Returning Chantelle Reid edges closer to a World medal

Day Four of the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool proved a mixed one for England, with some superb victories balanced by narrow defeats at the M&S Bank Arena.

The highlight of the day came from Chantelle Reid, who continued her comeback journey by edging a thrilling split-decision win to move within touching distance of a World medal.

Chantelle Reid (Kode Red ABC) faced Poland’s Barbara Marcinkowska in a Female Under 70kg bout that had the crowd on its feet.

Reid started brightly, staying light on her toes and switching angles to land fast, clean combinations that saw her take the opening round 3-2. The contest caught fire in the second, with both boxers exchanging eye-catching blows in a round that again went Reid’s way on a split.

In the final round, the England Performance Senior Programme graduate showed her composure and power, landing the cleaner shots to seal a split-decision victory and move to within one win of guaranteeing a medal.

At Male Under 80kg, Dimeji Shittu (Five Star ABC) made a confident start to his Championships against Czechia’s Adam Hajek.

Using his long reach to dictate the contest, Shittu kept his opponent at range and landed cleanly throughout. By the third round, he was enjoying himself, boxing with class while conserving energy, and impressed all five judges to claim a unanimous decision victory.

Another first outing came for Patris Mughalzai (Powerday Hooks), who took on the USA’s Rene Camacho at Male Under 65kg.

Mughalzai used the opening round to assess his opponent, boxing on his toes and picking his spots carefully. With the lead going into the final round, he used his speed and movement to frustrate Camacho and skip his way to a composed points win.

After his impressive opening-day victory, Ellis Trowbridge (Surbiton ABC) was back in action at Male Under 55kg against Japan’s Rui Yamaguchi.

Trowbridge boxed neatly in the opener to take it on a split, but Yamaguchi responded strongly across the final two rounds. The clash of styles proved difficult to overcome, and Trowbridge fell to a unanimous decision defeat.

Elise Glynn (Darlaston ABC) endured a frustrating evening in her Female Under 57kg bout against Kazakhstan’s Karina Ibragimova.

Encouraged to engage from the outset, both boxers exchanged shots, but Ibragimova’s speed and accuracy edged the first round. Glynn came on stronger in the second and pressed hard in the third, but it wasn’t enough to overturn the deficit as the Kazakh claimed the win.

England’s Day Four finished with three wins from five contests, as Reid, Shittu, and Mughalzai progressed.

A busy schedule awaits on Day Five, with seven England boxers set to step into the ring, including Performance squad member Emily Asquith.