Forces Fight Night: Can the Navy or the RAF knock the Army off the top step at the Inter Services?
Boxers from across the Armed Forces will return to the ring this week as Inter Services boxing returns for another year in Aldershot.
In 2023, the Army claimed their third consecutive Inter Services title following an electric night of boxing at HMS Drake in Plymouth, and this year the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force will hope to knock the Army off the top step.
Boxers faced-off in semi-final bouts on 18 March ahead of Wednesday's final bouts, which proved to be a fantastic night for the Royal Air Force who will be sending five boxers to the final.
At 71kg, Air Specialist Class 1 Blaine Lambert beat Royal Marine Grant Crookes on a 3-2 split decision, setting up a final with the Army's Sapper Marley Devitt.
The Army also had a strong showing at 75kg when Sergeant Cam Lewis won on a split decision over Marine Connor Fanning, setting up a showdown with Fusilier Connor Moore.
The 92kg semi final was a decisive win for Army boxer Kieran Cooper who beat Marine Gabriel Rands, as he advances to the final where he'll face the RAF's Air Specialist Class 1 Selby Grace in the heavyweight final.
The Army have one walkover in Wednesday's final and there will also be two grudge female bouts after women's boxing was introduced to the Inter Services in 2022 – these bouts, however, will not contribute to the overall Inter Services result.
The female bout against Army rising star Corporal Terri-Leigh Stuart and the Navy's Able Seaman Billie Matthews promises to be an exciting fight between the Senior National Champion and the Development National Champion.
You can watch every bout from an explosive finals night on 20 March live from the Army Boxing Gym in Aldershot on the Forces News YouTube channel.
Find out more on how you can follow the Forces Fight Night action live here.
Key Fighters
Corporal Terri-Leigh Stuart – British Army
A rising star in Army boxing, Corporal Terri-Leigh Stuart of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a future Olympic hopeful.
She won gold in her first international appearance for England at the Zagreb Boxing Queen Tournament in Croatia and hopes to defend her title at the England National Amateur Championships in April.
George Crotty – Royal Navy Royal Marines
Light Heavyweight George Crotty recently experienced disappointment after missing out on selection for Olympic qualifying events for this year's Olympics in Paris.
The Royal Marine Commando won gold for Great Britain at the Leszek Boxing Tournament in Poland last September as well as the GeeBee boxing tournament in Finland in early 2023.
Sam Hinnett – Royal Air Force
Based at RAF Coningsby, Sam Hinnett boasts an impressive 59 wins out of 79 on his CV.
He was a finalist at the National Youth Championships in 2020 and more recently, Hinnett won gold at the Hull Box Cup in 2022.
Did you know?
The 2022 Inter Services boxing championships were held on board aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.
It was the first time HMS Queen Elizabeth held her own onboard boxing show and the event's first Inter Services since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Commentator Simon Hunter says:
The highly anticipated Inter Services Boxing championships are a fitting showcase for the military’s wealth of talent in the ring. Not only do they give athletes a golden shot at glory for their respective services, but also serve as a reminder of their impressive dedication to their craft.
For me, their discipline is a standout feature of Forces sport, and it’s remarkable just how easy they make it look, whether you’re watching ringside or live with BFBS on Forces Fight Night.
The Army have held sway in the competition since 2019, but a strong showing from the talented RAF boxers in the semi-finals gives them hope of building on that momentum and winning their first title in more than 50 years.
The Navy have fresh memories of success, having won in 2018 to put to an end 34 years of coming up short, so they will be hoping for another historic performance in Aldershot on Wednesday night.
I also hope the strength of female boxing, evidenced by international champions like Terri-Leigh Stuart at this year’s Forces Fight Night, will soon be rewarded with bouts counting towards the Inter Services title.
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