Walcot boxer John Luke Bolton has reached the semi-finals of the Junior ABA Championships after a fine win at Bristol at the weekend, writes DAVE VEYSEY.

The 15-year-old overcame Brandon Fagan from Cheshunt ABC in a tough quarter-final encounter at Class 4 (54kg) After a slow start, Bolton found himself 5-2 down against the more experienced Fagan after the opening round.

However, the middle session saw the Commonweal School pupil raise his game.

Bolton came out all guns blazing in the second round and repeatedly landed fast double jabs and straight right hands.

His sensational second round effort saw him level the scores at 10 points apiece going into the crucial final round.

Both boxers pulled out all the stops in the final round as the pair gave their all.

The final round was a real crowd-pleaser but the deciding factor was Bolton’s superior fitness.

He attacked relentlessly until the final bell and managed to edge the contest by a single point 17-16.

Bolton’s coach Lionel McCrea was delighted with his boxer’s efforts and said: “That was a good, battling, performance from John Luke.

“It was a tough bout but he stuck to his task extremely well.”

Walcot chief coach Harry Scott was also pleased with his young charge.

Scott said: “John Luke’s hard work and dedication in the gym has paid off for him today.

“He is a really good lad and I am delighted for him.”

Clubmates Ryan Martin and Connor Wells also progress through to the semi-finals after receiving byes at this stage of the competition.