Girls duke it out

Berwick’s Amateur Boxing Club put on a full day of boxing training, title fights and history with the first all-girl card held in Atlantic Canada October 14.

At a morning officials’ clinic, several members of the community attended sessions led by the president of Boxing Nova Scotia and Olympic referee Bill Arsenault. A coaching course instructed by Jennifer Holleman of Tri-County Mariners Amateur Boxing Club, Yarmouth; was also held. Holleman is working on her Level 4 coaching herself (Level 5 qualifies for the Olympic boxing team).

A luncheon at the St. Eudora Rebeka Lodge was held with special guest George Chuvalo for those participating in Girls’ Night Out and invited guests. The boxers loved having a private lunch with Chuvalo, never knocked out in 90 professional matches. He made time for each person and was very personable.

At Chuvalo’s talk on the “fight against drugs� at the Berwick school that afternoon, he made a huge impact talking about the three sons his family lost to drug abuse. Following the death of his third son, Stephen, Chuvalo's wife was so overcome with grief, she committed suicide. Instead of giving up, Chuvalo made it his life's work to tell his story and fight against drugs.

Canada Winter Games box-offs for the 2007 provincial team kicked off the evening card at the Berwick Lions’ Hall, with the first match between Berwick's Eddie Tertsakian and Brody Blair of the Albion Amateur Boxing Club, Pictou County. Brody was declared the winner. Travis Wentzell of the Valley Boxing Academy, Windsor, bested Sonny McLellan of Berwick. Tertsakian and McLellan of the Berwick Amateur Boxing Club did not leave the ring empty-handed, each declared Nova Scotia 2007 champions and will go on to nationals in 2007.

The Girls’ Night Out featured boxers from the three Maritime provinces. Chantelle Doucette of Evangeline Trail ABC, Kentville, and Liza Papazian of Fredericton ABC won best bout of the evening.

As a result of the junior provincial championships, the Berwick Amateur Boxing Club now has three 2007 provincial champions: Dani Small, Eddie Tertsakian and Sonny McLellan.

Pink ribbons were sold at the card for the Canadian Cancer Society, with proceeds going to support breast cancer patients.