All at Ilkeston’s Trinity Boxing Club are celebrating another major title coming to the club as Dylan Brown brought home the English National Youth Title at 80kg.
“Everyone is absolutely delighted,” said head coach Scott Rafferty. “Dylan is the fifteenth boxer from Trinity to have won a national title. Last year he’d reached the national semi-final, and this year Dylan had fought his way to the final winning five contests on consecutive weekends to earn his place in the final at the Arena sports stadium in Kettering.”
Dylan’s opponent was Kevin Tuebang of Black Country Boxing Academy in Wolverhampton. Tuebang is the current West Midlands champion and Dylan, who’s 17, the East Midlands champion so the bout also decided who is the regional champion. Tuebang’s always a formidable opponent who showcases well-honed boxing skills which allowed Dylan to demonstrate what a technically competent boxer he is. Our boxer was already forging ahead at the end of the first round and as the bout progressed the opponent tried to pull Dylan into a scrap. He resisted and scored solid shots. The fight ran the risk of descending into a wrestling match which saw both boxers get a warning from the referee, but Dylan kept at it and was delighted to get a points win.”
Seventeen-year-old Dylan lives in Long Eaton with his parents and siblings. Younger brother Luca, 15, also boxes for Trinity and reached the East Midlands final at the same competition. “I’m ambitious and hope to get selected for England Boxing’s elite amateur squad based in Sheffield at The National Institute for Sport. This could be a pathway into international boxing. Maybe the GB Olympics boxing squad. After that I might see about professional boxing. I love testing myself against the best of the best in sparring. I look up to my boxing heroes Ukraine’s Vasiliy Lomachenko and Russia’s Dmitry Bivol both Olympic and world champions with such highly developed boxing skills.”
“This boy’s been with Trinity for three years,” continued Rafferty. “Coaches Joe Henshaw and Jamie Chatburn have helped his development as has our club captain Quinn Raeside. Dylan’s a valued member of the team always helping younger boxers. He enjoyed massive support in his bout from clubmates, family and friends celebrating his achievement with them after the gold medal was presented.”
Trinity Boxing Club was established in 1975 by Rafferty’s father and uncle and celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year. “It started out at Trinity Church in Cotmanhay and apparently on opening day they were overwhelmed as a hundred or so locals turned up to train. We’re community oriented and we’ve now got fifty or so paying £5 each week for three sessions. We’re now based at Quarry Hill Industrial Park are sponsored by Lee Parker’s company MMP Construction whose downstairs space we use. We welcome new members from 11 through 30.”
Rafferty took over as club leader and head coach in 1992. “We’re planning a celebration tournament on Friday 21st November at the Festival Inn, our show venue these last 15 years. Dylan and his clubmates will be in action. All Trinity’s former competitive club boxers are invited to claim a golden ticket allowing complimentary entry.”
