Danny loses out after taking law into his own hands

Posted: Saturday 20th December 2008 | 0:22

DANNY Lawlor remained philosophical despite a controversial 8-7 defeat to Tom Langelotz that saw the four-time British champion docked two points.

Lawlor - boxing in his home city of Birmingham - had the edge over his German counterpart in the closing stages of the 57kg bout until the referee intervened, handing Langelotz the win.

But the 18-year-old, who was handed his punishment for an illegal punch, insists he will learn from the experience and urged the ABAE to take part in more international tournaments.

"Nights like this are great," he said. "In terms of my fight I didn't agree with the ref but he gave the decision and I have to accept it - that's fine.

"Unfortunately for me that really affected my confidence and I left myself open and fair play to my opponent, he got the win.

"But I've learned a lot from tonight. When you win a gold for your country you feel on top of the world.

"There's a certain prestige associated with tournaments like these and it's great to be able to test yourself against the best in the world and see what they have to offer."

FULL COVERAGE - ENGLAND V GERMANY, NATIONAL INDOOR ARENA, 19/12/08

ALEX HOMER in Birmingham