A stunning night of boxing saw a decisive 7-3 victory for the University in the annual ‘Town vs Gown’ clash at the Guildhall last Thursday.

With both sides locked at 2-2, it was difficult to determine whose favour the contest would swing in, but four consecutive wins for the gown in the ensuing bouts proved the difference.

After Xiaofeng Li’s impressive victory against Hayes ABC's Charlie Smith in the opening bout, the town quickly leveled the score as Wais Ahmed landed some huge blows on Aron Schleider, the Varsity veteran’s corner throwing in the towel before the end of the first round.

Light-middleweight Rob Liu took the University into the lead for the second time in a fast-paced bout against Hayes’s Vish Parma, as he combined good defence with well-timed combinations and hooks to win a unanimous decision after three rounds, before Ryan Williams restored parity for the town in a heroic bout with Will Wakeford. Running out from the bell to trade hard shots, Williams left his opponent with a bloody nose after the first round before landing some superb shots to overcome a remarkable display of determination from the University boxer.

From then on, it was all about the Gown, as Daphne Tsalli dismantled the defenses of the less tidy Maria Cawie with fast combinations and crisp jabs, taking the University into a 3-2 lead which was extended when Borna Guevel went toe-to-toe with Stevenage ABC’s Wayne Gibbons. In the early exchanges of a furious middleweight contest, Gibbons threw a flurry of punches that were repeatedly thwarted by the club captains’s superb footwork, before Guevel, taking the view that attack is the best form of defence, stayed close to land some stinging body shots in the second round. Digging deep for energy in a third round which saw both men visibly drained from the pace of the fight, Guevel was overall the sharper of the two, reflected in the majority verdict for the gown.

Stefan Lavelle won his debut fight for the University, using his long jab and excellent footwork to excellent effect to defeat Sergio Pita of the Cambridgeshire Police, before Will Nyerere-Plastow took Cambridge into an unassailable 6-2 lead in a superb contest with Kieron Mannion.  Nyerere-Plastow's speed and fitness were devastating, landing vicious blows seemingly at will. His opponent fought hard, but couldn't match the University fighter's excellent range and agility. A stunning performance won him a unanimous decision, as well as the ‘Fighter of the Night’ award.

There was time for a consolation victory for the town as Dan Fountain was sent to the canvas in the first round of his debut heavyweight bout, but the night ended on a high for the University as Tinashe Murozoki came out on top in a hard-fought contest with Tom Boyce.

The victory was the second consecutive success under Head Coach Lee Mitchell, who spoke after the contest: “There were some tough bouts, which I am pleased about. I think our boys can feel pretty confident in the run up to the Varsity Match”.