GB Boxing just came back from the Cologne Boxing Cup over in Germany, pockets heavy with nine shiny medals. We’re talking three golds, shining bright for Charley Davison and Elise Glynn from the land of the English and the Welsh dragon Taylor Bevan.
Now, let’s not forget the silver gang – Demie-Jade Resztan, Rosie Eccles, Garan Croft, and Patrick Brown – who stood tall and proud on that podium. As for the bronze brigade, Joe Tyers and Harris Akbar didn’t come back empty-handed either.
Charley Davison, back in the ring for the first time since she punched her ticket to her second Olympics in Poland, floated like a butterfly, stinging like a bee, sweeping up all her fights in the bantamweight division. Oh, and she snagged the title of ‘Best Female Technical Boxer’ – talk about icing on the cake.
Then there’s Taylor Bevan, this guy is all about that ‘Best Male Fighting Performance’ flair, nabbing the light-heavyweight title after a nail-biting 3:2 split decision against Cuba’s Jorge Soto Napoles.
Elise Glynn? She’s not just in the game; she’s on top of it, making noise in the featherweight division with a win that had the judges nodding in unison against Denmark’s Melissa Mortensen.
It wasn’t just about the golds though. The whole affair had GB boxers duking it out in more than half of the finals, across both men’s and women’s divisions. That’s what I call showing up!
Now, let’s pour one out for the near-misses. Garan Croft and Patrick Brown were so close to the gold they could probably taste it, each getting edged out with those cheeky 3:2 splits. And let’s not breeze past Demie-Jade Resztan and Rosie Eccles, who threw down in the semis against some tough German competition.
Rob McCracken, the big boss of GB Boxing’s performance, tipped his hat to the Cologne shindig, calling it top-notch and a great learning curve for the squad. He’s looking ahead to 2024, and with the way things went in Cologne, you can bet they’re gunning for Olympic glory with some pep in their step.
But hey, let’s not breeze past the six from the GB squad who threw leather but didn’t hang medals around their necks – big ups to Kiaran MacDonald, Jack Dryden, Ramtin Musah, Sam Hickey, Gemma Richardson, and Kerry Davis.
Cologne 2023, delivered by the German Boxing Association alongside World Boxing, was a showcase of the sweet science and a reminder that boxing’s heart beats strong in the Olympic spirit. What a ride, what a fight, what a time to be alive if you’re in the GB Boxing family.