Colton Gentry’s punches are going to hurt somebody soon.
The local 20-year-old was gloved up recently for a morning workout, training his butt off ahead of his first sanctioned boxing fight this summer. There’s a lot of power inside those gloves. Watching the 200-pounder’s fists fly and hearing their thwack against the heavy bag, you can’t help but feel for the soon to be unlucky soul on the other end.
His exercise routine is of the “pain-is-weakness-leaving-the-body” variety. Everyday, and for a long time now, this kid works – hard.
His trainer is Kam Taylor, owner of Focused Fitness in 100 Mile House. Taylor has a very impressive amateur boxing background himself, something Gentry is aspiring to replicate. Gentry is looking at a Combsport-sanctioned bout in Langley in July at the cruiserweight limit of 195 pounds.
“He’s got crazy power,” Taylor says of his fighter. “His boxing is getting better and better. Everyday he’s giving ‘er.”
Indeed. Gentry is in the gym twice a day, about five to six hours in total. He lifts weights, boxes, skips rope, runs. He runs to the top of 99 Mile Hill, then back to the gym on Birch Avenue. Speed and endurance, like power, are a big part of having success in the ring.
Gentry comes from a rodeo family. That life wasn’t so much for him though as his barrel-racing sister or bull-riding brother. But he has stepped into that arena before. Gentry wrestled a large equine last summer during a wild horse race at the Outriders Club grounds in 100 Mile House. At one point, he had the horse in a headlock, and that horse wasn’t going anywhere. Gentry loves boxing. He’s been training hard for a long time and he’s focused now on finally stepping into the ring. What’s left is fine-tuning his boxing skills so he can turn that serious strength into devastating power.
“I want to do this,” he says. “Every day, that’s mostly what I think about – boxing. I’m not really an aggressive guy. I’m more of a laid back kind of guy. But I like fighting. I like the sport.”
Gentry says he’s excited about finally stepping into the ring when the time comes.
“It’s going to be sweet, man, going in there,” he says eagerly. “I want to be a champion maybe one day.”
Gentry adds that Taylor is like a mentor to him. Taylor pushes him hard, past what he thought he was capable of.
“He’s gotten me a long way. He’s a big contributor to this.”
