Wins for local boxers

The pair have both switched to the paid ranks late in their careers after winning county titles at amateur level.

Atkins made it three wins out of four as a pro with a points win over Midlander Myles Vale, who was having only his second fight.

Atkins, 34, had been suffering from flu in the build-up to the contest and although he went close to stopping Vale, his resilient opponent ensured he had a good work-out.

Welterweight First, 36, was up against an opponent who had lost his previous 17 fights and he stopped Jack Green from Devon in the second round of a one-sided contest.

First was making it two wins from two as a pro. Like Atkins, he had won at the same venue in June.

Halifax club chief Mick Rowe said their two former boxers had done well and been well supported.

“There was a crowd of 300 to 400 and there was a good atmosphere,” he said.

Middleweight CJ Challenger from Leicester, lightweight Reece Mould from Doncaster, super featherweight Josh Kennedy from Kent and super welterweight Jack Rafferty all retained their unbeaten pro records.

Mould stopped his opponent, Simas Volosinas from Lithuania, in the fifth round of six and the other three won on points.

There were debut wins for Dewsbury super welterweight Saif Cheema against Wales’s Paul Lovell and Baildon cruiser weight Dan Garber against vastly experienced Lithuanian Remigijus Ziausys.

Meanwhile, Rowe revealed that two more club products, Jack Sellars and Kyle Scully, could fight in Leeds in early March. It would be Scully’s pro debut.