The hard-hitting Hussain brothers dominated in Dublin to claim a gold medal apiece

There was no luck for the Irish as the Jack Hunt School students, Zayne (13) and Jacob (15), delivered outstanding performances to continue their rapid accumulation of Box Cup successes.

The younger Hussain had to win three competitive fights before his hand was raised in victory in the final. His opening contest was against Tommy O'Loughlin of Sacred Heart BC, Ireland, a boxer Hussain had defeated at last year's Wexford tournament.

And once again, Zayne proved too skilful, barely taking a clean shot as he outclassed the southpaw with slick footwork, fast hands and confident switching. His dominant display earned a unanimous points victory.

In the semi-final, Zayne faced Irish favourite Joe Joyce of Punishers BC, an All-Irish National finalist who had a significant height and reach advantage. From the opening bell, however, the local lad dictated the pace, refusing to allow Joyce to settle. Mixing punishing body shots with perfectly timed screw shots, he constantly changed angles and kept his opponent guessing. Displaying impressive ring IQ and composure, Zayne secured another unanimous decision to book his place in the final.

Awaiting him was French National Champion Mohammad Magomayev of Poing D'1 65, who had also won his previous contests unanimously, but any expectations of a closely fought final quickly disappeared.

Within 20 seconds of the opening bell, Zayne announced his intentions even though this highly-rated opponent attempted to impose his physical strength/ Instead Zayne continually walked him down, controlling the centre of the ring with sharp triple jabs, smooth transitions into combination work and clean, scoring punches. Reading every phase of the contest superbly, he was consistently first and last to land, earning yet another unanimous victory and becoming a two-time Monkstown International Box Cup Champion.

Older brother Jacob had originally been entered into a five-man category, but after one withdrawal following the draw, he advanced to the semi-finals. There he was scheduled to meet Patrick Hourican of Sean Doran's BC, the Irish National Champion and 2025 European bronze medallist. However, Hourican failed to make ringside with no explanation, resulting in Hussain progressing to the final via a walkover win.

In the championship bout, Jacob faced another Irish National Champion, Shea Murney of Golden Gloves Killeen BC. The opening 30 seconds saw Murney make a bright start, but Jacob quickly assessed the contest and adapted his tactics.

His strength, determination and relentless pressure soon took control of the bout. Throughout the second and third rounds, Jacob repeatedly landed crisp jabs and powerful backhands, leaving Murney struggling to avoid the constant attacks. At one stage, Jacob landed 12 punches in succession, with many ringside observers feeling standing counts could easily have been issued.

Although Murney had moments of success, including a strong body shot and several clean backhands, Hussain remained in control for the majority of the contest. As the bout progressed, the Irish crowd began applauding the quality of boxing from both competitors, recognising Jacob’s dominant performance. The judges unanimously awarded Hussain the victory, crowning him a three-time Monkstown International Box Cup Champion.

The brothers would like to thank everyone who continues to support them behind the scenes, especially their coaches, local clubs, family, sponsors and everyone at Pound 4 Pound Boxing Club in Walsall, whose dedication and hard work continue to help them succeed on the international stage.