TORBAY ABC welterweight Michael Jewell and junior Luke Hingley helped launch Devon ABA's 2008/2009 season in the north of the county when they featured in two of 16 bouts staged by Bideford ABC at the Pannier Market.

Jewell, a 25 year old electrician with something like 40 contests behind him, couldn't have picked a more difficult opponent than England international and former NACYP champion Tommy Langford.

Langford is a second year student at Birmingham University, and trains in the Midlands with Frankie Gavin, the England international sensationally sent home ahead of this year's Olympic Games in Beijing for being two kilos over the lightweight limit.

Not surprisingly, Jewell lost to a unanimous points decision after 3x3 minute rounds.

Hingley, on the other hand, started the season well, the 15-year-old Westlands schoolboy unanimously out-pointing Jack Taylor (Combe Martin ABC) to make it three wins out of three.

Both Jewell and Hingley are warming up ahead of tournaments early next year, Jewell having been put forward for senior ABA Championships for the first time and Hingley entered in the ESABA's National Schoolboys' Championships.

Meanwhile, Torbay ABC have accepted an invitation to host the Southern Division finals of the ABA Novices Championship as part of their club show at Torquay's Riviera International Centre on November 13.

Before that, the club is holding its presentation night for last season at Torquay United's No 10 Club next Saturday (8pm).