all his 13-strong black and gold contingent who entered the ring. Rookies Dylan Maudsley, Louis Smith, Ella Gill and Connor Braithwaite acquitted themselves well, Ethan Doyle and Marc Smith worked hard in defeat, and debutant Phil Cubin gave it everything he had.

The host club’s first winner was 14-year-old Holt who earned a unanimous verdict over Wilson Davidson of Carlisle club Border City. Watched by his dad Darren, the former Barrow Raiders player and coach, Ethan produced an energetic and skilful display against a more-than-capable opponent.

Brandon Smith has made an eye-catching start to his boxing career, and that continued as he overcame a big height disadvantage to beat the rangy Ibraham Aslam of Moss Side Fire.

Busy south-paw Smith never let his opponent get a moment’s rest over the three rounds to collect an excellent unanimous points win. One of the best fights of the night saw Barrow’s Jordan Dix up against a very good opponent in Carl Howarth of Layton ABC.

This contest was nip and tuck all the way, with Vickerstown FC player Dix showing composure and patience alongside attacking prowess to edge it in a split decision. Another Brook Street fighter who showed intelligence in the ring was Josh Jones.

He took his time against the dangerous Ivan Kulbakov of Ambleside and Windermere ABC, to finish the stronger of the two and take a split decision win.

With four victories under their belts, the Barrow ABC contingent weren’t finished yet as Swarthmoor super heavyweights Andy Rawlinson and Jim Braithwaite put the icing on the cake. For the second year running Rawlinson earned the Frank Skyrme Memorial Trophy for best home boxer, with a unanimous victory over Layton ABC’s K Doran. The last bout of the evening saw Braithwaite avenge a recent defeat to big Damo Robinson of Clwyd with a well-deserved unanimous victory.

The first action of the evening had seen 11-year-old Maudsley out-fought but show plenty of guts, determination and promise in defeat to Border City’s John-Joe Carrigan.

The only female bout saw Gill and Moss Side’s Lauren Lees produce a great advert for women’s boxing. It was the Manchester fighter who took the victory, but the big hug they gave each other at the end of the third and final round, summed up their mutual respect after a really good contest. Another terrific scrap saw Louis Smith edged out in a split decision by Border City’s Kyle Lomas.

The Connor Braithwaite versus Robbie Davey bout was another evenly-matched affair, with the Border City boxer just shading it. Cubin put in a promising display on debut, but his non-stop attacking approach allowed Tameside Elite’s R Wooland to pick him off regularly and force two standing counts on his way to victory.

Doyle fought with skill and courage against Jake Holden but found his opponent a very tough nut to crack as the Currock House fighter took a unanimous win.

It was a similar story for Marc Smith who put in a hard-working shift, but the fast and elusive Pete Houten of Carlisle Villa won on a split decision.

As well as some great boxing, well refereed by Jimmy Brennan, the event also saw lots of money raised for local good causes, with compere Pete Murphy hosting an auction of boxing memorabilia.