Boxer wins first match after stem cell transplant

Reuben Muston celebrated his quarter-final win with dad Danny Muston

A 20-year-old boxer has celebrated winning his first fight since stepping back in the ring after being diagnosed with a rare blood disorder.

Reuben Muston, from Reading, claimed victory in the quarter-finals of the England Boxing Development Championships in Oxfordshire over the weekend.

He said when he was diagnosed in 2022 with aplastic anaemia, a potentially life-threatening disorder, his "life changed forever".

Muston, who underwent a stem cell transplant, said it felt "amazing" to win on his return to the sport.

The 20-year-old was diagnosed with aplastic anaemia after a nose bleed in the ring would not stop

Muston explained how he fought a boxer from the West County, who he described as a "good kid and strong".

"We went three rounds, we laid it out in the ring, I wore my heart on my sleeve and ultimately came away victorious," he added.

"I'm ready to show everyone all the work I've been putting in over the last couple of years.

"I'm ready to get back to where I was, this is me, I'm back."

Ahead of the bout, he said he was "ready to take on anything".

He added he was not nervous after two-and-a-half years out but felt "pumped and excited".

"My dad usually takes on all the nerves for me, he is the one that can't eat or sleep before my matches," he said.

He is now preparing for next weekend, where he has the semi-finals on Saturday and the finals on Sunday.

He said: "As an amateur we are trained for back-to-back matches.

"In the quarter-finals I walked away with the winner's certificate, but next weekend I have the chance to walk away with a bronze, silver or gold medal.

"I won't be happy unless I get gold."