HENRY’S Gym have crowned two new Yorkshire amateur boxing champions after Miley Imeson and Rob Magill emerged victorious in Sheffield.

Imeson won the 66kg title and Magill was triumphant at 75kg in the categories designed for fighters with ten or fewer bouts to their name.

The Acomb-based club, ran by York’s former world-title challenger Henry Wharton, also narrowly missed out on a full complement of finalists when Rafal Benka and Nathan Shepherd were on the receiving end of tight split decisions at the last-four stage.

Imeson defeated Wharton’s nephew Johnny Bamber, of York Boxing Club, to become the county’s number one, taking his tally to nine wins from 11 contests.

His only losses have both been in National semi-finals and Wharton enthused: “It was a great contest that was nip and tuck, but Miley was a deserved winner on points.”

Magill stopped well-fancied home fighter Calan Menzies in the second round, before overcoming Leeds gym Camp Detox’s Cavan O’Brien.

A final that saw him pitched up against 6ft 7in giant Asian Othman then saw him secure a unanimous decision on points, meaning Magill has lost just one of his 11 fights and an impressed Wharton added: “Calan Menzies is a good prospect and it was a bit of a shock to beat him, but Rob is improving all the time and has benefitted from the standard of sparring available to him in the gym.

“We have lots of boxers now who are progressing ahead of the normal rate and Rob is a good kid with a bright future. His concentration levels had to be at their absolute best in the final, fighting somebody that tall.

“Othman had also won his fights in style, so it was a natural match-up, but Rob pulled out all the stops.”

Polish boxer Benka went agonisingly close to reaching the 69kg final for competitors with less than 20 fights under their belt.

At the same weight, in the under-ten fight section, Shepherd beat Jorvik BC’s Will Harrison, before suffering only his second defeat in 11 bouts.

Imeson and Magill will now represent Henry’s in the national quarter-finals.

The club, meanwhile, will put on their latest night of amateur boxing tomorrow night in the Regent Building on York Road.

Admission is £15 for adults and £7 for under-16s.