It seems like Orange’s Jack Littlefield is never going to give up his NSW Amateur Boxing League light-middleweight title after the 19-year-old defended it for the fourth time last weekend.
A belt he won at the end of 2015, Littlefield has now held the 71kg title for almost two years, keeping it firmly in his grasp thanks to a thrilling points win over Newcastle’s Dan Evans last Saturday.
Fighting in Evans’ backyard – Raymond Terrace – in front of a vocal crowd supporting the local, Littlefield came up trumps in a high-quality, fast-paced bout.
“Every round was pretty close, I believe I won at least three of the four but it was a really close fight,” Littlefield explained.
“I was pretty confident, I finished really strong and I was pretty pleased with my performance.”
He’s a pressure fighter, from what we’d heard he usually likes to move forward and bang but he didn’t do that a lot in the fight,” he said.
“It just became about throwing combinations from different angles for me, changing it up to try and make sure he doesn’t know where to hit and not let him get set.
“It ended up paying off.”
Saturday’s bout was Littlefield’s 39th as an amateur and considering his standing the most obvious question is how soon he’ll look to test himself in the professional ranks.
That is his goal, but he’s still got plenty he wants to do in the amateur ranks.
THE DECISIVE MOMENT: Jack Littlefield is declared the winner of last weekend’s bout. Dan Evans did nothing to hide his disappointment. Photo: KELLY OWEN/K.O.FOTOS
“I’ll head down to the [ Australian Amateur Boxing League National Championships] in Melbourne later in the year,” he explained.
“I want to do as much as I can in the amateur ranks before turning professional, which I am planning on doing.
“I want to get as much experience and as many wins as I can as an amateur, build my reputation and keep enjoying it while I’m doing it.”
There’s Commonwealth Games trials at the end of the year to look forward to, Littlefield’s father and trainer Dave explained.
“Those and the national titles are a good goal for Jack to have because he has been fighting seniors for a couple of years now,” Dave Littlefield said.
“He’s gained some great experience and Saturday was his sixth main event fight, so he’s getting used to that and really enjoys that challenge.
“His technique and fitness seem to go up a notch every few months and while he’s a very aggressive boxer, he can be really controlled at the same time now.”
The national titles are set down for late 2017.
–MATT FINDLAY, CENTRAL WESTERN DAILY
