Rising star Nico Leivars is crowned champion of England

The 19-year-old Leivars added the English Elite Senior belt at 56kg to his list of fantastic achievements. And there was no doubt where he placed the victory in Warrington on his personal roll of honour.

“This was the one that I wanted on my CV, despite my two GB gold medals, my Haringey Box Cup gold medal and my three international gold medals,” Leivars beamed.

“I’d like to thank my sponsor, Andy Sutton, of AS Plant, and everybody else who went to Warrington to support me.

“We are all big Stags fans and when we sat in a coffee shop before the fight, following the match against Forest Green, and we got those critical three points, I turned to my dad and said: the belt’s coming home to Mansfield!”

Leivars’s dad, Julian, of the Quarry Lane Boxing Club in Mansfield, is one of his coaches, along with Sab Lao, with whom he boxes out of the Hoddesdon Boxing Academy in Hertfordshire.

Leivars beat a national champion, talented and experienced Manchester opponent, Conner Burton, to take the title.

In his 73rd fight, he produced an outstanding performance, controlling a high-tempo bout with powerful head and body combinations, while catching Burton with strong, accurate backhands. All three rounds were packed with non-stop punches and workrate.