Melksham boxer wins regional title

A Melksham boxer has won the South West Amateur Boxing Alliance Belt at a competition in Hanham, Bristol.

Ellis Holloway secured victory last month against a boxer from Exeter in the 74kg category. The win takes his overall record to six wins and two losses.

“I felt I showed my boxing ability well and there’s plenty to build on for future fights, especially now that I’ll be defending the South West Challenge ABA Belt,” said Ellis, who works locally as a carpenter.

Ellis, 22, started boxing at 14 to keep fit and healthy. He now also coaches at Melksham Amateur Boxing Club, which trains at The Contender Gym on Avonside.

“Boxing is such a good discipline; you can’t do it in half measures. It’s a great way to build confidence, and I’ve seen the younger people I train grow in confidence, which is a really rewarding way to give back,” he said. “I started training under local boxer, Liam Richards. I then started to get some good experience and am now just taking it one fight at a time. I’ll keep defending the belt and aim to progress further through the amateurs, with the long-term goal of eventually turning professional.

“My younger brother, Roan Holloway, who is 17, also boxed at the same event, representing Melksham Amateur Boxing Club. It was his first amateur fight and although he lost a close points decision, he boxed really well and showed a lot of promise.

Ellis paid tribute to his coaches, saying, “A huge thank you to Mark Kent at The Contender Gym and Andy O’Kane at Paddy Johns for their constant hard work and support.”

The Melksham Amateur Boxing Club welcomes everyone, from complete beginners to experienced boxers.