“It was amazing, I’m so happy that I’m progressing in the sport well,” said Koehen McLeod, another winner in B.C. Bronze Gloves.
“I was just imagining that this is the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world. I remember telling myself that, I was like, ‘yeah, let’s go!” said Thunder Innis, a B.C. Silver Gloves winner.
For McLeod, his win was extra sweet, as it was a chance to avenge a defeat he suffered one year ago. In his third and final match of the tournament, he faced off against Raunak Najiar of Richmond’s Raincity Boxing again, but McLeod proved how much he’s improved by defeating Najiar in the first round by TKO.
“I feel like I was just way better in the ring this time around. When I was in last year, I just wasn’t throwing punches at all, and this time I was throwing so much more,” McLeod said.
His fellow wardog, Woodrow, also earned his first B.C. Bronze Gloves win, although for Woodrow it was also his first tournament ever.
“It was crazy, like when I hit him with the body shot and he crumbled. It was just like, ‘holy crap, I actually did it.’ It was awesome,” Woodrow said.
As for Innis, he was competing in Silver Gloves, as he has more experience. He earned a judge’s decision victory in the finals, which he called his toughest fight so far “by far,” as he said his opponent was a very skilled technician.
“This was one of my fights where I had to really use my IQ. And he was a really nice boxer, just like me, and in the first round, I was just getting familiar with my opponents, seeing how he’s moving and what he’s doing,” Innis said.
Innis has built his early career on incredible power, so matching up against someone who wasn’t easily overwhelmed by power proved a challenge, but by earning a victory Innis proved he isn’t all power, he’s a fighter who can beat you multiple ways.
“I’ve always known I was special, and I knew I could fight any style. I know my abilities, I know I can adapt to any style, and I’m just as confident going in as I left,” Innis said.
The Wardogs are a team bursting with confidence and swagger, and the team all agrees their confidence comes from a phenomenal coaching duo of Kenny Lally and Jag Seehra, on top of all the effort the fighters put in their home gym.
“Hard work pays off, and that’s what we do here,” Woodrow said.
The Wardogs are busy preparing for a home card in Prince George, giving you a chance to cheer on your local fighters on October 25.
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