First-time fighters throw hands

IT was a packed house at The Boxing Cartel gym on Saturday as first-time fighters stepped in the ring to throw down for Fight Night.

Gym owner Nick Wakefield said he was proud of everyone who competed considering how challenging it can be making the first walk into the ring.

“It was a really good night,” he said. “I think I put two posts out a couple of days before the event, so I wasn’t sure what kind of (crowd) turnout I would get, but it definitely exceeded expectations.

“Everyone showed up and put in, and they showed up on fight night and had a red-hot crack, which is all you can do.

“I think the nerves of fighting in front of a crowd and the build-up probably caught some people by surprise.

“Everyone got in there and had a go, which is all you can ask.”

All of the fighters who competed went through an eight-week fight camp in preparation for the big night.

“It’s a very condensed eight weeks because it can take a long time to have your first official mature bout, so it’s a very high-paced eight weeks,” Wakefield said.

“It was obviously a gym thing, and everyone already knew each other, so there was definitely no bad blood, but at the end of the day, it was still a fight, and everybody still wanted to win.

“Even though they are still mates before and after it, in the middle of the fight, you’re still trying to take each other’s heads off, but afterwards, there is always a handshake.

“I was proud of everybody, as it’s not easy to get in the ring and fight somebody.”

Wakefield said he hoped to continue running training camps for people looking to step into the ring for the first time.