Boxing: Show experience 'invaluable' for next generation

Island fighters will face an East Midlands team in Douglas this weekend

Fight shows like the one taking place on Island this weekend are 'invaluable' experience for the next generation of local boxers, according to one of the Island's leading coaches in the sport.

Manx ABC is hosting the inaugural Manx Challenge Cup this Saturday (22 February) at the Villa Marina in Douglas where an Isle of Man squad will take on a select team from the East Midlands.

The variety of different ages and abilities to compete this weekend ranges from skills bouts for the youngest athletes up to senior showdowns at lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight.

With the club now in double figures for the shows its held, coach Peter Roberts says there's a 'conveyor belt' of new talent in the sport both at Manx ABC and across the Isle of Man in general:

The night will feature 17 bouts in total with team Isle of Man captained by Tom Murray who's set to be involved in the final, feature fight of the evening.

In that, Murray is scheduled to take on Alfahyid Hafiz in a three-round Elite Light Heavyweight showdown.

Elsewhere, there's a senior female contest on the cards at Lightweight with local fighter Alisha Craine facing off against Charlotte Spenser.

Ringside tickets are sold out but tickets seated elsewhere on the night are still available from the Villa Marina - doors for the event will open at 6pm with the 'first bell' at 7pm.

Meanwhile, you can see the full bout schedule below:

Manx Challenge Cup - Isle of Man vs East Midlands (22-2-25)

Skills Bout (Three Rounds)

Stanley Fick (Manx ABC) vs Sam Watkin (The Solly ABC)

Skills Bout (Three Rounds)

Ronan Philbin (Manx ABC) vs Frankie Regan (Birkenhead Venture)

Schools Bout (Three Rounds)

Cormac Farrel (Willaston ABC) vs Ijaaz Khalled (EM Select)

Schools Bout (Three Rounds)

Louis Graham (Manx ABC) vs Rayan Khan (EM Select)

Junior Bout (Three Rounds)

Jack Moore (Manx ABC) vs Bobby Thomas Foster (EM Select)

Junior Bout (Three Rounds)

Drew Suwinski (Manx ABC) vs Ethan Kettleborough (EM Select)

Junior Bout (Three Rounds)

Josh Duggan (Manx ABC) vs Harlan Murray (EM Select)

Junior Bout (Three Rounds)

Harley Suwinski (Manx ABC) vs Joe-Lewis Wilshire (EM Select)

Female Junior Bout (Three Rounds)

Amy Haywood (Manx ABC) vs Isobel Priestley (EM Select)

Junior Bout (Three Rounds)

Dara Bailey (Manx ABC) vs Leighton Forbes (EM Select)

Junior Bout (Three Rounds)

Xander Sutherlands (Manx ABC) vs Alfie Atterby (EM Select)

Youth Bout (Three Rounds)

Keelan Redfern (Manx ABC) vs Tommy Collins (EM Select)

Senior Female Lightweight Bout (Three Rounds)

Alisha Craine (Manx ABC) vs Charlotte Spenser (EM Select)

Senior Light Middleweight Bout (Three Rounds)

Pedro Cardoso (Manx ABC) vs Emmanuel Appiah (EM Select)

Senior Light Heavyweight Bout (Three Rounds)

James Drewery (Manx ABC) vs Abel Ondaye (EM Select)

Senior Heavyweight Bout (Three Rounds)

Adam French (Manx ABC) vs Elliot Harris (EM Select)

Senior Elite Heavyweight Bout (Three Rounds)

Tom Murray (Manx ABC) vs Alfahyid Hafiz (EM Select)