'Natural leader' Evan Bell hailed after Sparta ace wins top boxing crown in Sweden
Sparta Boxing Academy enjoyed a memorable Halloween weekend as a group travelled to Borås, Sweden, for the prestigious King of the Ring tournament, which is one of Europe’s top Olympic-style boxing events.
And Evan Bell, 14, delivered an outstanding performance, winning the 63kg junior title after taking both his semi-final and final by unanimous decision.
This trip marked Sparta’s second appearance at the event, and Bell now becomes the club’s fifth King of the Ring champion. Fellow Sparta star and European bronze medallist Dima Cojocar also impressed, claiming a silver medal in his category.
Bell’s success came shortly after another unanimous-decision win at SBA’s Fright Night Halloween special, where he defeated Xander Rooney from Doghouse Boxing Club. These back-to-back victories highlight the momentum Bell has built throughout the year.
His journey with Sparta has been a remarkable one, and it’s all coming to fruition. He joined the very first Mini Spartans programme at just five years old and, now approaching his 15th birthday, he is Sparta’s longest-standing active boxer, having trained at the gym since 2015.
Recently, he has taken on a coaching-support role, helping with the kids’ classes and displaying maturity, leadership and an ability to inspire younger members. His progression inside and outside the ring has been noticed by the club’s coaching team.
And Sam McLeod, Sparta head coach, hailed Bell’s brilliant journey: “Evan has been with me since the very beginning of Sparta at Station Road in Grangemouth.
"He’s the next obvious one of our boxers to push towards his Boxing Scotland coaching badge – not just because he understands our methods at the club, but because he shows natural leadership and is a confident young man the younger kids look up to. His journey is one they can look up to for sure.”
Looking ahead, Bell is now aiming for the Golden Gloves title in March and will also begin working towards earning his Boxing Scotland coaching badge.
His next test comes this Friday, when he travels to Aberdeen to face Alex Murray of Insch Boxing Club. And with his recent form and growing experience, he heads into the bout full of confidence and momentum.