Oxfordshire boxer is England champion after 11-month injury

Jimmy Joyce, of the Didcot Amateur Boxing Academy, has become the highest ranked boxer in his age group after beating a three times national champion from Islington.

He won the bout on March 22 and so will automatically be selected for England Boxing, representing them at the Four Nations Championship to be held in Motherwell between Thursday June 11 and Sunday, June 14.

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In addition, the teenager, who lives in Oxford, will also compete at European level.

Mr Joyce’s achievement is made all the more remarkable by the fact he has only recently recovered from a severe injury.

Boxing coach and founder of the Didcot club Kieran Davis explained that when Mr Joyce was returning from a bout in Wigan last year he was involved in a car crash.

A scaffold lorry went into the back of his parent’s car while he was in the middle seat at the back.

“If he wasn’t at the middle of the back seat, who knows,” said Mr Davis.

Kieran Davis coaching at the Didcot boxing club (Image: Kieran Davis)

He added: “When the scaffold lorry went into the back of the car, it forced Jimmy forward but crushed his knee into the back seat, resulting in him breaking his knee.”

The lorry drove off afterwards, leaving him on the roadside waiting for medical attention.

He was transferred to hospital and subsequently spent 11 months recovering from the serious injury.

Mr Davis explained: “Potentially he might never have been able to box again.”

However, after almost a year on the side-lines, he returned to the gym.

“We got him back training”, his coach said, who added that they worked on building up his fitness including through lots of one-to-one sessions.

Just after Christmas he returned to the ring and since then has not looked back.

Mr Davis said: “Six fights later he has now been crowned number one again in England and selected to box for England at national level.”

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The coach – who was crowned 2025 Male Boxing Coach of the Year by England Boxing – said that he was in awe of the youngster’s hard work and discipline, which he kept even when he was in a wheelchair.

Mr Joyce ran 12 miles a week once recovered and Mr Davis called it an “absolutely remarkable story”.

He said: “This is Jimmy Joyce, a local lad from Oxford, who wears his heart on his sleeve, is one of the humblest kids, an absolute idol and a dream to work with.”