Footwork Sets up Senior’s Games Boxing win

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Roger Vaughan / AAP News

Former dancer Charlie Senior had to ramp up his footwork to secure a first-round boxing win at the Commonwealth Games.

The WA featherweight eventually secured a unanimous decision on Sunday over Nauru’s Christon Amram, but the 20-year-old admitted he has had better bouts.

“I started a bit slow. I got the instruction … ‘move your feet, your punches are coming but your feet aren’t following,” he said.

“So I sped up the work rate, sped up the pace and got the win unanimously.

“That was me on a half-arsed performance, so now these cobwebs are gone, I will be on fire.”

After narrowly missing selection for the Tokyo Olympics, the 20-year-old is determined to make the most of his first Games.

“I’ve come here for gold and I will be leaving with it,” he said.

“I’ve got five fights to the finals, four now … win them all and walk off with that gold.

“That (missing Tokyo) just gave me more drive to get me to win here, get the gold.

“I was a step off and now this time I will be a step ahead, two steps ahead.”

Senior said compatriot Billy Polkinghorn’s opening-round knockout win on Friday had left an impression.

“I had to step up. Billy made a statement yesterday so I had to go in and follow up with that,” he said.

“I did alright. It wasn’t my best performance and I can always get better.”

Senior was a dancer for five years before the boxing gym next to his dance studio proved the bigger lure.

Now he faces Canadian Keoma-Ali Al-Ahmadieh on Monday in the round of 16.

“Be sharper, be quicker. He’s a southpaw, so it makes it a little bit different, but I go in, do my thing and I walk out with the win,” he said.

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