A NORTHWICH boxer came out on top in his final bout.

Matthew Griffiths has won the Manchester Box Cup, having taken up the sport a decade ago in an effort to lose weight.

A first-round stoppage in the final on May 26 saw him crowned the senior cruiserweight champion.

Matthew, who works at Oakmere Motor Group, said: “I want to thank all the coaches at New Era boxing for all the hard work they put in and a special thank you to Paul Morris and Glyn Jones for stepping in to do my corner.”

When he first moved to Northwich, Matthew weighed 18 and a half stone.

Wanting to lose some weight, he decided to join his local boxing club, New Era Boxing on Queen Street, in 2013.

Coached by Mark Bebbington, Matthew managed to lose five stone within the first 12 months.

“I felt like a new person, full of energy, with a newfound love for the sport of boxing,” he said.

“I had no intention of competing or sparring to begin with, I was just happy to train.

“As the years went by I got the encouragement to spar and then compete.”

Matthew, now 35, decided that he would compete for the final time at the Manchester Box Cup, held at Leigh Sports Centre.

The cup saw boxing clubs from across the country take part, with over 180 fights held over the weekend of May 25 and 26.

Following his win, Matthew will now focus his efforts on coaching and further developing his own skillset.