That's certainly what Londonderry teenager Daniel Lewis is already starting to find out after winning the prestigious Golden Gloves national boxing title in Queensland late last month.

Lewis, 15, claimed the Golden Gloves, which fit neatly onto a neck chain, when he beat Glad- stone's Sean Evans, a fighter with almost three times as much experience as him, in the 60kg lightweight division, knocking him out with a body shot in the third round.

While there was only the two of them in the category, it was a big reward for the hard training, often by himself, that the Windsor Boxing Club's No.1 boxer has put in over the past three years.

It immediately paid dividends when Lewis was given the chance to box Miles Zalewski, a 20yo fighter from Caboolture who officials had refused to let him fight before the Golden Glo- ves due to the age difference.

Despite it being his first fight over the longer journey of three three-minute rounds instead of three twos, Lewis was too good, downing Zal- ewski to earn a spot on the NSW team for the State of Origin contest against the Queens- landers at North Sydney on the weekend.

And he made it three wins in three weeks with a dominant performance against World Youth Games bronze medallist Tim Analla, winning by a unanimous points decision.

Confidence is something boxers can't lack, and Lewis has it in spades as he bids for a spot on the Australian team for the Common- wealth Youth Games in France early next year.

"The other guy in the division had about 30 more fights experience than me and I stopped him in the last round because he was injured after I punched him in the stomach and he couldn't go on," he said.

"It was a surprise there was only two people and I was a bit nervous because he's had a lot more fights than I've had ? I've had 18 and he had 40-50 ? everyone thought I was going to lose because of the experience.