TWO Mildura boxers preparing for nationals competed in Melbourne last Sunday, coming home with one win and one loss.
Ladd’s Boxing Club’s young gun Robert Burns made short work of his opponent, coming out hard early and using his trademark volume to stop his opponent in the first minute of the first round.
Coach Steve Ladd said he was impressed with Burns’ performance extending his winning streak to 3-0.
“It was good, he listened, and he did what he had to do to get the win,” he said.
“He put two eight counts on him in the first then they stopped it. The other guy had a good defence, but Robert did what Robert does, boxed well and every time he landed a clean punch, he didn’t stop throwing punches. As soon as Robert saw he was hurt, he was just relentless.”
Burns will now compete on the under 19 nationals’ team alongside four other Ladd’s boxers.
Meanwhile Boxing Cartels’ Luke Hutchinson took on a skilled 9-0 undefeated fighter, boxing well but ultimately losing a decision.
Coach Nick Wakefield who has only recently started working with Hutchinson said travelling to Melbourne was a good experience and would prepare him well for his upcoming nationals’ bouts.
“The bloke Luke fought is on the Victorian national team, they didn’t have anyone in his 86kg weight class in SA, so we went to Melbourne to fight,” he said.
“He was a solid little bugger although Luke had the height and reach, he was really strong, and he used that strength to his advantage.
It is a good experience in terms of that is the level we want to be at, for Luke it is good to see what the top-level guys are like in his division you know where you’re at and you know where you need to get to.”
Hutchinson also looks to compete at youth nationals in two weeks.
