Rachel Moore reached the final of the England Boxing National Development Championships last weekend but was disappointed to come away with a silver medal after a controversial stoppage.
The Chislehurst puncher dominated the more experienced Priya Kaur-Virk from Leamington ABC in the semi-finals to set up a final against Newcastle’s Gypsy Laidler, the only fighter to have previously beaten her.
Former rugby player Moore – who has lost nineteen kilograms in three years to fight at 52kg – went straight on the attack to engage Laidler.
There was confusion when Moore landed clearly on Laidler, only for the referee to give Moore a standing count.
Moore’s team – including former Fisher coaches Andrew and George Wadman – were further angered when she was caught with a jab and given another standing count, before the referee stopped the fight.
“Rachel got a standing count, we can’t work out how this has happened,” Andrew said about the first count. “The ref must have had them mixed up because Rachel hits her with the right hand and got a count.
“The ref then unbelievably gave Rachel another count and stopped the fight. The whole of the arena was in total shock. Moore, the warrior, got treated like an eleven-year-old junior in a club show.
“In fairness to Gypsy, in the ring she said to Rachel that it should never have been stopped. ‘You hit me with a right hand and you got the count, it should have been a Gatti-Ward final like the first fight.’
“Gypsy also came straight up to me. I congratulated her and she said it shouldn’t have been stopped and she was happy to give Rachel another fight.”
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Moore is now based at Lee Wilkins Bodyshots in Crayford. The gym had four national finalists, all coming away with silver medals, though Andrew Wadman felt it should have been two golds.
George Wadman said: “We are so proud of Rachel and all the fighters at Bodyshots.”
