Boxing is alive and well in New Waterford.
New Waterford Boxing Club helps guide young boxers to success
Do you remember sitting with your parents or grandparents watching boxing on television?
For many, that was a normal event in living rooms across Cape Breton years ago.
Like many towns, New Waterford had its fair share of top-notch boxers including Les Gillis, Archie (Bear) Hannigan and Red MacPherson, to name a few.
Many won titles including Gillis, who held the Canadian championship and the North American title in the junior lightweight division, and Hannigan, who was a Maritime middleweight champion and held the light heavyweight title — legacies that will always be remembered by local boxing fans.
Today, there are new up and coming boxing stars in New Waterford.
Josh and Matthew Ross have shown that hard work and dedication to a sport they love can be instrumental in a successful career.
Matthew, 15, has been boxing for three years and Josh, 17, began his career in the ring two years ago.
Earlier this year, the brothers participated in the annual Brampton Cup in Brampton, Ont. and they didn’t come home empty-handed.
Josh captured the super heavyweight tournament title, while Matthew, who competed twice, won the welterweight title.
The Ross brothers train with the New Waterford Boxing Club, which started three years ago, ending a length absence without a club in the town.
The club was started by Emerson Rose and Tara White with the goal of bringing boxing back to life in the community.
The success of the Ross brothers has sparked much interest in boxing among youth in New Waterford.
The club currently has about 20 members and is in the process of recruiting more youth.
Trainers at the club include White, Rose, Harry Reid, Robbie Ross and Robbie MacDonald. Along with training out of the New Waterford club, which operates at the French Club, members also do sparring in Glace Bay, North Sydney and Membertou.
The Ross brothers each have a match coming up.
They will be in the ring today in Lower Sackville for club fights.
The matches will be a tuneup for the brothers as they will compete in this year’s Super Channel Championships, a national tournament featuring some of the best amateur fighters in the country, starting March 28 in
Edmonton, Alta.
As for the New Waterford club, organizers have big plans for the summer.
The club is currently working on a project to hold an outdoor boxing event under the lights at the Gerry Marsh Ball Field in New Waterford as part of the annual Coal Dust Days festival in July.
Although the event has not been finalized, Rose, the organizer, says if it happens it will feature boxers from across the Maritimes and possibly Ontario.
Meanwhile, the club will hold a fundraiser dance on March 31 from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. with music by DJ at the French Club.
The money raised will go towards equipment and travel
costs for local youth fighters.
Anyone interested in joining the club or helping out is asked to attend sessions on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, all at 5:30 p.m., at the French Club.
As for the Ross brothers, the community wishes them the best of luck at the nationals later this month.
We know you guys will make the New Waterford community proud, especially the New Waterford Boxing Club.