Kiaran MacDonald stops Jake Dodd to book place in flyweight boxing final

Being knocked down has always presented the opportunity for an even greater rise, and in the booming atmosphere of the National Exhibition Centre, Sunderland’s Kiaran MacDonald lived it to the fullest.

Three months ago, MacDonald navigated his way to the final of the European Championships in Yerevan, Armenia. He was supremely confident in his ability to win, but fell short, losing by unanimous decision to Spain’s Martin Molina. Even though he had won a silver medal, he was shattered.

“I was absolutely heartbroken,” he said. “I beat the boy who I lost to in the final before so it hurt even more. I sort of got a bit complacent, which you can’t do at this level because everyone is upping their game and improving all the time. You’ve got to stay on it. I think that’s going to push me on.”

As MacDonald boxed his way into the Commonwealth finals on Saturday, the pain of that defeat drove him. He gave a comprehensive exhibition of his skill and nous in his one-sided semi-final bout with Wales’s Jake Dodd, his Team GB teammate. From the beginning, MacDonald’s intelligence and speed neutralised the sometimes reckless aggression of Dodd. He was in constant motion, picking his punches precisely as Dodd could not keep up.

After breezing through the first round, he dropped Dodd twice in the second round, brandishing the strong right hook that belies his 5ft 5in stature. In the third round, MacDonald finished him off. He fired a vicious right hook straight on Dodd’s chin, its sheer force collapsing Dodd’s legs, sending him sliding backwards on the canvas and propelling MacDonald into the final.

“I put a nice little crisp finish on it. Put a little silver lining on it,” he said, smiling. “But we can’t rest on that. We go again