Local boxers took the first succesful steps towards a national ABA title at the Crystal Palace Sports Centre.

Highlights were the bouts featuring Bexley ABC bantamweight Charles Brambhatt and Bromley & Downham ABC welterweight Sam Webb.

Both boxed extremely well to win at the South East London Divisional Amateur Boxing Association Championships.

In a repeat of the previous years final, Brambhatt faced Sam Gregory from Shooters Hill club Samuel Montague ABC.

Southpaw Brambhatt, currently rated number two in the country at his weight, showed his superiority from the opening bell and a short time into the round Brambhatts' hard punching forced the referee to administer a standing count to Gregory.

To his great credit, Gregory fought back gamely, and a very entertaining contest ensued, although Brambhatt's greater strength and punching speed always gave him the edge.

Another standing count had to be given to Gregory in the fourth, and the declaring of Brambhatt the winner was a foregone conclusion.

Webb faced the toughest challenge from Martin Welsh, who lives in Swanley but boxes for the Lambeth club Fitzroy Lodge ABC, and this bout proved to be the best of the night.

This was Welsh's first attempt at a national title, and if he was overawed by the occassion or the prospect of facing the highly-rated Webb, it did not show.

Webb's plan to impose his superiority on Welsh was succesful at first, but as the opening round wore on Welsh coped with the initial onslaught and fought back, landing good punches of his own.

Thoughout the second and third rounds, although Webb was ahead, often pinning Welsh against the ropes by throwing exceptionally good punches to head and body, Welsh was always prepared to come back with good punches of his own, and Webb could not afford to slacken the pace for a moment.

In the fourth round, Webb sustained an ominous cut over his left eye and Welsh, sensing that he might be able to force a stoppage, launched a ferocious attack which had the audience on its feet as the two boxers stood toe-to-toe trading blows.

Most thought the judges' decision to declare Webb the winner was right, but the points margin between them must have been quite small, and the relatively inknown Welsh had won the respect of a knowledgable crowd.

The heavyweight final was a very messy contest. Old campaigner Jason Sawicki, representing Woolwich club St Peters ABC, was up against Leon Williams, from Fitzroy Lodge ABC.

Two public warnings were given by the referee to Williams for dangerous use of his head. Sawicki was given a standing count during the fourth round, but had done enough in the opinion of the judges to win.

In a rather dull and uninspiring middleweight bout, Fisher ABC's Leon Senior outpointed Billy Aird, from Samuel Montague ABC.

Earlier, in a semi-final contest, Senior had looked slightly more impressive when he outpointed Eddie Kahlon from Bromley & Downham ABC.

Dissapointingly, Eltham ABC's flyweight Terry Ajagbe, who was a Commonwealth Games bronze medal-winner for Nigeria, was ruled ineligible to fight under the ruling whereby a boxer had to have been registered with a British club for one year.

He had been due to face Stewart Langley, from Camberwell's Hollington ABC, who is the top flyweight in the country.

Eltham ABC's other entry, featherweight Akash Bhatia, progressed to the London Championships on a walkover, as did New Addington's ABC's Ugandian light-heavyweight Zabra Ssanyance.

Winner now go through to the London Championships being held at Goresbrook Leisure Centre, Dagenham. The semi-finals are on Friday, February 4, and the finals on Thursday, February 10.