Tiffany turns on the style in elites

Last Thursday night saw the National Irish Elite Competition take place in Belfast.  A number of boxers from local clubs participated in the event.

The tournament provides a chance for athletes to prove themselves as worthy for selection before the World Boxing World Championships which is happening in September of this year.

A highlight for Jobstown would have to be the emergence of Tiffany Spencer who at just 19 years old became the new Elite champion in the 48kg weight class, defeating the reigning champion Ciara Walsh in the opening bout of the evening.

A product of Jobstown boxing club we spoke to club founder and Tiffany’s mother Amanda Spencer about the achievement.

“She boxed exceptionally, she put in a very mature dominant performance. It’s her first time boxing at elite level and she was the youngest girl in the competition and won it all.”

While many minds may already be made up for who gets to go to the world championships in September, Tiffany Spencer has given selectors a lot to think about.

“They might take a look at her because she’s the current elite champion now at 48kg. They might bring her in for assessment but we haven’t had any confirmation yet.”

Many might find they would be unable to separate their child from the athlete when instructing them in the ring but for Amanda that is not an issue.

“You know what, a lot of people ask me that question but I cut off being a mother when I’m in that corner.

‘When I’m in the corner it’s like ‘that’s not my daughter it’s a boxer’  I put it in the back of my mind and again if I felt, like any other boxer, that she was getting outgunned we’d throw the towel in and we’d protect her.”

That is exactly what Spence and the rest of the Jobstown team were forced to do in the Super Heavyweight contest of the evening.

Highly rated prospect Adam Olaniyan was defeated by Martin McDonagh with the corner eventually throwing the towel in before the conclusion of the third round.

“We were afraid of what could happen if we allowed the fight to go on. Because it’s Super Heavyweight if they were at a lighter weight you wouldn’t mind but Martin could be weighing in at nearly 120kg and that punch on a youth could have a devastating effect.

‘We know the level Adam is at and we respect what Martin’s at. Martin is a grown man compared to Adam. Martin is 22, Adam is only 19 and with an extra 20kg on Adam, that could be devastating if we hadn’t had stopped it when we did.”

The evening saw Jobstown secure another championship, hugely impressive for a club that is only ten years in existence. Spence discussed the further battle the club has to secure funding from the council.

“In ten years we’ve fighters in the Elites and we have fighters going for Olympic Qualifying. Adam and Josh Olaniyan will be going for the next qualifiers. Now we know what we need to work on, we took on the Olympians, we took on the best that Ireland has and came out with an Elite title.

“We’re knocking on the door of the council to help fund us, we already have the building to be extended but we just don’t have the money. I’m hoping now that this will help us with knocking on the door again and ask them to come on board for funding because we don’t get any funding”