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Brothers in arms: Ruttan boys looking for first career wins in Calgary boxing ring

Back row, left to right: Jag Seehra, Trayton Ruttan, Ben Ruttan, Thunder Innis, Kenny Lally. Front: Audrey Edmunds

When brothers Ben and Trayton Ruttan duck under the ropes on Saturday in Calgary, they’ll be trying to do something together in a sport that’s very individual once the bell rings – nail down the first wins of their young boxing careers.

It would be a fitting accomplishment, considering how much time they’ve spent pushing each other and motivating each other leading up to this moment.

Seventeen-year-old Ben and 16-year-old Trayton will be representing Inner City Boxing PG at the Alberta Sub-Novice Tournament, a Boxing Alberta event for fighters with two or fewer bouts on their resumés. Ben will be making his competitive debut while Trayton will be donning the gloves for the second time. Both have been training at the Inner City gym for about five months, and they’re ready to do some damage.

“I’m feeling ready to fight, ready to put on a show and bring back the win,” said Ben, who’ll be tossing leather in the 85- to 90-kilogram weight class. “I’ve been working on my cardio a lot, I’ve been working on my punches, my strength and my footwork, and I’m feeling confident.”

Trayton, meanwhile, will compete in the 63- to 66-kilogram class and will be out to build on his performance at last month’s B.C. Bronze Gloves in Chilliwack, where he fell short of victory in his first-ever fight.

“I didn’t quite get that ‘W’ but I’m expecting to get this one,” Trayton said. “I’m going to be using my speed and my footwork to my advantage, my power punches – I’m a little guy but I can hit pretty hard. I can hit like a heavyweight, people have told me.”

The Ruttan brothers got their first taste of Inner City last June as part of a school program. They had long been interested in boxing, and liked the atmosphere at the club right away. When coaches Kenny Lally and Jag Seehra invited them to come back and train, they jumped at the opportunity.

And they’ve taken advantage of it.

“I’ve learned a lot,” Ben said. “Keeping your hands up, staying disciplined, and proper technique. I’ve been to two other boxing gyms and I’ve never learned as much as I’ve been learning here. This has changed me a lot. It’s really made me more mature.”

Trayton puts it more simply.

“I work my butt off and it’s been paying off,” he said.

Since they started boxing, Ben and Trayton have been training six days per week – five at Inner City and one on their own. And while it’s always one against one in a boxing ring, they’ve been a team in all of the work that goes in ahead of time.

“Doing it with my brother makes it even better,” Trayton said. “I’ve got a training partner always by my side. We train together, run together, it’s been good. We’ve always been really close, since we were younger.”

From Lally’s perspective, the Ruttan brothers have been great additions to Inner City’s fight team, which currently stands at 12 boxers.

“I love those kids,” Lally said. “We call them our Diaz brothers. So if anybody’s familiar with UFC, Nate and Nick Diaz, they remind us of them. They’ve got a very tough exterior and they’re very talented at the same time. And it’s really cool when you see them now, the role models they are in the gym, especially for the younger kids – helping them out, encouraging them on the bag.”

During his own boxing career, Lally was a seven-time national champion, and he sees bright futures for the Ruttan brothers in the sport.

“They’re here to learn,” Lally said. “That’s what Jag and I dream for: for kids to come up here that ask questions, that are waiting at the door to come in, that are running on their off-time. That’s what it’s all about.”

Seehra is equally impressed with the Ruttan boys. When he sees them supporting each other and giving everything they’ve got during training sessions, he says he’s reminded of the partnership he and Lally had for so many years as Inner City boxers.

“They’re something else,” Seehra said. “They feed off each other’s energy and it’s just cool to see two brothers close like that. They both kind of hold each other accountable. That’s what you need in this game.”

Two other Inner City fighters – 12-year-old Audrey Edmunds and 15-year-old Thunder Innis – will also be in Calgary for the Alberta Sub-Novice Tournament. Edmunds is scheduled for an exhibition bout in the Junior A female division and Innis will be fighting in the 80-kilogram-and-over class. Both head into the event as current B.C. Bronze Gloves champions.

“We still have a very green team and we’re just looking for them to show their skills and their development, and all the hard work they’ve been putting in,” Seehra said of the group heading to the Sub-Novice. “It’s time to see how far they’ve come.”

The tournament begins on Saturday and wraps up on Sunday. More than 100 fighters from across Western Canada are registered for the event.

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