Quartermaine is not out of place among big-hitters

However, it was Cleary’s Gym boxer Danny Quartermaine, at a mere 59.2kg, who again caught the eye ahead of an expected England call-up.

In one of two curtain-raisers to the night, Quartermaine boxed the more experienced Isaac Draper from Stevenage.

Quartermaine was giving away weight to Draper, a national champion who has been in the ring with two of the best young boxers in the country at the moment in Dalton Smith and Charlie Kenny.

He refused to be overawed by Draper and looked to land the cleaner shots, but it was the Stevenage boxer’s refined style which got him the nod from the judges on a split decision.

However, despite the defeat and his fighter’s obvious disappointment at the call, coach Edwin Cleary believes Quartermaine deserves to be boxing in the same company as the likes of Draper, Smith and Kenny.

“Considering who he boxed, Dan did fantastically,” said Cleary.

“He’s now there competing at the top and he won’t be asked to give weight away like that in the National Championships later in the year.”

Fellow Cleary’s boxer Lewis Williams was also beaten on a split decision by Louis Phillips (Solihull), while Jamie Bannister stepped out of the corner and into the ring for his debut bout.

The Cleary’s coach showed good skills but tired in the third on his way to defeat.

Charlie Smith (Peacock) won the Dick Turpin Trophy for the best fighter of the night with a second-round stoppage against Mohammad Abbs (Royal Oak).

Smith sent Abbs to the canvas in both the opening rounds with clean left hooks.

In the final fight of the night, Hull’s Ryan Fuller (Vulcan) made another appearance in the district, outpointing Poole’s George Harvey as he prepares for his switch to the pro game.