ABA Championships

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Please improve this article if you can. (February 2007)

The ABA National Championships is the 'Premier' tournament hosted annually by the ABA of England.

The Championships are 'open' class. A boxer who is registered with a club of the ABA of England (aged over 17 years by the 1st October) can enter.

The inaugural Championships were held (over one day) on the 18th April (St James Hall, London) 1880 at four weight categories:

1884 witnessed the introduction of a fifth weight category (Bantamweight, 54kg). In 1920 (3) additional weight categories were introduced taking it to 8 weight categories in all. These extra weights were:

In 1920 London split into (4) Divisions to accommodate the number of boxers entering the ABA Championships. The start of Divisional Championships. The following year the ABA decided to introduce eliminating rounds (1921) and the Country was split into (4) Regions to assist in identifying a champion.

In 1926 the Championships moved to the Royal Albert Hall London after moving around different venues within the Capital City (St. James Hall, Alexandra Palace, Northampton Institute, Holborn Central Hall, Royal Aquarium, Her Majesty's Theatre, People's Palace and the Holland Park Ring).

In this year the Championships were opened by a Patron of the 'ABA', HRH Prince of Wales. In 1946 (until 1990) the Championships were held at the Wembley Arena. In 1991 they transferred to the Royal Albert Hall.

The Championships have been held in London since 1881 (apart from a very brief spell at Belle Vue (Manchester) (1944) Birmingham NEC (1993-1995) and Barnsley (1996 - 2002).

1970 witnessed the introduction of the 'light-fly weight' (48 kg) for the first time in the National Championship. 1982 witnessed the additional weight of 'super heavyweight (+91 kg). Crusier weight (86 kg) was added in 1998.

By 1994 the 'ABA' Championships became a purely English affair as Scottish and Welsh boxers could no longer compete due to disagreements over rules and regulations.

The championships returned to London in 2003 being held at the Royal Albert Hall, Excel Centre and then the Wembley Convention Centre.

Today a total (11) weight categories are contested as in 2002 / 2003 the weights were revised deleting light middleweight (71 kg) and cruiserweight (86 kg), also increasing welter weight from 67 kg to 69 kg. The ABA Champion is automatically selected to represent England in the Four Nations Championship in that year (England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales).

[edit] Champions

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(Lightweight-John Lynch 1974)