The Salmon Arm Bulldogs boxing club did well in the B.C. versus Alberta tournament, March 21 and 22 in Vernon.
From Salmon Arm were Noah Paterson, Pam Wocknitz, Ryan Hornung and Lyle Chapman.
Paterson fought twice, winning both bouts. Although 13, he has been upgraded by Boxing Canada to be able to fight with 15 to 16 year olds. This was done to support his growth in the sport, says coach Peggy Maerz.
Wocknitz, 16, fought in her second fight. From the first bell to the last at the end of the fourth round, she never stopped throwing punches. The decision was a display of how judges can make mistakes, says Maerz. Her opponent and her corner commented on how Wocknitz had won the fight, but she was not declared the winner – yet it didn’t wipe the smile off her face.
Hornung, 32, is a senior elite boxer who squared off with Mohamed from Tony Pep’s gym out of Vancouver. They were the only open boxers in the weight category, meaning they’ve had more then 11 bouts. Mohamed is boasted to be the next Tony Pep (world champion boxer in his day). However, Hornung established control of the fight early and continued to finish the final round with complete domination, bringing him a unanimous decision victory.
The main event was Chapman in the super heavy weight (201-plus lbs). Only one other super heavy was in his age category, a boxer who was a massive 325 lbs and seven-feet tall. Chapman weighed in at 235 lbs, nearly a 100-lb difference.
Chapman was keen and feeling good about the matchup, said Maerz. However, he was eventually knocked down three times. Although he felt he could continue, Maerz thought continuing was not in his best interest.
Overall, Maerz said she was proud of all those who got into the ring and is grateful for all their supporters.
