Highland Boxing Academy duo build up to exciting summer for Inverness club with wins at Lochaber Phoenix show
Two of Highland Boxing Academy’s fighters continued their preparations for what could be a big summer for the club.
Joe Kinsella and Ralfs Mihalkins both travelled south to compete on Lochaber Phoenix’s recent Bouts of March show, and each got their hands raised in victory.
Mihalkins was the first to enter the ring against Lochee’s Cole Anderson, winning by unanimous decision after going the full three rounds.
Kinsella’s bout against Cain’s Noah Benshabat was more even, but it was still the Inverness athlete who came out on top, in his case by split decision.
“It was a perfect weekend for the club right across the board,” HBA head coach Liam Foy said.
“Ralfs was pretty good. He showed a great range of skills over all three rounds, and was boxing on the front foot and the back foot to show variation in his work.
“It was a really accomplished performance from him, and on the night he was probably one of the best performers in a HBA vest this season.
“Joe was in with a really good lad from Cain, and the first round was a bit of a chess match between the boys.
“Joe made his adjustments in the second round and started landing some shots and working a bit more, and then he really hammered it home with a solid third round.
“It was a really close fight, but I certainly felt he did enough in the second and third round. If we hadn’t got the decision, we would have been devastated, but we did.”
Both victories came off the back of a second Scottish title for the club’s professional, Ben Bartlett.
Foy, though, believes there are more good things to come in the next couple of months, with HBA’s regular home show coming up soon before a big competition in Fife comes on to the agenda.
Foy added: “There are loads of things coming up. We have a Box Cup in Beath in the summer that both of these boys will be eligible for, so these bouts gives them some preparation for that.
“We’ve also got our home show at the ice rink in May as well.
“It’s just great to get the team back out there off the back of Ben’s fight on Friday and get another two wins under the team’s belt on the road.”
