Boxer is back on trackA WALTHAM Abbey boxer who had to stop fighting whilst having to wear a brace on his teeth has come straight back to win a National Amateur Boxing Championship (NABC) title and a gold medal at a Multi National Competition.

15-year-old Ryan Pickard had to put his boxing career on hold after winning a British School Boys title in March last year to get the brace fitted and has only been back in action since September.

But Ryan, who fights in the under-60 kilo division, showed that he had lost none of his old presence in the ring when he beat Liverpool's Chris Mullins recently to win the NABC title and then added a gold medal four days later at a Multi National event in Denmark.

The delighted youngster said: "It was annoying not being able to box because all I wanted to do was start training again, but I just treated it as a rest and got back to it as soon as I could.

"I was really happy to return like this, and it was great to win these to events because when you haven't been in the ring for 18 months you get a bit ring rusty.

"Normally it takes a while to get the sharpness back, but I have had four fights and it has gone really well."

Ryan, who trains at the famous Repton Boxing Club in Bethnal Green, now hopes to go all the way to the top.

He continued: "If I am still winning titles when I am older, it would be a dream come true to turn professional and continue to win."

December 21, 2001 15:31