Finchley boxers went down fighting on their annual trip to Las Vegas.

They were unfortunate to lose 7-5 against the Las Vegas select from Barry's Boxing Gym during their annual showdown at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino.

Outnumbered by their counterparts, Finchley's dedicated followers of family and friends made up for their lack of numbers by giving strong vocal support, encouraged by the incomparable MC and professional British referee Bob Williams.

The visitors certainly left an impression, not least in the boxing ring.

A stunning opening bout saw Finchley's Ozzie Yiacoup outpoint Parnell Fisher in a hard-fought contest, setting the standard for the rest of the evening.

The convivial atmosphere was only tempered by the inevitable controversial decisions, namely Louis Reid's defeat at the hands of Malik Bazille, which proved too much even for the American, who promptly offered Reid his winner's trophy upon the final bell. Another Londoner unlucky to lose the decision was William O'Reilly, whose superior boxing skills were negated by the stronger punches from Marcos Torres.

Norris Thompson took the decision out of the judges' hands by forcing his opponent, Steven Jones, to retire in the third round after proving too strong and aggressive for the American.

Billy Drohan kept British spirits up with an intense battle against Raul Duhart, which proved popular, as he was voted fighter of the night after working well inside and using his strength to dominate in what was a thrilling bout.

Ultimately, the night proved to be a big success and the Finchley boys walked away with their heads held high, even if the results were not always indicative of the action.

Other results: (Finchley names first) Andrew Joicey outpointed by Oscar Torres; Oliver Pattison outpointed Nicholas Kay; Tommy Tear outpointed by Thomas Ordonez; Jonathan Hale outpointed Zach Kuester; Craig Walters outpointed by Mauricio Morales; Louis Lattuca outpointed by Sakhi Durmohammed; James Duffy outpointed by Quentin Richard.