The 113th Men’s Varsity Match - By Aiden Cope, VM 111 and President 2018-19
7th MArch 2020, OXford Town Hall
On March 7th 2020 the stage was set for a significant chapter in the 124 year old Men’s Varsity Boxing series. The 113th edition of the longest running inter-club amateur competition in the world would decide which team took the overall lead, after two Cambridge victories in a row had brought the series back level.Unfortunately, despite a great deal of work and unprecedented cooperation and communication between the committees of CUABC and OUABC, it was not possible to agree terms to stage a Women’s Varsity match this year. There is well-founded hope that progress will continue to be made and the Women’s series will soon re-commence to give women boxers from both clubs the opportunity to compete on this most intense stage. OUABC did stage four inter-club women’s bouts prior to the Men’s Varsity this year. This demonstrated the commitment of their women boxers but also underlined the frustration for them in not being matched against the equally ready CUABC women boxers.
Featherweight (57kg)
Matthew Proctor vs Rafael Bertoli-Mitchell
Raf began the night with a standout performance, capping a great season for him in which he was matched in competitive bouts all season. On this night his movement, timing and speed were far too much for Proctor throughout the bout. Other than a brief effort at the beginning of the second round when he valiantly threw everything he had at Raf, the OUABC boxer was left punching thin air and chasing the skilful and composed Bertolli-Mitchell. A classy performance from the CUABC featherweight took the score the 0-1.
Lightweight (60kg)
Mu-Huan Lee vs Athithyan Chellappa
In a replay of last year’s very entertaining Lightweight bout, Athi faced a very tough, fit and strong OUABC boxer who also appeared to have improved in the last twelve months. However, Chellappa’s unorthodox footwork generated angles which proved difficult for Lee to get to grips with and Athi’s widely varied punch selection took him to a clear win against a worthy opponent. 0-2 Cambridge.
Light Welterweight (63.5kg)
Benjamin Penny vs Callum Nicolas
A hard-fought light-welterweight bout kept all in attendance on the edge of their seats next as Nicolas and Penny traded hard shots throughout the three rounds. Callum was able to land hard straight shots throughout the contest but Penny often had a response and was able to frequently counter. A very closely fought bout which could have gone either way, but Penny took the win to bring Oxford back into the contest and dispel the possibility of a whitewash- 1-2.
Welterweight (67kg)
David Kim vs Matthew Elliot
Matt Elliot was back to his best after a flat performance in his Town vs Gown bout in February, proving far too much for Oxford’s David Kim. Elliot’s head movement, forward pressure, aggression and strength left few openings for Kim and when the OUABC boxer tried to meet Matt head on he was pushed back with ease. A fantastic performance by Matt Elliot in which the referee must be given credit for allowing the boxers to work up close. Matt’s clean punching on the inside and sheer strength made it his fight from the opening bell- 1-3.
Light Middleweight (71kg)
Stanislas Dumas vs Sebastian Dex
Seb returned at a lighter weight for this year’s Varsity and put in another valiant and entertaining effort. As always, Dex brought fire and fury to this bout and fought hard throughout but ultimately came up short against a composed and strong OAUBC boxer in Dumas. The Cambridge lead narrowed to 2-3.
Middleweight (75kg)
Max Jenkins vs Alexander Stoilov
The CUABC Men’s Captain, Alexander Stoilov put in another great performance in his bout, extending his unbeaten record and taking his third Varsity win in a row. Stoilov’s precise footwork and effortlessly varied punching resulted in the familiar scene of Stoilov stalking an opponent under immense pressure. The move up to Middleweight has suited the CUABC technician as his punch power was clear to see, bolstering his accuracy and tenacity. A win which was never in doubt, against an opponent with a winning record, took Cambridge to within one win for the outright victory. 2-4.
Middleweight (75kg)
Oxford Boxer vs Marcus Parkes
Marcus began his bout looking strong and throwing clean, straight punches. However, he was open to the same shots in response and took a standing count. It was clear that Marcus was not hurt, and was perhaps even landing the harder shots in this bout. Unfortunately, the punches that Parkes was taking often threw his head back and Oxford Boxer racked up standing counts in his favour until the bout was waved off. The OUABC boxer performed well against a very strong middleweight, keeping his composure in the face of accurate and hard right hands to keep himself in the fight and take the win by stoppage- 3-4.
Light Heavyweight (81kg)
Ben Spencer vs James Lee
CUABC President James Lee was also competing in his third Varsity bout for CUABC and had dropped 10kg to contest the light-heavyweight bout. OUABC’s Spencer had fought valiantly last year against the CUABC men’s captain and proved his grit by returning to the competition despite being hugely outclassed in his last attempt. James is a notoriously slow starter but found his rhythm relatively quickly without rushing his work. It was soon clear that his pressure, head movement, and clean punching, particularly his work to the body, would be decisive in the outcome of this bout and Lee won a unanimous points decision to clinch the 113th Men’s Varsity! A fitting end to a spectacular season for the CUABC President! 3-5.
Heavyweight (91kg)
Axel Forssberg vs Alistair Greenwood
Finally, the big boys were up to finish the evening! Although the outcome was already decided, Forssberg had the chance to keep the score tight and prevent the third 6-3 victory in a row for Cambridge. However, Greenwood had other ideas and met the OUABC heavyweight with a crunching southpaw straight left to start proceedings. Alistair then settled into a relaxed and loose boxing style, refusing to be drawn into the slugfest that Axel desired and where Alistair usually flourishes! Instead, Greenwood used feints, neat sidesteps, and a fantastic quick jab to maintain the distance and take control of the first round. When Forssberg really turned up the heat and rushed at Greenwood with flurries of punches, the CUABC boxer neatly responded with a thunderous right hook which heavily dropped the OUABC boxer. Most satisfyingly, Greenwood immediately returned to his boxing and saw the round out in control. A second hard fought round followed and Axel proved game and strong. The third round saw both boxers looking tired but determined to finish well. Ultimately, Greenwood’s composure, clean punching and judgement of distance saw him emerge as the deserved victor. 3-6 Cambridge!
In summary, OUABC once again brought a team of boxers in excellent physical condition and their performances deserve praise. Even during bouts in which they were severely outclassed not one of them gave up fighting. They proved a tough team to beat once again but were ultimately undone by the more skilled, composed and diverse CUABC boxers. Once again, the flexibility of the CUABC team was evident, underwritten by composed coaches in the corner. CUABC were clearly the better side once again, bringing boxers with skill, fitness and variety to walk through a tough and fit, but limited, OUABC team. We look forward to Varsity next year in Cambridge and sincerely hope that women from both clubs get the opportunity to compete in this amazing event.
'India's First Cambridge Blue' - By Sebastian Pender, VM 105 & VM106
24 February 2018 (First printed 31st JANUARY 2015)
Paresh Lal Roy represented CUABC in 1914 and won his bout to become India’s first Cambridge Blue. Educated at London’s St Paul’s School, Roy learnt how to box as a school boy and won the Public School Championships at Featherweight before joining Trinity College, Cambridge. Following WWI, during which Roy served in the Royal Artillery, he returned to India where he continued to box.
On one particularly memorable occasion some years later in Calcutta, Roy was watching a large boxing show held at the Empire when the withdrawal of one of the boxers prompted Roy to ‘gulp down his scotch and soda’ before stripping down to his underpants and volunteering to replace the injured boxer. As one surprised member of the crowd later recounted, those at ringside watched incredulously as ‘dress bow, stiff shirt and dress suit were peeled off and into the ring stepped a man with black silk socks and patent leather shoes’.
If the build up was surprising then the result was unbelievable. Wearing just his pants and patent leather shoes, the slightly built and intoxicated Roy looked like an easy target for his experienced and much larger opponent, however in the very first round, Roy delivered a series of unanswered blows which left his opponent face down on the canvas and the referee scrambling to pull the ‘little Indian’ off his powerfully built opponent.
Though never turning professional, Roy perhaps showed the extent of his sporting prowess when, in 1924, he fought Edgar Bright, the reigning Bantamweight Champion of India. Knocking him down repeatedly including, on one occasion, through the ropes and into the crowd, the controversial decision in favour of Bright was probably more a reflection of the political climate than of the fight itself.
Today, Roy is remembered by many as the ‘father of Indian boxing’, less for his time in the ring and more for a lifetime spent popularising the sport in the subcontinent. With a number of monuments dedicated to his memory, and with a large stadium named after him, Roy is rightly remembered among the greatest of CUABC’s alumni.
Heavyweight Blue turns 100
28tH October 2017
CUABC is pleased to announce the 100th birthday of John Hockman, who fought at heavyweight in the 1939 Varsity Match. John is pictured above wearing the original 1896 CUABC tie, sent as a gift from the Club. Also pictured is his 1939 Varsity team photo and match reports from The Times and Varsity.
John was educated at Bradfield School, where he was captain of boxing and swimming. He studied at at Jesus from 1936 to 1939, and was elected to the Hawks Club in October 1939. His proposed was P. E. Templar, and his seconder was Alan Burrough. Alan was also a Jesuan and a very fine rower, winning the Diamond Skulls at Henley, also possessing a distinguished war record. He was subsequently MD of Burroughs Gin.
The Club is grateful to Tim Ellis at the Hawks Club for providing this information.
A Report on the Annual Dinner at the Oxford & Cambridge Club
21st October 2017
Report by James Kuo
Each year, we host the Annual Dinner at the Oxford & Cambridge Club in London.
Organised by former CUABC President and Varsity-winning welterweight Billy Fitton, the event was a great success, with a broad range of former boxers and coaches alike in attendance. In his absence, the host for the evening was Judah Aiyenuro, winner of the 2017 Varsity heavyweight bout and the self-proclaimed 'Gentle Beast'. After welcoming the alumni, he outlined the latest developments at the club, including the record-breaking turnout at trials and the exponential growth of interest in women's boxing, both competitive and recreational.
Just before dessert, Rupert Wise delivered a speech on the lessons he learned from his harrowing 13-day experience as a hostage of the Iranian authorities. Eloquent and entertaining in equal measure, he impressed upon the diners the fact that morale is something to be trained like a sharp jab - that is to say, drilled over and over again. His speech was received with rapturous applause, and will certainly be a hard act to follow next year.
Thanks go to all those in attendance, as well as the Oxford & Cambridge Club for their accommodation of CUABC. Special thanks go to Billy Fitton and Judah Aiyenuro for organising and promoting the dinner itself. The guest list and menu can be found below.
If you are an alumnus/alumna of CUABC and would like to join us for next year's Alumni Dinner, please write to us expressing your interest using the digital form here.
Wine
Le Blanc du Grand Barrail, Ctes du Blaye (France 2016)
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo "Il Faggio" (Italy 2016)
Menu
Trio of Goat's Cheese with Dill Pink Peppercorns and Sesame seeds
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Roast Rump of Lamb with Parsley Crust and Honey Roasted Shallots, Dauphinoise Potatoes and French Beans served with a Madeira Sauce
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Passion Fruit Tart with Roasted Peanut Crumb served with Pistachio Ice Cream
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Coffee and Club Mints
Guest List
Leslie Quie
Jim Coke (+1)
Gaia Laidler
Robert Davies
Nick Bashall
Simon Lehnis
Shaun Ryles
Barnaby Bazell
Charles Garraway
John Lacy (+1)
Will Rees (+1)
Luke Smith
Qingzhi Smith
David Hitchcock
Rupert Wise
Jess Murphy
Jas Birk
John Walker
Ben Blowes & Dolph
David Freeland
Irfan Ahmed
Current Boxers
Judah Aiyenuro
James Kuo
Harry Holdstock
Elliot Teboth
Oliver Smith
Aiden Cope
Ciaran Hill
Current Coaches
Lee Mitchell
Kevan & Julie Murphy
Will Davies (+1)
David Richards