Robbie wraps up his third victory in a row

It’s three down and two to go for Shropshire boxer Robbie Sowdon in his pursuit of a national title.

The 19-year-old from Shrewsbury ABC made it a hat-trick of wins in the senior novice ABA championships when he romped to a points victory against Halifax’s Jack Hopkinson in Yorkshire on Sunday.

He now has a under-54 kgs national semi-final to look forward to in Liverpool on Sunday, with hopes rising that Sowdon - who has had just six fights in his short amateur career - can clinch the English title the following week.

“Robbie did everything we asked him to do and his performance was a lot better than in the previous round the week before,” said coach Brian Robb.

“We know the closer we get to the final the better the opponent will be.

“But we know whatever happens he will be rated the top four in the country at that level.”Sowdon, a builder by trade from Leegomery in Telford, started strongly against Hopkinson and successfully cut down the ring to open up a three point lead at the end of the first round.

A couple of strong right hands ensured the Shropshire boxer retained his three-point advantage at 5-2 at the end of the second.

But it was in the final round where the class shone through, Sowdon taking it 10-1 to storm to a 15-3 overall success.

“I told Robbie he needed to sharpen up and make his intentions known and he did that in the last round,” added Robb.

“There was a fast four-punch combination which forced Hodgkinson back onto the ropes and the ref jumped in to give him a standing eight count.

“Robbie continued to hit the target and the ref really should have stopped it. But Hopkinson, to his credit, hung on to hear the final bell.”

Sowdon is now waiting to learn the identity of his opponent in Sunday’s semi-final, which will be the winner of the north-west section of the draw.