A pair of North Burnaby Boxing Club fighters are aiming to make the most of a friendly crowd this Thursday.
The North Burnaby club is hosting the fourth annual Confratellanza Italo Canadese/NBBC Boxing night on Thursday (Nov. 12) at the Italian Cultural Centre in Vancouver.
While Charlie Dawson and Rhett Gibbons are the lone North Burnaby club boxers on the bill, both bring a lot of punch to their respective matches.
The four-round main event promises to be a big battle, remarked NBBC head coach Manny Sobral.
Gibbons is putting his undefeated 7-0-1 record on the line against 5-0 Ben Falconer of the Vancouver-based Sargeant Fitness Club in what is being billed as for the city welterweight title.
“This is a step, the city title, to the provincials,” said Sobral. “(Gibbons) just turned 20, he’s looking really good and at 6-foot-1 he’s got a lot of range. Both guys are undefeated, so someone is going to leave the ring unhappy.”
The past six weeks Gibbons has done rigorous training in preparation for the 147-pound welterweight contest. It’ll be a prime test to see how he’s progressed, said Sobral.
“He’s very strong but we’re still working to get him stronger and technically better. Boxing is one of those things where you never stop learning.”
Dawson, 14, will be making his competitive debut when he puts up his dukes against Manraj Dhanoa of Surrey in what is scheduled as the first match of a seven-bout night.
“He’s really a strong kid,” noted North Burnaby coach Dave Robinson. “(Dawson) has had one exhibition and we’ve been looking for a match for him, so this is important. (Dhanoa) is 15 and has two fights under his belt so we’re going in new… There will be nerves but he’s ready.”
His style, which both Robinson and Sobral call unorthodox, is high energy and dynamic.
“We say its unorthodox because he comes in from all angles, and he’s fast. It’s a great combination.”
The doors open at 5:30 p.m. at the Italian Cultural Centre, 3075 Slocan St., Vancouver, with dinner at 6 p.m. and the fighting starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are $100.
