Bury fighter wins World Muay Thai British title

Lewis George, 16, has won the WMO PRO AM British title after fighting at the Science of 8 Promotions show at the Liverpool Olympia last Saturday.

Lewis got a phone call around two weeks ago from his coach Andy Howson, from Bad Company Gym in Leeds, asking if he wanted to fight because one of the boys who was supposed to compete got an injury and had to pull out.

His dad Mark said: “Lewis just stepped up and said of course he’d go, and we later found out it was for the WMO British title, which is a prestigious belt to win.”

He explained that only two weeks earlier had Lewis come back from Turkey after winning silver in the European Muay Thai Championships.

Mark added: “The weekend came, we went to the fight, and he absolutely smashed his fight.

“He took on a very strong lad who was quite aggressive, but Lewis just stayed composed, stuck to his technique and listened to what his corner team told him to do, and he came home with the win.

“As it was such a good fight from both lads, they both got a £200 bonus each.”

This was Lewis’s first pro fight without any body armour or shin pads.

Mark said: “He just took to it like a duck to water.”

After this win, Lewis is hoping his luck will continue and is looking to trying for the WBC (World Boxing Council) in either July or August.

Lewis George

Lewis has been training in Muay Thai from the age of five.

Mark said: “I think he’s only ever had one week off.

"He trains hard six days a week.”

His main sponsor is Bury Skip Hire, which has backed since the age of seven.

All his trainers at Bad Company Gym were supporting Lewis at the weekend and they include Liam Harrison, an eight times world champion, Andy Howson, a five times world champion, Richard Smith, who owns Bad Company Gym and other trainers Joe Craven, James France and Steven Campbell.