CROWDS gathered for a lively evening of amateur boxing featuring 16 matches at the packed-out ballroom at Carlisle Crown and Mitre Hotel. 

The event, hosted by Carlisle Villa Amateur Boxing Club, saw 16 closely contested bouts, eight of which saw wins for the hosting club.

The night opened with a non-scoring skills bout involving Villa's Harley McNeil and Campbell Smith from Keir Hardy, Motherwell.

Head coach Jimmy Brennan said the fight 'whet the appetite' for the sellout crowd. 

"The future is certainly bright for these two youngsters," he said. 

Villa got their first win with 11-year-old Danny Salisbury, whose impressive work rate led to a unanimous decision win against Leigh ABC's Kylan Rimmer.

This trend continued with Callum Routledge showcasing his effectiveness at range against Meadowbank boxer Rhys Whitticker, winning their contest through unanimous decision.

The night saw some reversals, with Ollie Jemilijanovas losing after a slow start and Nathan Graham falling short after an initially positive first round.

Villa's fortunes remained high as Watson Miller used his reach advantage to notch up a win against Halton Riverside's Joe Unsworth, with Henry Richardson and Jack Holden both securing victories in hard-fought battles.

The only female bout of the evening saw Villa's Brodie Stephenson dominate against Thetford Town's Simona Zavicka, winning unanimously on the scorecards of all three judges.

The night concluded with a show between David Quinn and Waseem Anaib from Robroy Boxing Club, with Anaib emerging as the victor by a close unanimous points decision.

The night also included award presentations.

The Best Schoolboy award was snapped up by James Maughan, Watson Miller clinched Best Junior, while Best Youth/Senior and the Andrew Charters memorial shield went to Brodie Stephenson.

James Maughan, however, triumphed against taller opponent Seppy Watts from High Fell, Gateshead, using sharp shots to both the head and body, earning his win via unanimous decision.

Nail-biting bouts continued including Adi Jemilijanovas, who turned a prior loss into a win, and a tense bout featuring Johnpaul Miller and Glasgow's Campbell Sutherland which ended narrowly in favour of the Scot.