The University of Sheffield prevailed yet again with another victory over Sheffield Hallam in this year’s Varsity display. All fighters helped to create an excellent atmosphere at the Octagon, exhibiting their skills of resilience, athleticism and strength.
As this year’s Varsity entered the second week of its campaign, the long-awaited boxing event drew in hundreds of spectators, helping to create an electric and intense atmosphere for all in attendance. The evening was facilitated by a thrilling spectacle, provided to us by the determined competitors.
The University of Sheffield were represented in their traditional gold and black strip in the blue corner, and Sheffield Hallam took the red corner. Here’s how the boxing played out:
Fight One: Dolly Forrester (UoS) vs. Teagan Yates (SHU):
In the one and only womens’ duel of the night, both Forrester and Yates put on a great showing to kick-start the night. Forrester started very fast, with calculated jabs to Yate’s face, alongside swift footwork, allowing her to dodge numerous punches, putting Yates on the back foot.
The crowd was loud in voice, with both Hallam and Uni of Sheffield rooting on their respective fighters, as chants circulated around the Octagon.
Forrester was landing consistent, strong left jabs and catching Yates with forceful right hands and was firmly in control of the whole bout and distinguished any attempts of a comeback.
In her 2nd consecutive year competing in Varsity, she saw the tie out and established herself to the judges as the clear winner of this contest.
Winner: Dolly Forrester (unanimous decision)
Uni Of Sheff 1-0 Sheffield Hallam
Fight Two: Clem Platt (UoS) vs. Matthew Farrell (SHU):
In the first men’s duel of the night, we saw a high intensity, gritty battle between Platt and Farrell. Both fighters landed hits on eachother, trading strong right hooks in an impressive display of sharp, agile boxing,
It was Farrell who had the advantage after the first round, and Platt had work to do going into the second round. Platt came out of the gates well in the second round, dodging around Farrell’s jabs, leaving him vulnerable to his formidable strikes.
It was a lethal combination of lefts and rights which led to the referee waving off the bout, after an injury seemingly plagued Farrell’s chances, bringing an unfortunate, untimely end to an intense match-up.
Winner: Clem Platt (stoppage in R2)
Uni of Sheff 2-0 Sheffield Hallam
Fight Three: Luke Tyson (UoS) vs. Jack Bandell (SHU):
With the fights now coming thick and fast, this one was no different.
In the shortest contest of the night, Tyson took complete control over Hallam’s inexperienced Bandell. He was agile, oozed confidence and was pin-point accurate in his technique.
It was a complete display of dominance by the Uni of Sheffield man, and Bandell’s faint punches unfazed him.
In a first round finish, Bandell’s debut fight was over as soon as it started, as he was unable to beat the referee’s count. Tyson won by TKO in convincing style – by surname, by nature.
Winner: Luke Tyson (TKO)
Uni of Sheff 3-0 Sheffield Hallam
Fight Four: Josh Kimble (UoS) v Alex Grandage (SHU):
In the fourth fight of the evening, Kimble and Grandage put on an exhilarating performance for the crowd to enjoy. It was a fast paced and aggressive start from both, with Grandage using multiple clinches to reduce the intense pressure from Kimble near the end of the first round.
Into round two, and Grandage seemed to find his rhythm, asserting himself as Kimble’s equal and mitigating any sort of offensive manoeuvres. Hallam’s crowd loved their fighter seemingly taking control of the fight, cheering and rooting him on.
As the final round commenced, Grandage looked firmly in control, was clinical in nature, and was able to keep Kimble’s offense consistently nullified, unable to have any impact on the Hallam man. It was a hard-fought fight, and the fatigue was visible at the end as both gave their all to sway the scorecard, as we headed to the judges.
It went to a split decision and Kimble took the win, an extremely close decision, in an entertaining fight.
Winner: Josh Kimble (split decision)
Uni of Sheff 4-0 Sheffield Hallam
Fight Five: Charlie Barry (UoS) vs. John Joe Wallace (SHU):
Fast paced, gritty, seemed to be the theme of the night, as the fifth fight of the night exploded into action from the bell. In an evenly contested first round, both fighters landed big right hooks on each other and lethal jabs, as the crowd cheered them on.
However, Wallace caught his stride midway through the first round, and quickly spun the ball into his court. He pushed Barry into the corner, and quickly diminished any chance of him getting back into the tie, with a barrage of punches that he was unable to combat.
After continually stringing together a fast series of right hooks and uppercuts, the referee deemed Barry unable to continue, to the crowd’s disbelief and frustration.
Hallam got their first point on the board, and their supporters erupted into pandemonium, an impressive sight for all in attendance to witness.
Winner: John Joe Wallace (stoppage in R1)
Uni of Sheff 4-1 Sheffield Hallam
Fight Six: Siddhant Agarwal (UoS) vs. Ryan De Souza (SHU):
The halfway point of the night, and what a way to commemorate it. This fight was one to be proud of, with both fighters giving it their absolute all and the crowd for both sides was exemplary.
Agarwal in the first round showcased an impressive performance, very clever and unambiguous in his approach, taking advantage of some of De Souza’s wild swings and setting clear intentions for the win. De Souza faced the referee’s count twice, but continued.
The second round started, a more even affair this time round, as both fighters saw periods of dominance, as De Souza matched Agarwal’s aggressive style. This time around, Agarwal faced the referee’s count, setting us up for a blockbuster finish.
The third and final round was an all out dogfight, both fighters giving it their all. Technique began to diminish as both competitors were absolutely exhausted, allowing De Souza to land a fierce right hook square on Agarwal’s face, before he retaliated with his own series of jabs and right hooks to De Souza’s head and chin.
This was one of the fights of the night and both competitors deserved to be applauded for their efforts. This could have gone either way, and you could hear a pin drop in the Octagon as the crowd anxiously awaited the result.
By split decision, Agarwal prevailed, extending Uni Of Sheff’s dominant lead, to the crowd’s absolute delight.
Winner: Siddhant Agarawal (split decision)
Uni of Sheff 5-1 Sheffield Hallam
Fight Seven: Ibrahim Totakhail (UoS) vs. Sebastian Tsemo (SHU):
This was the final fight before the interval commenced, and it was abundantly clear that Tsemo had a real height and reach advantage over Totakhail. It was pivotal for a win here, to mount a comeback after a disappointing start for Hallam.
Totakhail seemed composed despite this however, striking smart jabs from up close, playing to his strengths. Despite the first blood of the night being drawn by Totakhail, causing damage to Tsemo’s nose, more quality was needed by both fighters to ensure a win.
Tsemo came out and showed excellent sporting prowess, leaving Totakhail reeling. He minimised the impact of his attacks and began to strike from range, using his natural arsenal to his advantage.
It yet again came to a third round, with both men giving it their all, highlighting their unwavering commitment and passion for the sport. A gritty affair ensued as punches began to become wider of the mark and more inaccurate, as desperation settled in to persuade the judges.
A truly tough contest and a great display of resilience from both representatives as it headed to the judges.
Tsemo took the victory by split decision, ensuring a crucial win for Hallam in order to get back into contention.
Winner: Sebastian Tsemo (split decision)
Uni of Sheff 5-2 Sheffield Hallam
INTERVAL: Hallam look for a way back into the contest, as the University of Sheffield look to complete the three-peat.
Fight Eight: Dan Jarvis (UoS) vs. James Kaul (SHU):
After a 20 minute pause in the proceedings, the crowd anticipated the second portion of the night.
Jarvis began the fight extremely well, landing a right hook immediately, alongside precise and accurate punches to the chin of Kaul. The Hallam boxer managed to alleviate some of the pressure by successfully keeping Jarvis pinned on the ropes, gaining some leverage back and settling into his routine.
The crowd got behind both fighters in the second round, as big blows were traded, with a temporary stoppage required for Jarvis for a count by the referee, and to clean up a bloodied nose after a fierce punch by Kaul.
Momentum consistently shifted in this enthralling contest, as both fighters began to fatigue and settle into a rhythm. Kaul began to persistently take advantage of his counterpart as the tempo of the match considerably decreased.
The match finished with a fistbump and a hug, a sign of respect shown by all fighters tonight, adding to the positive ambience that Varsity represents.
The judges awarded a split decision in favour of Jarvis, another gruelling and hard-fought fight which could’ve gone either way.
Winner: Dan Jarvis (split decision)
Uni of Sheff 6-2 Sheffield Hallam
Fight Nine: Jack Taboda (UoS) vs. Dan Miles (SHU):
The ninth fight started with Taboda knocking Miles down immediately with some swift, cynical jabs and a killer right hook on Mile’s temple, much to the disbelief of everyone in the Octagon, as the Uni Of Sheff’s crowd roared in excitement.
Taboda cruised through the first round, with Miles unable to land any menacing strikes, leaving lots of work to do.
The second round was the most mellow of the night, as a slow tempo occurred, with both fighters trading offensive and defensive manoeuvres.
Miles displayed consistency throughout the rest of the fight, landing neat left jabs and more accurate blows, meanwhile Taboda looked for an uppercut to assert himself and finish off the match-up. Miles took another trip to the floor, albeit accidental, as the fight reached a stalemate and headed to the judges.
By split decision, Miles took the win, to the surprise and dismay of the Uni of Sheff’s crowd.
Winner: Dan Miles (split decision)
Uni of Sheff 6-3 Sheffield Hallam
Fight Ten: Edlin Josey Kanichayi (UoS) vs. Syson Santiago (SHU):
The heaviest weight category of the night (86kg) kicked off with both fighters being cautious of the other.
Kanichayi started well and had the advantage, successfully connecting with Santiago’s jaw twice, rocking him and also knocking his gum shield out twice, igniting the crowd. Santiago was unable to find his stride and Kanichayi began to look for a killer uppercut to finish the bout off as soon as it had started.
The second round commenced, and it started to look like a closer affair. However, the red team threw the towel in due to an injury for Santiago and Kanichayi took the victory for UoS.
Winner: Edlin Josey Kanichayi (injury)
Uni of Sheff 7-3 Sheffield Hallam
Round Eleven: Ben Chilton (UoS) vs. Jack Price (SHU):
The penultimate contest of the night began with the biggest pop of the night for Chilton, a clear fan favourite. This was another thrilling match, with the pendulum constantly swinging in favour of each boxer, despite Hallam having no way back in the contest.
Chilton had the slight reach advantage, but this didn’t deter Price as he was able to land an equal amount of combinations in a close contest.
The second round allowed Chilton to begin to flex his skills, fast paced strikes, catching Price off-guard from range and taking the upper hand of this arduous duel.
However, considering Price was fighting solely for personal pride, he had the final round to be proud of. He landed a thunderous right hook of ferocious nature onto Chilton’s jaw, rocking him back. The sound echoed through the Octagon and left more than Chilton’s jaw on the floor.
Chilton bounced back in good nature, displaying a strong defensive performance, and kept Price on the ropes to reduce any chance of traction being gained, despite Hallam fans desperate efforts to will him on. Chilton wins by unanimous decision.
Winner: Ben Chilton (unanimous decision)
Uni of Sheff 8-3 Sheffield Hallam
Fight Twelve: Calan Curtis (UoS) vs. Mitchell Jones (SHU):
The night drew to a close, with the final fight of the night being an eagerly awaited contest. Tension loomed as both sets of supporters wanted to end the night on a remarkable note.
From the outset, both fighters displayed impressive agility and footwork, successfully weaving around powerful punches. Jones continually diminished advances by Curtis and displayed a confident and assured demeanour.
Curtis finally had a breakthrough in the second round, landing a powerful punch on Jone’s lip, sending him to the floor and facilitating a count from the referee to ensure if the fight would continue, which he beat.
The final round of the 2025 boxing series ensues, and it is an even affair, both boxers showing their unwilling determination, physical and mental strength and extraordinary stamina to persist until the bell. Neither boxer emerged as the clear winner, and we head to the judges for the final time.
In a split decision, Jones takes the final round and Hallam claims a consolation win, not to the discredit of the boxer.
Winner: Mitchell Jones (split decision)
FINAL SCORE: Uni of Sheff 8-4 Sheffield Hallam
That concludes a fantastic night of boxing, with the University of Sheffield winning for the third time consecutively, a feat to be extremely proud of.
Dolly Forrester took home ‘Boxer of the Night’ in her excellent opening performance, where she excelled in all elements regarding boxing.
This was a brilliant contest by both teams who battled tooth and nail in a dignified and dedicated fashion. Despite the close contests and competitive disposition, this matches the same scoreline as last year, as Hallam are fairly disposed of yet again.
Sports Park Day is next on the Varsity calendar on the 26th April.
