Quartermaine's title challenge is put on hold

Cleary's boxer Danny Quartermaine suffered a points defeat to Yousif Saeed (Bridgewater, Salford) in the pre-quarter-final of the Elite Championships in Liverpool last Sunday.
Danny Quartermaine suffered a narrow points defeat to Yousif Saeed.Danny Quartermaine suffered a narrow points defeat to Yousif Saeed.
Danny Quartermaine suffered a narrow points defeat to Yousif Saeed.

The 60kg fight was a scrappy affair with Quartermaine’s inside work being continually disrupted by the holding of the north-west champion.

Saeed made use of an eyecatching jab when fighting at range but his spoiling tactics proved frustrating to Quartermaine’s coach Edwin Cleary who admits it is something his charge has got to learn to combat.

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“The problem was Danny was getting too close and allowed Yousif to hold,” said Cleary.

“A lot of refs would have pulled him up for constantly holding but not this time.

“Danny sometimes makes it too easy for his opponents just to grab hold of him.

“We’ve been working on this over the last months as we see this happening a lot and we can’t always rely on refs.”

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Cleary still believes Quartermaine should have been awarded the contest on workrate and aggression but accepts that bouts are won and lost on small margins at elite level.

“Danny boxed very well. Considering how frustrated he must have been from constantly being held Danny gave it his all.

“His strength and fitness from start to finish was fantastic.

“Like most elite fights there was not much between them.”

After a month which has seen him fighting every weekend, Quartermaine will now enjoy a well-earned rest before an England squad get-together.

n Lewis Williams will defend his central England heavyweight belt in Nottingham on May 13.