THUNDER BAY – A local contingent is heading to Brampton for one of the biggest amateur boxing events in the country.
Jared Doherty-Boire, Jenny Pranger, Zach Reid, Adam Strickland, Joshua Strickland and Noah Strickland of Leading Edge Gym are competing in the Brampton Cup, which gets underway Thursday and runs through Sunday.
The Stricklands have all been to the event in the past, but this will be the first time at the competition for Doherty-Boire, Pranger and Reid.
“For our newer fighters, this is a huge experience for them,” Leading Edge Gym owner and head coach Matt Richer said.
“There are three rings going and hundreds of people that are going to be around the arena, so you are just trying to get a feel for everything and dealing with those emotions. We’re telling them to enjoy the journey and have a good time.
“For the Stricklands, they are pushing towards the open class level and this will be a good chance for them to hone their skills as they move into those tougher divisions.”
The Brampton Cup is the perfect place for an amateur boxer to find out where they stand.
The event has been around since 1983 and now features up to 500 competitors from Canada and the United States, along with fighters from overseas.
“It’s a big tournament and one where everyone wants to go and test themselves,” Richer said.
“We learn a lot there, not just from the fighting … but in how things are judged as well. It’s always evolving and we make those adjustments in the gym.”
Richer also added that there’s been an increased interest in the event post-COVID, which he says also coincides with what he’s seen locally with people wanting to get involved in boxing.
“It took a little while for people to get back at it, but I think people are just looking to get back to life and the fear that was happening around the pandemic is gone as well,” Richer said.
“People want to get back in shape - you’re seeing that right now with people getting involved in combat sports. The numbers seem to be up all over the place.”
