Girls got gloves and gumption to punch

WESTVILLE?- If you think that boxing is boys-only, think again.
Brianne Sutherland and Giselle Gillis-Labrash are proof to the contrary.
Sutherland is 12, Lebrash is 30. Both wear gloves and know how to use them.
This weekend the two will be representing the Westville Academy of Boxing in exhibition matches at the Francis Morrison Memorial Night of Boxing in Sydney.
"It will be a good card," said Westville Academy coach Tom Davis. "I probably would have had five on them on it, but three of them have been out sick."
So it will be up to the ladies to representPictou County in the ring.
This will be Sutherland's first real experience boxing in a match.
For the last three years she's been training in Westville, though, and Davis said he's confident she's ready.
"She's very technically sound," he said. "She just needs the experience. Her technical level is probably on the level with people who have been boxing for two years, but she just doesn't have the know-how to get into the ring and all the nerve part - the 95 percent mental part that you need to get in the ring. That's coming this weekend."
Butterflies are bound to be present as she gets in the ring.
"I'm starting to get nervous," she said. "Last week I was all super excited."
She's still experiencing a mix of emotion as she prepares.
That's normal, Davis said.
"If you didn't get nervous, you'd be a liar," he said. "I don't care who you are, you're going to get nervous. The best in the world get nervous."
Sutherland isn't sure whether her parents will be there to witness the fight or not.
"Sometimes it's better - for the first few especially - for the kids to be by themselves," he said. "That's a little extra pressure for them when their family is there."
Because there are few women at the boxing club, Sutherland spars with boys most of the time.
"She does have one other girl that she spars with every once in a while, but she's not here enough," Davis said. "She has to spar with the smaller guys - the smallest guys that we have that is. There's still bigger than her."
But Sutherland said she doesn't mind at all. When she's sparring with guys she holds no punches.
"When she's in with the guys she can let her hands go, so that's good for when she gets in the ring," Davis said. "She's not used to that holding back on anybody."
Labrash is a more recent recruit to the Westville Academy, but has experience boxing in Saskatchewan.
"She had a baby three months ago," Davis said. "When she joined with us, she had just had the baby and she wanted to get back in condition."
It's becoming less of a rarity to find women in boxing now, Davis said.
"There's more females boxing now then there ever was, but it's still hard to match them sometimes though," he said.