Le Poullain and Teers both triumphant in Taunton
BILLY LE POULLAIN marked his rekindled love for boxing with a third elite and fourth career Western Counties title last weekend.
And, in another big win for the Guernsey Amalgamated Boxing Club, super-flyweight star Tommy Teers landed his own title in the development division of the same championships.
Both boxers relished hard-fought regional victories in Taunton and have paved their way to the ‘Nationals’ from next weekend onwards, which in Le Poullain’s case forms the road to a potential second Commonwealth Games appearance.
But taking a step back from all that, Le Poullain admits he is thoroughly enjoying these regular bouts after nearly two years out over lockdown.
‘The fight was good and I am back loving boxing again, which is a great thing,’ he said.
‘With boxing, I did not know how much I had left, having competed for 15 seasons, and I was not sure my head and my heart were in it.
‘But having had three fights in the last four weeks, I am really enjoying it.
‘I am just looking forward now to competing and trying to get to the next Commonwealth Games.’
Fighting at 75kg, Le Poullain went up against a tough, rugged opponent in James Livesey.
Livesey liked to come forward and had a high work rate, yet Le Poullain evaded well and out-manoeuvred his opponent to land the cleaner punches.
That was until the Guernseyman sustained a nasty gash above the eye in round three – similarly to his recent win at the domestic ‘Fright Night’ – but he still took the decision.
After adding to his Western Counties title stack, which also includes one junior triumph, he nevertheless paid tribute to clubmate Teers.
Teers took a points win against Jabal Akhtar after working ever so hard for it.
The Sarnian won the first two rounds only for his opponent to come on strong in the third, but Teers put in a superb winning performance in what was overall a great contest.
Le Poullain praised Teers’ work ethic as ‘second to none’ and admits he is inspired to work harder by his graft in the gym.
‘I hope this momentum can really catapult his boxing career and fast-track him to elite level,’ he said. ‘He is not an enormous way off, a bit more experience and he is going there.’
Once again GABC head coach Ben Duff, a ‘fanatical’ supporter according to a grateful Le Poullain, took time out to join his promising pugilists.
n The first round of ‘Nationals’ take place this coming weekend in Banbury and feed through to the quarter-finals, where a win would secure Le Poullain’s place at Birmingham 2022.
