Second City girls in national title success

Summer and Emma became champs in Kettering

THERE’S some real girl power at Kingstanding’s Second City gym which is celebrating the crowning of two national champions.

Teenagers Summer Grigg and Emma Cawley both struck gold in the ABA junior finals held in Kettering last weekend.

It’s a measure of the talent at Second City, a tribute to the commitment of the trainers and the knowledge possessed by gym boss Paddy Farrell. “We call him Mr Miyagi,” said Summer’s dad Liam who is also head coach. “He’s always the man you go to for advice.”

Summer, aged 15, has already proved herself a young sensation in the ring. That was the Birmingham girl’s fourth national title, she’s won the Tri-Nations, bagged gold and silver in European championships, triumphed in numerous boxcups and is an England regular.

Since starting boxing seven years ago, she’s lost only three of 34 contests.

Make no mistake – Summer is shining very brightly in the sport.

And she dominated at Kettering Sports Centre. Her semi-final opponent was given a standing count in the first, dropped by a left hook in the second before Summer took her foot off the gas in the final round for a unanimous decision.

In Sunday’s under 46kg final, Shavarna Russell (Weston Warriors) was stopped in the first after taking three standing counts.

Liam said: “Summer’s now concentrating on the Tri-Nations in June and after that it’s the Europeans in Montenegro in October. She hasn’t been selected yet, but I can’t see why she wouldn’t be. Further ahead, we’d like to try for the Olympics, if we can.”

Emma, aged 14, is also no stranger to the big stage. She won two national titles for Aldridge’s Trojan gym before switching to Second City.

Fighting in the under 44 kg cadets category, she made it a hat-trick at the weekend.

Emma won her semi-final by first round stoppage, then unanimously outpointed Reyah Hassan (Truth) to take top spot. In all, she’s won 13 of 16 bouts.

Liam said: “The semi-final win was the first stoppage of Emma’s career. She and Summer just keep on bringing each other on.

“Emma can be a special talent. For a girl, she has the fastest hands I’ve ever seen, amazingly quick.”