Cawley shocks home rival

LOCAL boxer Will Cawley upset the odds by overcoming Wayne Crolla at Fox ABC, Manchester, in their 42 kilo fight.

A member of the Oldham Boxing and Personal Development Centre, he used his powerful hooks to the head and body of his rival, combined with a high work-rate, to gain a much-deserved victory.

Will (14) was relentless in pursuit of Crolla, who was fighting on home ground. He adopted a sleek counter-punching style which relied equally on elusive foot work as it did aggression.

It was a unanimous decision in his favour from all three judges, and was an excellent victory for the teenager against an opponent who hails from a famous Manchester boxing dynasty.

Meanwhile, James Biddulph returned from a four-year absence from the ring to earn a comfortable victory over David Faulkner.

The fight, which took place at Rylands Rugby Club, Warrington, could have been over in the second round when Faulkner was given a standing eight count.

Biddulph (21), who only moved from Stoke nine months ago, is an exciting prospect and impressed with his performance in this bout.

On the same bill, Oldham Boxing and Personal Development stablemate Kamil Hayder suffered a defeat at the hands of the more seasoned Callum Burton in their non-title 33 kilo contest.

Burton was the favourite for the bout, having had 10 fights under his belt, but Hayder gave a good account of himself and will use this as valuable experience in his development.