BOXING – Boxers from Bahrain’s Royal Guard and the UK Armed Forces (UKAF) put on a sensational show of top-class amateur boxing for a good cause last night, in an action-packed Royal Rumble IV – the kingdom’s biggest charity boxing event.
The hugely exciting fight night, which featured eight thrilling bouts at Crowne Plaza Bahrain, was held under the patronage of Supreme Council for Youth and Sport first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority (GSA) chairman, and Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
GSA deputy chairman and Bahrain Combat Sports Council (BCSC) president Shaikh Salman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa was in attendance, along with BOC executive director of operations Ahmed Abdulghaffar, Bahrain Boxing Federation president Rashid Feleyfel, BCSC board member and Bahrain Jiu-Jitsu Federation president Redha Monfaredi, Royal Guard head of boxing Tony Davis, and other officials.
A number of former world champions were also on hand to inspire the competing fighters, including two-time world champion and Athens 2004 Olympics silver-medallist Amir Khan, WBA (Regular) super-middleweight world champion Rocky Fielding, middleweight world champion Darren Barker, and super featherweight world champion Barry Jones, along with British, Commonwealth, and inter-continental heavyweight champion Scott Welch.
“It’s great – I’ve been coming now for years, and each year the event keeps getting better,” Fielding told the GDN. “The standard and quality of the fights is really improving and it’s great to see.
“I’ve boxed at this kind of level, and it’s great that Bahrain are putting on a show where the boxers get to showcase their skills.
“It’s very important that these shows keep happening. There’s a lot of support now and hopefully it just keeps building and building, and hopefully we see more talent.”
The kingdom’s Royal Guard had their winning run in the Royal Rumble come to an end after winning just two of their five bouts against the UKAF on last night’s stacked card. Two of Bahrain’s other boxers were also triumphant in three fights against opposition from Saudi Arabia.
Amongst the Royal Guard’s winners were Isaac Zaman and Israel Davis, while Bahrain’s Mehdi Sahak and Maryam Khamis also triumphed.
Winning for the UKAF were Kieran Cooper, Blaine Lambert, and Leon Moulds, while Rayan Altayaar was victorious for Saudi.
Also yesterday, a charity auction was held featuring valuable items in the world of boxing and beyond. All proceeds from Royal Rumble IV will be donated to the Royal Humanitarian Foundation.
“I entertained the crowd tonight – I fought like Prince Naseem,” Sahak told the GDN. “I made everyone love my fight; I used my common sense and what I learned throughout the years to beat my opponent.”
A pair of individual awards were handed out last night following all the fights, with Alabdullah taking the Best Runner-up Boxer award and his opponent Lambert being presented with the Best Boxer accolade. The UKAF squad also came away with the Best Team award with their 3-2 winning record.
In the first edition of Royal Rumble in 2022, Bahrain’s Royal Guard boxers took on the British Army’s Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and won eight of the nine bouts. In 2023, the Royal Guard defeated the British Army’s Parachute Regiment in six of the nine contests.
Last year, six of their eight bouts were won by the hosts against the British Army’s Royal Engineers.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))