Bradley Saunders
Encyclopedia
Bradley Saunders (born 4 February 1986 in Stockton-on-Tees
) is a British amateur boxer who won bronze at the 2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships
and who competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
and won a bronze medal defeating the likes of local favourite Javier Molina
(24:12) and Frenchman Alexis Vastine
in order to join compatriots Frankie Gavin
and bantam Joe Murray
on the medal podiums and, in doing so, qualifying for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
The Olympic tournament would prove disappointing for Saunders as an impressive first round victory was followed with defeat in the second round to former victim Alexis Vastine
. Following the tournament Saunders made the decision to stay amateur whilst a number of his Team GB colleagues made the move to the professional boxing ranks.
In June 2009 Saunders returned to the ring to compete in the European Union championships held in Odense
, winning gold and beating a fellow former World Championship bronze medallist Gyula Kate
of Hungary
along the way.
Disappointment followed for Saunders when, just prior to the 2009 World Championships due to be held in Milan
, the boxer broke his left thumb in a training bout. A potential winner of gold at the event Saunders reflected on the injury by saying "I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason...I'm going to focus totally on 2012. Maybe then I'll look back and be glad this all happened".
Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in north east England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority and borough of Stockton-on-Tees. For ceremonial purposes, the borough is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire as it also incorporates a number of smaller towns including...
) is a British amateur boxer who won bronze at the 2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships
2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships
The 2007 AIBA World Boxing Championships were held in Chicago, United States from October 23, 2007 to November 3, 2007. It was held at the UIC Pavilion. It was the biggest World Championships in AIBA history. The championships were originally awarded to Moscow...
and who competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Amateur career
Saunders won the British championships in 2006 whilst representing South Durham ABC.. He qualified for the 2007 World championships held in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and won a bronze medal defeating the likes of local favourite Javier Molina
Javier Molina
Javier Molina is an undefeated Mexican-American professional boxer. He competes in the Junior Welterweight division. He's best known for winning the 2007 U.S...
(24:12) and Frenchman Alexis Vastine
Alexis Vastine
Alexis Vastine is a French boxer who qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Career:Vastine who comes from a boxing family is a lanky boxer-puncher who fights for the club BC Fourmetot....
in order to join compatriots Frankie Gavin
Frankie Gavin (boxer)
Frankie Raymond Gavin is a British professional boxer from Birmingham who, whilst an amateur, won the gold medal at the 2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships to become English boxing's first ever World Amateur champion....
and bantam Joe Murray
Joe Murray (boxer)
Joseph Murray is a former amateur boxer from Levenshulme, Manchester, England. He is best known for winning a medal at the 2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships at bantamweight and has recently signed professional terms with Hatton Promotions. His brother John is the reigning British...
on the medal podiums and, in doing so, qualifying for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
The Olympic tournament would prove disappointing for Saunders as an impressive first round victory was followed with defeat in the second round to former victim Alexis Vastine
Alexis Vastine
Alexis Vastine is a French boxer who qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Career:Vastine who comes from a boxing family is a lanky boxer-puncher who fights for the club BC Fourmetot....
. Following the tournament Saunders made the decision to stay amateur whilst a number of his Team GB colleagues made the move to the professional boxing ranks.
In June 2009 Saunders returned to the ring to compete in the European Union championships held in Odense
Odense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
, winning gold and beating a fellow former World Championship bronze medallist Gyula Kate
Gyula Kate
Gyula Káté is a Hungarian amateur boxer best known to win two bronze medals at European Championships and one at World Championships.-Career:...
of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
along the way.
Disappointment followed for Saunders when, just prior to the 2009 World Championships due to be held in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, the boxer broke his left thumb in a training bout. A potential winner of gold at the event Saunders reflected on the injury by saying "I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason...I'm going to focus totally on 2012. Maybe then I'll look back and be glad this all happened".
Personal life
On 25th November 2008 Saunders was questioned by police on suspicion of dealing cocaine after a police sniffer dog found what was alleged to be £12000 worth of the drug in his back garden. The charges were dropped against the boxer in April 2009 when the police decided not to proceed with the case.World Amateur Championships
- Defeated Boris Katalinic (Croatia) 23-12
- Defeated Gumersindo Carrasco (Argentina) RSCO
- Defeated Javier MolinaJavier MolinaJavier Molina is an undefeated Mexican-American professional boxer. He competes in the Junior Welterweight division. He's best known for winning the 2007 U.S...
(United States) 24-12 - Defeated Alexis VastineAlexis VastineAlexis Vastine is a French boxer who qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Career:Vastine who comes from a boxing family is a lanky boxer-puncher who fights for the club BC Fourmetot....
(France) 30-13 - Lost to Gennady KovalevGennady KovalevGennady Gennadiyevich Kovalev is a boxer from Russia.-Career:Southpaw Kovalev won the silver medal at the 2003 World Amateur Boxing Championships defeating Bahodirjon Sooltonov but losing to Aghasi Mammadov at bantam, and a gold medal at the 2004 European Amateur Boxing Championships .He...
(Russia) 8-16
Olympic Games
- Defeated Samuel Kotey NeequayeSamuel Kotey NeequayeSamuel Kotey Neequaye is a boxer from Ghana who competed in the 2008 Olympics in the light welterweight division. He was knocked out by Bradley Saunders.-External links:*...
(Ghana) KO 1 (2:24) - Lost to Alexis VastineAlexis VastineAlexis Vastine is a French boxer who qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Career:Vastine who comes from a boxing family is a lanky boxer-puncher who fights for the club BC Fourmetot....
(France) 11-7