MANCHESTER will have five representatives when the ABA finals get underway at Bethnal Green's York Hall next month following successful semi-finals at Sheffield's English Institute of Sport.

Northside ABC of Clayton boasts two finalists, light-flyweight Tommy Stubbs and middleweight Karl Kirkham while Bridgewater Salford ABC, Pool of Life (Worsley) and Jimmy Egan's Boxing Academy (Wythenshawe) have one each in featherweight Lee Gillespie, cruiserweight Matthew Askin and super-heavyweight Tyson Fury.

Flame-haired Stubbs ran out an impressive 20-5 winner over Scarborough's Ross Downie and he now faces Hoddesdon's Ben Fowl in the finals while stable-mate Kirkham forced Hull's Luke Allon to take a final round standing count en route to a 24-9 victory. He must now beat Nikki Gittus of the Army to take the ABA title.

Gillespie was another wide points winner, seeing off Tipton's Lee Glover 20-6 to earn a final showdown with Stevenage's pocket dynamo Bradley Evans.

Fury won inside the distance, halting Nottingham's Shane McPhilbin with just 19 seconds left.

Askin stopped Ilkeston's Luke Robinson late in round three. Tweet