Boxing’s young guns focus on championships

FOUR of Bendigo Fight Centre’s young guns have their sights on titles at the upcoming Bendigo Boxing Championships.

Jordan Boag, Robert Hopley, Ryan Polglaise and Raul Salisbury will have lots of home town support as they chase regional belts on the 25 July card at Eaglehawk’s Truscott Reserve.

Bendigo Fight Centre has again teamed up with the Victorian Amateur Boxing League to put on the championship bouts.

Coach at the Golden Square-based BFC, Lucas Allen, is aiming to have at least 15 matches across boxing and martial arts on the card.

Boag will step into the ring against Hayden Daymond for the VABL regional title in the featherweight class.

The most recent contest for 20-year-old Boag was the Queensland Golden Gloves, where he scored a unaminous points decision in the lightweight, 60kg category.

Polglaise and Salisbury also triumphed on the Golden Gloves card.

Unbeaten in his previous two bouts, Salisbury also claimed a unaminous points decision in his contest for the 48 to 51kg division.

Quick hands and feet are two of Salisbury’s major strengths.

“I was able to put my opponent down in the third round and then had a standing eight-count in the fourth,” Salisbury said.

The 17-year-old will compete in Bendigo for the first time.

Polglaise just keeps racking up the wins.

It was back-to-back victories at Queensland’s Golden Gloves as he claimed a unaminous points decision in the 81 to 86kg category after a contest of four two-minute rounds.

The 25 July tournament will be his fourth Bendigo Boxing Championships, where he has fought across various weight classes.

Polglaise, 17, will aim to be in the 70 to 75kg class for the Bendigo showdown.

A big year for Hopley so far has included capturing the Victorian super lightweight belt in March at The Pavilion in Flemington.

A goal is to move down to the 61.2kg lightweight class for the Bendigo Boxing Championships.

Hopley marks his 17th birthday in the lead-up to the tournament, where he will compete in the 61.2kg lightweight category.

Doors for the Bendigo Boxing Championships #3 will open at 3pm in the lead-up to the first match at 4pm.

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