Sensational Smith one step away from Worlds Medal

Mary Kate Smith got England Performance off to a stunning start on Day Three of the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, outclassing her opponent to take a unanimous points decision and step into the quarterfinals.

Smith faced Ukrainian Olha Pylypchuk in an Under 75kg contest and made an instant impact in the opening round, landing fast flurries and sharp uppercuts to edge it 3-2.

It was in the final two rounds that the Hook and Jab boxer really asserted herself, slipping shots and firing back with combinations. She outboxed her opponent in every department to secure a unanimous points victory and book her place in the quarterfinals.

Grace Buckle (Heart of Portsmouth) was the other Performance boxer in action, facing New Zealander Celine Danial Lee-Lo in an over 80kg contest.

Buckle looked to use her reach early, while her opponent pressed forward with bursts of aggression. After two close rounds, the contest was finely poised heading into the last.

A it drew to a close, it was evident that both boxers had left every ounce of themselves in that ring. The New Zealander took the contest on a narrow split, but Buckle can be proud of her Performance at the World Championships.

The day began with Kelsey Oakley (Priory Park ABC) against China’s Xinyu Qi at Female Under 51kg.

Oakley impressed in the opening round, boxing at range and landing her backhand to take it unanimously. Qi responded strongly in the second and, with everything on the line in the third, the decision narrowly went the way of the Chinese boxer.

Local favourite Odel Kamara raised the roof of the M&S Bank Arena in his Male Under 70kg contest with Shpetim Bajoku of Kosovo.

Backed by chants of “Odel,” the Liverpool boxer attacked relentlessly, landing powerful backhands and forcing multiple standing eight-counts. Though the bout wasn’t stopped, Kamara never looked troubled and claimed a dominant unanimous decision victory.

In the evening session, Lucy Kings-Wheatley (Acocks Green ABC) faced Belgium’s Chloe Rasquart in the Female Under 60kg category.

Producing clean and clinical work, Kings-Wheatley repeatedly caught her opponent with uppercuts and heavy shots. After forcing a standing eight count in the third round, the referee stepped in to halt the contest, handing her a commanding stoppage victory.

Late replacement Will Hewitt rounded off the day in a Male Under 60kg contest against Syria’s Mustafa Akraa.

Despite stepping in for the injured Jack Dryden, Hewitt looked composed and confident, outboxing his opponent across three rounds to secure a unanimous decision victory and cap off another strong day for England.

Six English boxers will take to the ring on Day Four, and you can keep up with all the action via the event hub.