Yorkshire schoolboy boxing champion Muhammad Ali, of Keighley, won through to the semi-finals of the national stages in fine style.

Boxing in the Yorkshire v Midlands quarter-final of the Royal Navy ABA England Schools’ Championships, the 12-year-old sensationally defeated Nathan Crook of Triumph ABC Coventry 8-0.

His trainer at Cleckheaton Police Boxing Academy, Keith Tate, said: “That was a fantastic achievement.

“He boxed the best he has ever boxed and that was his ninth successive win this season under me.

“He has won 11 bouts on the trot since moving from Eastburn Boxing Club to join me at Cleckheaton.”

Unlike most youngsters, Crook boxed southpaw but Ali made light of any difficulty that might have caused, landing a series of productive uppercuts and using the ring to good effect.

Ali will now box in the northern semi-finals at Bolton Excel Leisure Centre on Saturday, February 21.

His opponent will be Tyne Tees and Wear champion Cory Fenwick, of Horden, who has a won ten, lost one record.

Fenwick beat Merseyside & Cheshire champion Shaun Howard in his quarter-final.

Victory in Bolton for Ali would then see him through to the national final in London.

The Ermysted’s Grammar School pupil, who fights in the 36 to 38kg category, won his Yorkshire title the previous weekend by defeating Doncaster’s Lewis Booth 5-2 at Havercroft near Wakefield.

Meanwhile, Tate had two more of his young boxers progress to the semi-finals in Jamza Hussain, who beat Chesterfield’s Ashley Eden 8-7, and Cory O’Regan, who beat Rishwan Akhtar of Nottingham, 7-2.

O’Regan won an England vest last year after getting to the national finals.