Royal Navy boxers 'ready' to face strong opponents at the Inter Services Boxing Championships
The Royal Navy Boxing team are set to have four boxers on the ticket at the Inter Services Boxing Championships, which are set to take place at RAF Honington.
Preparing at their training base at HMS Nelson in Portsmouth, head coach Perry Officer Nick McGarry made clear that due to not being able to field enough boxers this year, the Navy will not be sparring for the team title at the Inter Services.
He said: "We're looking well this year, but we've had quite a few injuries and, because we're operational, we've had quite a few people not be able to be released.
"So we're looking for four individual titles as we know that we can't win the UKAF's this year, but we're going for the individual titles and we'll rebuild for next year and go again."
On the ticket for the Royal Navy will be Royal Marine Kyle Shaw-Tullin, who has enjoyed a rapid rise in military boxing in 2024 which has landed him a place on the GB Boxing squad for 2025.
"His rise has been rapid," PO McGarry said. "He's met every expectation, every goal he's set to achieve, he's achieved it.
"He's on GB [squad] now and I'm sure that he'll be involved in the Commonwealth Games in the next few years and hopefully the Olympics in 2028."
Also on the ticket is Royal Marine Dominik Zieba, who won the Haringey Box Cup in 2018 and has only been part of the Royal Navy Boxing team since November 2024.
Vice-captain Marine Connor Fanning, who will be boxing at 80kg, said: "I can't wait, the prep has been amazing and we've put in over three months of hard work, lots of sparring up and down the country, so I feel ready and I can't wait."
Mne Fanning will be facing the Royal Air Force's Cameron Lewis, who he lost to at the Inter Services last year.
He added: "He was a good fighter last year to be fair, he took me by surprise.
"But it's helped me to prepare harder and work harder this time around, so I think it'll be a really good fight."
Leading Physical Trainer Billie Matthews beat her opponent at last year's event, and is already setting her sights on her future goals in her boxing career.
She said: "The big one for me is to win a national title, there's always going to be that.
"And from that, I would love to get an England vest and go international, and from there, we'll see what happens after that."
The Inter Services Boxing Championships will be broadcast live on the BFBS Forces News YouTube channel and on BFBS TV.
Find out how you can watch live here.
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