Sport
13 September, 2022
Fight night delights the crowds
Before a cheering home crowd in the Pittsworth Town Hall local pro boxer ‘Stoneleigh’ Jackson Griffiths earned the Queensland State Welterweight title.
The event, with a full card of local fighters stepping into the ring before the main event, drew more than 500 people to the Town Hall.
The excitement had been building all week, particularly after the press conference on Thursday at the Pittsworth Hotel Motel, which was bursting at the seams again Friday night for the weigh-in.
After Griffiths’ win, a large crowd chanting ‘Stoneleigh’ moved outside and formed an arch towards the street for him before moving en masse across the road towards the hotel.
He had defeated Townsville’s Aaron Stahl
in a unanimous decision after eight rounds to take the title.
One of Griffiths’ two coaches, Brad Smith, said Pittsworth had come out in force to support their local champion and he and Stahl had shown them a “very skillful fight.”
Among the other highlights of the night, he said, was Tom Denning, 14, fighting in the 56kg division.
“He lost on a split points decision but it was one of the fights of the night.” Smith said.
He also had high praise for Clancy Purcell, Axel Smith and Jack Connelly.
James Timm’s opponent pulled out of the fight due to illness but he would be fighting in Brisbane, along with Jack Connelly and Axel Smith in the novice titles in Brisbane on September 19.
Griffiths will now head to the US as a sparring partner with Toowoomba’s Steve Spark who is preparing to fight Montana Love for the IBF North American super-lightweight title.
