On Friday April 6 amateur boxing will return to the Coast Hotel and Convention Centre for the 16th time in two years, making the venue the hottest boxing venue in the province.
And hot is what’s on tap Friday in a City Boxing show called Guys and Dolls. Matches between boxers in the fairer sex are usually preliminary matches, however, in this case there are four accomplished boxers vying for two titles. In the two women’s matches both fights are occupying the Main Event and Semi Main slots.
Jaime Ward has fought 30 times, more than any female boxer in B.C. and is the most accomplished female amateur boxer in B.C. She will be stepping in the ring to take on rival and an old foe in Action Boxing’s Jen Yager. The two fought about a year ago and the decision that night went to Ward. Yager's trainer, Terry Cooke has been part of the boxing scene for decades and feels Yager will take this one.
Cooke was in the Diane Dutra’s corner when she became the first Canadian women to win a world Boxing Championship. Dutra made history when she won the World Welterweight title 15 years ago. Dutra is now an accomplished official and will be the official in charge of the show April 6 when Cooke’s boxer tries to win the B.C. title by defeating Ward. The five round match will be the Main Event of a very stacked card Friday.
Local schoolteacher Alisah McPhee will be looking for a City title when she faces Darcie Nestor of the Chilliwack Boxing Club. McPhee is undefeated after almost four years of boxing and is coming off a draw at the last Clash. Nestor is coming off a couple of second round stoppage wins.
The Feature Bout will see a B.C. Youth Championship decided when Matt Ruff, 16, travels all the way from Kitimat to take on Surrey’s Pavir Atwal, 16, of Bisla Martial Arts. The two light heavyweights are both outstanding talents and the winner should be competing for a Canadian title this time next year.
These three matches and six preliminary bouts are part of the action with boxers from Port Kells, Contenders, Ocean City Boxing as well as from Kelowna. Prelims to watch are a bout between Vancouver’s Lev Jackson and Port Kells Russ Lavery an intriguing lightweight fight. Also City Boxing’s Gurp Buttar and Tom Bennett of Port Kells will meet in a welterweight fight that has all of the signs of a good match.
The show will open with local fans getting a peek at the future when they will see 13 year old Shalynn Holdsworth who is coming off a big win south of the border where she was given an award as best boxer of the event.
The fights start at 7:30 p.m. The last Clash was a sell out so don’t be late. To reserve tickets call 604-530-7897.