Saluting the lords of the ring

Galashiels Boxing Club was handsomely represented in the event, at Ravenscraig Sports Arena in Motherwell.

Brothers Lex (40kg) and Max Rogerson (52kg), Davids Lukjanovs (69kg) and Arix Ross (60kg) stepped into the ring on behalf of the Borders club.

First up was Lex Rogerson and the local schoolboy boxed in a straight final against Justin Kelly of Shire Boxing Club.

A hard-fought final saw the Gala boxer coming out on top with a variation of punches and superior movement catching the judges’ eyes.

The Gala boxer earned a gold medal and Scottish title for his troubles.

On next was older brother Max Rogerson, also boxing in a straight final.

His opponent was Reece McCole of Greenock BC.

In a very close-fought contest, the judges gave the nod to the Greenock boxer, although Max’s coaches were more than pleased with his efforts and felt the bout could have gone either way.

There were lots of positives for him to take away.

Davids Lukjanovs was the third young fighter from the Gala Club, in the most competitive weight category in the tournament.

Davids and Gala coaches were optimistic, but it wasn’t to be this time.

Martin Nicholson, of D-Unit gym, came away with victory in the quarter-final with a higher volume of punches enough to snatch victory.

Arix Ross was last to box in a semi-final against David Mahon of Linwood Boxing Club.

First-class footwork and eye-catching combinations saw Arix claim a unanimous win and a place in the final.

This bout paired him with Aiden Brown of Springfield BC, who had also won his semi-final bout on Saturday.

The first round saw the Springfield boxer start more brightly, landing some clean shots early on.

The Gala boxer settled in to the bout in round two, landing some jabs and uppercuts of his own, coupled with some excellent head and foot movement which caused his opponent to miss the target on a number of occasions.

The Morrison & Murray apprentice found another gear in the final third round, with his fitness levels allowing him to showcase some blistering hand speed – resulting in another gold medal for Arix and the Gala club.

Galashiels BC chairman Danny Kelly Jnr said it had been a hugely successful competition for the Borders club, coming away with two Scottish Intermediate Champions and congratulated all four boxers and coaches for their continuous work.