Boxing: Top amateurs join paid ranks

Mar 15 2008 by Gareth Jones, South Wales Echo

TWO of Wales’ top amateurs are turning pro.

Newport’s Mo Nasir, having seen his Olympic dreams ruined by injury, is joining the Chris Sanigar stable and will continued to be trained by Tony Borg.

Swansea middle Tobias Webb, 19-year-old nephew of Enzo Maccarinelli, is set to follow his uncle into the Enzo Calzaghe camp.

Nasir, aged 22, a bronze medallist at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, makes his move after seeing Brummie Khalid Yafai, like Mo of Yemeni origin, take Britain’s flyweight slot in Beijing. Ankle damage forced the Welshman to retire in the third round when the pair met in the recent qualifiers.

Nasir had not recovered in time to take his place in last weekend’s Welsh ABA finals, robbing him of the chance to add a flyweight crown to his three titles at light-fly.

Webb, a champion in 2007, blew his opportunity this year because of a casual attitude to the scales.

Entered at middle, he weighed over the limit at the prelims and was switched to the light-heavy division. Having won his contest, he then turned up over that division’s limit for his semi-final a week later.