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MBBC's regional rumble

23/ 4/2008

MACCLESFIELD Boys’ Boxing Club coach Kevin Bradbury’s hard work was recognised by the East Lancs division, enlisting his expertise in an Isle of Man tournament.

Bradbury, along with two MBBC fighters, joined up with the team to travel to Douglas’ prestigious Hilton Hotel for an exclusive after-dinner show.

In the seventh bout of the evening, Macc’s Kirk Cranthorne took on Manx ABC’s Sean Askin.

Askin, a tall and rangy fighter, who recently won silver in recent championships in Denmark, was matched by Cranthorne in a gutsy battle.

Both boxers landed some clean combinations and the decision, which could easily have gone the other way, was awarded to the hometown fighter, who was the first to recognise his opponent’s role in the bout.

Josh Spence then faced another Manx fighter, Lee Ashton.

Spence used his style and technique to slow the pace of the fight, drawing his opponent in and countering well.

His strong hooks and straight back-hands caught Ashton every time and, though the Manx lad put up a good fight, the decision went Spence’s way after an excellent display.

Bradbury said: "This was an unbelievable experience and real eye-opener for all who attended and, although the East Lancs and Cheshire team lost five wins to four overall, this did not deter the feeling of achievement from the select team.

"The boxers in our team were all an absolute credit to their respective clubs who had put them forward as representatives.

"A big thank you must go to the hosts of the weekend, Manx ABC, who looked after us impeccably and also to East Lancs and Cheshire manager Adrian Flemming for having faith in Macclesfeild ABC to assist in such a prestigious event."