Rawtenstall boxing starlet Steff takes the ABA crown (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Rawtenstall boxing starlet Steff takes the ABA crown

9:04am Tuesday 2nd June 2009

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JACK Steff has been tipped to fight at the London 2012 Olympics after he was crowned Royal Navy Junior ABA champion.

The 17-year-old Rawtenstall fighter beat England hot prospect Jake Ball in the middleweight contest at Everton Park Sports Centre in Liverpool on Sunday.

And with Steff set to make his own England debut later this month, coach Brian Roche, who runs the Burnley-based Roche Amateur Boxing Club, is backing his prodigy to go all the way.

“Jack is a superb fighter who I think has a very good career ahead of him,” said Roche who fought for British and Common-wealth titles during his own career.

“I think he will be a top class professional but I also think he is ideally placed to make the Great Britain team for the London 2012 Olympics.

“Jack was up against a lad who has already fought for England and big things are expected from him. But he was totally outclassed by Jack who won 12-0.”

The victory makes up for Steff’s narrow defeat in last year’s final where he lost by just one point. He now boasts a record of 19 wins from his 22 fights.

It is the highlight in Steff’s fledgling career, the low point coming when he unexpectedly lost in a home show in Burnley last year.

“That was a definite low point for Jack,” said Roche, who only opened his Queens Lancashire Way gym a few years ago.

“All of his family were there to watch and expected to see him win but he got caught and his nose would not stop bleeding. But he has shown great character to bounce back from that disappointment to win this title.”

The former Haslingden High School pupil has only been fighting for four years but in that time he has already won the Golden Belt English schoolboy welterweight title and has twice been in the finals of the national ABAs.

“People are beginning to sit up and take notice of Jack now,” added Roche.

“He is a natural in the ring.”

Steff is now expected to make his England debut on Friday, June 26 in a Tri Nations competition bet-ween England, Scotland and Wales to determine who is the British champion.

“I’m backing him to win that as well,” continued Roche. “He is getting in to the England set-up just at the right time.

"He is the perfect age with London 2012 in mind because he will be 20 when the Olympics come around and he certainly has the talent to be a real star of the future.”

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