Hunter boxers Zack Fitzpatrick and Tristian Maskell won Australian titles in another golden night for the Hunter at the Australian Amateur Boxing League championship in Hobart.
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Fitzpatrick and Maskell joined Newcastle’s Jake Collins-Doherty, 17, in winning gold and Australian titles in Hobart over the weekend.
Cessnock teenager Fitzpatrick beat Queensland fighter Taniko Takierei in the Schoolboys 44kg division to claim his third Australian title.
The 14-year-old was an unanimous points winner in a hard-fought bout.
Big-hitting Toronto boxer Maskell won with a second-round technical knock out of Tasmanian opponent Casey Locket in the Senior 86kg title final on Saturday night.
Collins-Doherty won the Intermediate 67kg title on Friday night defeating Queensland Mitchell Allen.
The 17-year-old, who fights out of Neville Shaw’s Mindaribba gym, claimed his first Australian title to add to his two Northern NSW title and 71kg NSW title.
The Hunter’s youngest representative 11-year-old Will Butler won sliver.
Fitzpatrick, 14, progressed from Friday night’s semi-final with an unanimous points decision against Tasmania opponent Calem Smedley.
“Thanks to my trainer Ben Crampton and Brendan Hlad and thank you to my sponsors,” Fitzpatrick said.
It was the third time Fitzpatric and Takierei had met in the ring and the Cessnock boxer maintained his unbeaten record in another hard-fought encounter.
“I’m just super proud of him,” Fitzpatrick’s trainer Ben Crampton said from Hobart.
“It was a close hard-fought battle.”
Collins-Doherty and Butler had a huge battle just to make it to Hobart after their flights from Sydney were cancelled twice and they had to jump into the car with their connections to drive to Melbourne and fly out on Thursday morning to make weigh in.
Collins-Doherty said an extremely tough year which culminated with a week from hell had all been worth it.
“Months of blood sweat and tears but now it’s just become all worth it,” the new Australian champion said.
“If I was to sit here and thank everyone that’s helped me out I would be here all day but thank you to my family, especially mum who puts up with me and drops everything for me to be able to achieve these things,” he posted on Facebook.
