Charlie Edwards kicked out of ABA Championships (From Wimbledon Guardian)

Croydon's international boxer Charlie Edwards kicked out of ABA Championships

2:39pm Monday 11th March 2013 in Crystal Palace By Graham Moody, Sports Reporter

Charlie Edwards has voiced his frustration after being kicked out of the national Amateur Boxing Association Championships.

Edwards was due to fight in the London finals this Saturday, having been given a bye through the South East Championships, but has now been banned from this year's competition after the ABA threw out all boxers contracted to compete in the World Boxing Series.

Despite being yet to make an appearance for Great Britain in the international competition, Edwards is part of the WBS squad and therefore fell foul of the new rule, much to his annoyance.

"They have said World Boxing Series contracted boxers are not allowed to fight against English boxers in England as they deem it unsafe," he said.

"I can still fight internationally for Great Britain but just in England I have basically been banned.

"There are going to be 60 qualifying places in the WSB for the next Olympics so it makes sense for us to go for it and when I signed the WSB contract I was told it would not affect anything in the amateurs or the national championships.

"But it seems the ABA are really against the WSB as they are saying it is not safe for their boxers to fight a WSB fighter.

"This is another title I could have won and, having missed out on last year’s championships because of Olympic qualifiers, that is now two titles I could have.

"It makes the ABAs a less important title. It makes it not worth winning when the real number one boxers are not there."

A spokesman for the ABA said: "Some coaches raised safety concerns that boxers in the WSB have been preparing for boxing five rounds without head guards.

"The ABA set up a medical commission to look into it and that will not report for some time, so the ABA decided any boxers competing in the WSB cannot compete in the ABAs this season."