South Leeds boxing fans were treated to two memorable nights of action as Hunslet’s Golden Team Boxing Gym hosted both an amateur and a semi-professional show at Belle Isle Working Men’s Club. Organised by head coach Padraic McDonagh and his dedicated team, the events showcased the depth of talent emerging from the local gym while highlighting the club’s commitment to developing fighters of all ages and experience levels.
The amateur show, held on Thursday 5 March 2026, featured around 14 bouts and brought together competitors from several Leeds boxing gyms. The evening included fighters making their first appearances in the ring as well as more seasoned amateurs demonstrating their experience.
The night opened with a skills bout featuring Golden Team’s promising young prospect William Littlewood, just 12 years old, who faced Zayaan Habib. The bout offered a glimpse of William’s potential and marked an exciting first step in what will hopefully be a bright future in boxing.
Several other young boxers also made their amateur debuts on the night. Amayah Walters and Adam Smith were among those stepping through the ropes for the first time, gaining valuable experience and demonstrating the courage required to compete in the ring.
As the evening progressed, attention turned to the more experienced competitors. Danny Knee made his amateur debut after transitioning from the semi-professional ranks and impressed with a composed performance. Knee secured a unanimous points decision victory over the durable Will Horner, showing both discipline and ring craft throughout the contest.
The final bout of the amateur card brought the night to a dramatic close as Golden Team’s Levi Powell faced experienced opponent Liam Collier. Powell delivered a strong and confident display, forcing a corner stoppage after the second round to secure victory and send the home crowd home on a high.
The second event, a semi-professional show also held at Belle Isle Working Men’s Club, carried the momentum forward with another lively atmosphere. The show attracted fighters travelling from across England, including Manchester and Blackpool, adding to the competitive feel of the evening. The event began with several skills bouts featuring Golden Team boxers before the action intensified as the more experienced fighters entered the ring.
Golden Team coach Nicola Aldred stepped between the ropes in a closely contested bout against a former opponent. Despite a determined performance in a competitive contest, Aldred narrowly lost on points in what was described as an educational outing.
The night’s headline contest provided a memorable moment for spectators as Noel Wilders, the former British, European and world champion from Airedale, made a remarkable return to the ring aged 51. After spending years working as a coach, Wilders demonstrated his enduring skill and ring intelligence over five rounds, producing a disciplined and dominant display to earn a unanimous decision victory over a tough opponent.
Reflecting on the success of the events, Golden Team head coach Padraic McDonagh praised the dedication of everyone involved.
“I’m extremely proud of everyone who walks through the gym door, leaves everything in the gym and puts 110% into training,” he said. “It shows on fight night as most of our boxers fought to well-earned victories. Many young boxers showed great improvements, which confirms the work going on in the gym to improve everyone there. We’ve a lot of young talent coming through along with more experienced fighters such as Danny and Levi who hope to box professionally soon.”
Across both shows, Golden Team’s boxers largely emerged victorious, with a few educational losses providing valuable experience. With a strong community spirit and a growing stable of fighters, Golden Team continues to play an important role in developing boxing talent in South Leeds while providing exciting nights of action for local fans.
Golden Team is located at 36 Whitehouse Street LS10 1AD. Contact the club on 07432 297690 or on Instagram @goldenteamgym or by e-mail to Goldenteamp1@icloud.com if wanting to train.
This post was written by Danny Knee
Main photo: Danny Knee. Credit: James Bovington
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