Local boxers put on an impressive performance at Top Glove Boxing’s “The Best Against The Rest” event in Sudbury on Saturday, September 26th.
Six boxers representing Steel City MMA (SCMMA) laced up the gloves for the event, and the team came home with five wins and one loss.
“It was a dominant team performance overall,” said head coach Jeremy Paquin.
The Steel City MMA boxers ranged from debut fighters to fighters with more than 20 bouts of experience, and the support from experienced teammates proved invaluable to the newcomers.
“We got impressive winning debuts from Tanner Rutland and Hilal Ahmadi,” Paquin said. “It was gratifying to see our more experienced athletes supporting the up-and-comers.”
Karan Singh got the team off to a winning start in the 68-kg division with a decisive win over hometown fighter Tyler Peters of Top Glove Boxing, a bout Paquin called an “impressive technical performance.”
Newcomer Hilal Ahmadi kept the ball rolling, winning his debut fight over Alexis Guimond of Quebec’s Apprentis Champions Boxing Club.
Brent Murray, fresh off a silver-medal performance at the prestigious Boomers Boxing Tournament, fell to Dylan Orser of Barrie’s Uptown Boxing in a razor-thin judges’ decision.
In another tightly contested bout, Bilal Ahmadi squared off against Josh Scacellone of Saliwan Boxing in Richmond Hill. The two engaged in an entertaining three-round battle, with Scacellone taking the first round before Ahmadi bounced back to win the final two and earn the victory. This fight earned the fighters the award for “Fight of the Night”.
Tanner Rutland, the second SCMMA fighter making his debut, followed with a decisive victory over Patrick Labelle of Apprentis Champions.
The last Steel City fighter of the night, Rene Chavez, faced Ulas Aktas, another Québécois fighter from the Apprentis Champions club, in the co-main event. Chavez, the most experienced fighter in the SCMMA stable, earned a clear victory.
Local fight fans will have the opportunity to see the Steel City fighters in action when the club hosts the “Great Lakes Gladiators” boxing event at The Machine Shop on Nov. 14. The event will be the first sanctioned boxing event in Sault Ste. Marie in more than a decade.
“Our boxers and coaches have been travelling all over Ontario and Quebec to compete for the last year and a half. I can’t wait for them to show their stuff at home in front of their friends and family,” said Brent Fryia, Steel City MMA owner and assistant boxing coach. “The Sault has such an amazing history of boxing, and we’re excited to be bringing the sport back to the Sault.”
Tickets for the Nov. 14 event are available on Eventbrite.
Source/Photo – Steel City MMA
