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A BENDIGO boxer has overcome the odds and a pair of class opponents to be crowned the 54 kilogram junior national champion.
Tully Scanlon grabbed the gold at Boxing Australia’s Youth and Junior National Championships on the weekend at Paradise Point in Queensland.
The 16-year-old accounted for the much-taller Jared El Hassan, from New South Wales, in their semi-final, before overpowering Queensland champion Theo Rayfield for a technical knockout win in front of his home audience in the final.
Scanlon's coach at the Golden Square-based Hit Factory gym Danniel Burton said it was always a tough ask to defeat the reigning champion in his home state, but Scanlon had recovered well from his semi-final encounter against El Hassan and was ready to deliver his best.
"We were lucky to be able to watch Rayfield in his semi-final. He was very strong and pushed forward our plan was to keep him moving backwards and not let him use his power," Burton said.
"Tully delivered, put on a clinic of counter punching and landing shots at will scoring an eight count in the second round with the bout being stopped in the third round as the referee deemed Rayfield as being outclassed giving a Tully win by TKO.
"He never looked like losing."
It was Scanlon's second win against a Queensland state champion in three weeks.
The hard-hitting teenager defeated Queensland 52kg champion Ben Cameron-Hands in Deception Bay in the lead-up to the national championships in late April.
Scanlon's performance drew praise from all quarters, including Boxing Australia national development coach Don Abnett.
"He passed a comment back to say that kid (Scanlon) is going somewhere, which is great to hear," said Burton, who was a Victorian team coach at the championships.
"I got a phone call (Tuesday) to see if he would be interested in fighting the 56kg youth (under-19) champion, which is the next age group above in up-coming months.
"They are already looking at Tully at that youth level.
"That kid went to the Youth Commonwealth Games last year and he'll be going off to the world championships.
"He's definitely got it all there, he just has to go and grab it and keep working hard."
Scanlon has had 15 fights in his young career, only five of them being contested in Victoria.
Scanlon won a silver at last year’s championships in the junior 48kg-and-under division.