Newell gunning for ABA glory

John Newell: going for glory

BOXING: TALENTED teenager John Newell goes for glory in the ABA finals on Sunday.

He takes on Andre Rhone of Northolt ABC at the Barnsley Metropolitan complex in the 75kg category.

And victory for John, who lives in Royton, could lead to a training session with one Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton.

His dad Tony explained: “John’s made a lot of progress since he started boxing four years ago.

“He’s caught the eye, especially recently, with his performances and Ricky Hatton extended an invite to his new gym should he continue to knuckle down and succeed.

“You can’t buy the sort of knowledge and experience Ricky has at his disposal so it would be fantastic for John to go along.”

John, an orthodox fighter who stands at 6ft 3in, trains at Shannon and Ancoats gym.

Tony added: “The preparation has been great. His coach Shaun Rafferty seems pleased with John’s approach, making the weight isn’t a problem and he’s working hard.”