Nelson Boxing Club travelled to North Vancouver on Oct. 24 to take part in its first boxing competition since the start of the pandemic. The card was hosted by Griffins Boxing, conducted with no spectators and streamed to a live audience.
Nelson’s Makalu Babott started things off with a unanimous decision win over North Vancouver’s William Veroni in the 118-pound division.
“Makalu has trained extremely hard through the lockdown and his efforts paid off as he dominated the bout with his jab and boxing skills,” said Nelson coach Jesse Pineiro.
Djavan Mayer was matched with aggressive Surrey boxer Alex Babenko in the JA 95-pound division.
“Mayer showed poise and composure in his very first fight to overcome Babenko’s brawling tactics and counter with his superior boxing ability,” Pineiro said. “Both boxers had their hands raised in this funbox bout.”
Wamuna Fukada lost a decision to the more experienced Faryar Mohammedi from North Vancouver. Fukada pressed the action throughout the bout but had trouble getting out of the way of sharp counters from the skillful Griffins boxer.
“I was really happy with our boxers,” Pineiro said. “All of these athletes have stayed disciplined and dedicated through a very tough time. Their hard work has paid off and it’s exciting to see them progress.”
The next competition for Nelson boxers will be at home as the Nelson Boxing Club hosts a show on Nov. 21. It will be held according to strict COVID-19 protocols for all participants and will be held without fans in attendance. The show will be live streamed on Pay Per View.