Simmons stays alive at BEE-GEE tournament

Published on Saturday 4 April 2009 10:30

LEITH VICTORIA'S Scottish amateur heavyweight champion Steve Simmons defeated limpet-like Lithuanian Eugenjus Tutkus, who was disqualified in the third and final round for persistent holding at the BEE-GEE international boxing tournament quarter-finals in Finland.

Confirmed Simmons: "Tutkus started strongly against me in the first and was even one point up on me at the end of the opening round.

"However, once I began to sink in my big right hands and left hooks to the Lithuanian's body he increasingly grabbed me and held on to me like a limpet – until the referee got fed up warning him and slung him out."

Simmons faces a semi-final showdown with tough Frenchman Arsen Goulamrian, who has the reputation of being a tricky customer. Simmons added: "My win over Tutkus has fired me up and I aim to win the heavyweight division in this tournament."

Simmons had better luck than Scottish light-heavyweight champion Callum Johnstone, who broke his hand against his quarter-final opponent and is now out of the tournament."

Meanwhile, the Novice and Youth boxing show set to be staged by the Craigmillar club tomorrow at 1pm has been cancelled.