A QUARTET of Gwent boxers had a disappointing Three Nations Championship on home soil, with all four unable to progress beyond the semi-finals in Cardiff.

As the host nation, Wales could enter two fighters per weight, and they faced off against rivals from England and Scotland.

Had things turned out differently, Pontypool’s four-time Welsh champion Shane Jones and St. Joseph’s Henry Price could have met in the lightweight (60kg) final.

As it was, Price lost out to eventual winner Mark Reid from Scotland. The decision was unanimous but all three rounds were close and there wasn’t much between the boxers.

Reid just about edged the first, landing with a well-timed left hook and straight right hand combination.

In the second, Price utilised a crisp two-punch combination, only to be countered by a right cross.

The pace dropped in the final round as the bout became more strategic, and perhaps it was a four-punch combination from Reid that caught the eyes of the judges.

In the other lightweight semi, Jones never really got going against England’s Daniel Stringer.

Jones enjoyed success with his trademark left hook but was outscored by Stringer’s jab, doubled with a right-hand combination.

Jones was able to get his own jab working during the second session but Stringer replied with a right-handed cross over the top of his opponent’s often low guard.

The final stanza was the best round for the Welshman, who went through the gears and showed what he is capable of with stinging hooks and straight shots.

However, it was a case of too little, too late as the judges deemed that the opening two rounds were enough to hand a unanimous decision to Stringer.

At welterweight (69kg), St. Joseph’s John Coffey took on Darren Johnson of Scotland.

The tall Scotsman opened the contest by keeping Coffey at bay with a long jab.

The Welshman managed to negate Johnson’s threat somewhat in the second thanks to a sharp, crisp series of straight two-punch combinations.

In the final round, Johnson followed his corner’s advice and reverted to using his piston-like jab, and the judges awarded another unanimous decision to the visiting fighter.

The closing semi-final saw the big men take centre stage – the super-heavyweight division is reserved for boxers weighing more than 91kg.

It’s fair to say Pontypool’s Welsh champion Rhys Jones faced probably the biggest youth super-heavyweight in the country in Scotland’s Mitchell Barnton.

Jones, a winner of a silver medal at a previous championship, certainly had the skills to go one better, but it would take something special to stop the marauding Barnton.

The Scotsman laid out his intentions from the opening bell, throwing meaty punches with both hands, though Jones picked off Barnton with crisp counter punching.

Barnton pinned Jones against the ropes towards the end of the round, chopping away at the Pontypool man with hefty punches and forcing a standing eight count from the referee.

The second round started in an equally explosive manner, with Jones the one landing the best blows.

However, the sheer brute force of Barnton resulted in a second count.

Disheartened, and perhaps now a little tired, it wasn’t long before Barnton’s overwhelming style forced a third and final standing count.

There could be no argument with the referee’s decision to stop the contest.