With a fire burning in their bellies and acute focus, the team of fighters from Grafton Amateur Boxing Club are ready to bring home the gold from the Australian Amateur Boxing League Novice Titles at Woy Woy this weekend.
Club coach Dean Cribb has gloved up a team of four fighters – Zac, Ryan and Brenden Cotten and Jamie Mansfield – for the titles which kicked off yesterday afternoon.
Cribb said his fighters had been focussed on the tournament for the past four months, putting in hours on the bags and in the sparring ring in preparation.
“They are all going really well and are ready to rock,” Cribb said yesterday. “They have all had a look at the title belts and are hungry to bring them back to Grafton.
“We’ve been eyeing off this event from the moment it was announced, and the training has really ramped up for these blokes the last couple of months.”
The coach has been putting his fighters through their paces against different sparring partners to get them used to punching above their weight.
He has also ensured they are sparring in three-minute rounds, as it will make it easier for them to fight in the tournament’s format of four two-minute rounds.
“These shorter rounds should really feel like a walk in the park for the boys,” Cribb said.
“But they will need to be on it from the first bell because they don’t have much time in the round. There is no time to be hesitant.”
Brenden will step out in the super heavyweight class, Zac in heavyweight, Ryan in light heavyweight and Jamie will fight in the welterweight division.
“I think the nerves will be there for the boys, but once the first punch is thrown that will all wash away,” Cribb said.
“They are as ready as they will ever be.”
