Double trouble as boxing twins bag Midlands titles

Charles and Henry Murray were competing in the Youth Development Championships, in Birmingham.

The Wolverhampton ABC teenagers were crowned champions at 71kgs and 75kgs respectively to become the first twins in recent history to win Midlands titles on the same day.

Their story isn’t over yet. On Sunday, they head to Bridlington looking to reach the quarter-finals.

Boxing is in the twins’ DNA.

Dad Scott had more than 100 amateur bouts, has brought many of boxing’s biggest names to his Bar Sport venue and has been promoting professional shows as head of the Excelsior Sporting Club.

He was at Acocks Green’s gym to see the twins in action, along with elder siblings Harriet, a graphic designer, and George, currently studying mechanical engineering and maths at the University of Birmingham and set to return to the ring in the new year.

Charles and Henry took different routes to the Midlands title.

Charles, the younger twin by around 20 minutes, had beaten last year’s champion in the previous round and was too slippery for Lewis Heggarty (BCBA).

He dodged many of the punches Heggarty aimed at him and was accurate with his pot shots to win a decision that looked more clear cut than the split verdict suggests.

Henry, who entered the championship boosted by winning Emerald Box Cup gold in Dublin recently, took a rather different route to the title at 75kgs.

He spent much of his bout with Leighton Rickard (Birmingham Irish) on the front foot letting his hands go.

The sizeable crowd enjoyed it and Henry won a deserved split decision.

Scott revealed the twins have been sparring all over the country at top amateur gyms such as Repton, West Ham and Holy Trinity in Belfast – but are not allowed to get in the ring with each other any more.

He said: “It gets out of hand when they spar each other – and then they end up fighting each other when they get home as well !

“To them, it’s just a bit of fun, but it’s not a lot of fun for the rest of the family!”