TRENTON, N.S. – For some of them, it’ll their debut under the lights, the first time the real punches start coming at them.
“We’ve got a few new kids on this card, so there’s going to be some nerves that night,” said Albion Amateur Boxing Club coach head coach Al Archibald, whose fighters will be part of a card on May 18 at Summer Street Industries in New Glasgow.
“So, we’ll make we work with them until they’re ready to go. But others shine on the home card, for sure.”
When the coaches sense a fighter is nervous, “we’re trained to coach for that,” Archibald added. “Breathing exercises, and talking with them, or we’ll take them to a quiet environment before the fight.”
Tivor Stewart, who is coming off a bronze medal win at nationals, is almost a veteran, with an 8-3 record under his belt. Nerves aren’t really a factor anymore for Stewart, whose match against Yan Azarenkov is the main event on the card.
“There were butterflies in my stomach the first time, going up in front of the big crowd, but I’m more used to it now,” he says,
There is a total of nine local boxers scheduled to fight, which is believed to be the most for a home card in the club’s 31-year history.
Pictou’s Sadie LeBlanc will box an exhibition bout. The 11-year-old has had three FunBox appearances in the ring and she’s getting more comfortable boxing in front of crowds.
“I have some experience and I have amazing coaches, and they tell me they wouldn’t put me in with something who was gonna beat me up. They put trust in what I work on, and on my technique. So, I feel a lot better now than I did the first couple of times.”
Doors open at 6 p.m., with the boxing to start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance (Big Al’s Convenience in New Glasgow), or $20 at the door.
Local boxers who are scheduled to fight at a card May 18 at Summer Street Industries in New Glasgow (subject to change).
• Noah Thompson
• Ian MacLeod
• Connor Munroe
• Rob MacLeod
• Carson Scholes
• Sadie LeBlanc
• Caden MacDonald
• Connor Walsh
• Tyvor Stewart (main event vs. Yan Azarenkov)
