Dillon's nation title walkover victory

Jun 5 2007 By John Gibson, The Evening Chronicle

Newcastle's Anthony Dillon has become the North East's only national Novices champion - without pulling on a glove!

Dillon, from the North Benwell club, took the gold medal because his opponent in the finals at Portsmouth was forced to pull out.

He is the area's only success story, with Spennymoor's Abudabar Ajisafe losing in Portsmouth.

Dillon's most spectacular victory came on home soil at Newbiggin in the quarter-finals when he stopped the Southern Counties champion Surjat Popat in the second round before a star-studded audience including four former world champions.

"Anthony hadn't won a fight when he first came to our gym," said coach Steve Cranston. "We're absolutely delighted for him and proud to have a national champion."

The North East have a good smattering of ABA champions attempting to be selected in England's squad for the European Schoolboy Championships in Portsmouth from August 30 to September 8.

They include Birtley's Billy Dean Dolan, George Bannister (Grainger Park), Joshua Kelly (Sunderland), Ben Jackson and Jack Coglan (Spennymoor), and Callum Quarmby (Hetton Town).

They will have to box off at the end of this month or beginning of next to make the prestigious Euro championships.

Birtley have withdrawn Tom Ward because he could be forced to face opponents two years older than himself.