FIGHTERS from two Warrington clubs won regional titles this week to go within one bout of the England Boxing Elite Championships quarter finals.

Courtney Chadwick from Phoenix Fire clinched the Merseyside and Cheshire 64kg championship.

And Mike McKay from Hook and Jab claimed the heavyweight crown.

Both have reached the final 12 and will fight again in a bid to contest the quarter finals at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on April 24-26 In the regional semi final, Chadwick defeated Salisbury's James Collins with a unanimous points’ decision.

Fast shots and excellent movement in the final two rounds kept Collins on the back foot.

Then Chadwick defeated Higherside's Jake Costopoulous, a strong southpaw but the Warrington youth built up an early lead with concise boxing.

Chadwick will face the midlands champion Matthew Galliers in Clowne, near Chesterfield, on Saturday.

Damian Ridpath, Phoenix's head coach, said: "Courtney is the first boxer from Warrington to win this title at 64kgs since George Gilbody in the early 80s.

“He is boxing particularly well at the moment.”

McKay's Merseyside and Cheshire success came against Salisbury's Nathan Quarless at Croxteth Sports Centre.

Quarless sought a knockout punch but McKay kept scoring throughout and won by a unanimous points’ decision.

He will meet Yorkshire champion Peter Stubbs from Harrogate at the same venue.

Hook and Jab's Danny Craven did not progress but won his 69kg semi final against experienced Mark Bebbington from Northwich.

In the final he met Knowsley Vale’s highly rated and aggressive Ryan Mulcahy.

Craven dominated the first round, catching Mulcahy with some devastating punches.

Both showed their skill and explosive punching in the final two rounds but Mulcahy’s power started to tell in the final round and he took a split points' decision.

Meanwhile, Hook and Jab’s Nicola Sayer had her first skills bout against Blackrod’s Molly Marsden.

The 14-year-old Penketh High School pupil gave away age, weight and experience but displayed exceptional skill.