KBW boxer lands shock victory in 75kg debut bout
A Dewsbury boxer has progressed into the final of a prestigious amateur boxing competition after claiming a huge upset victory earlier this month.
Huzaifa Khan, fighting out of KBW Boxing, shocked the amateur circuit when he defeated English 75kg belt holder and national champion, Rhys Lewicki, in a thrilling CYP boxing Championships semi-final.
In a clash of West and South Yorkshire, Khan proved too tricky for his Sheffield opponent, taking the fight on a split decision after three action-packed, heavy-hitting rounds.
With 72 fights under his belt at 75kg, Lewicki was clear favourite to win at the start of the fight, yet Khan, who was making his debut in the weight category, clearly had other ideas.
From the first bell both men looked determined to land some big blows, exchanging two and three punch combinations throughout the first three minutes.
In what was a very explosive round, the competition was fierce yet Lewicki eventually seemed to get the better of the exchanges, doing just enough to clinch the points.
Both fighters began to slow at the sound of the first bell, yet coming out of their corners for the second round, Khan looked a new man, quickly closing down Lewicki and forcing him onto the back foot.
A spate of nicely placed combinations of uppercut and hooks drew blood from the English champ as his novice opponent equalled up the points and the rounds.
With one round a piece secured, both fighters knew that the decision rested on the last round to ensure a place in the Yorkshire final.
Both fighters returned to the mat for a third and final round to a loud roar from the crowd, with the contest perfectly setup for the many neutrals on the audience.
From the sound of the bell it was evident that both fighters were not going to let this go easy and for the duration of the three minutes each boxer exchanged blow after blow.
Khan seemed to grow into the fight the longer it went on and began to land the much cleaner combos while absorbing his opponents blows on his gloves.
The determined KBW star began to deliver a string of perfectly timed combinations, once again forcing Lewicki onto the back foot and ultimately on the ropes with some devastating body shots.
With both boxers looking exhausted, the final bell rang to a standing ovation from the audience.
With a split decision announced, Khan’s hand was raised by the referee, meaning he progresses through to the CYP Boxing Regional Final to face off against Shakeel Thompson from the Manor Boxing Academy.
