Later this month, Thunder Innis, Josh Greenwood and Koehen McLeod will set their sights on claiming the most significant titles of their boxing careers. In preparation, they’re heading to Vancouver this weekend for an elite-level tuneup.
The three members of Inner City Boxing PG will be attending a Team B.C. training camp at Monarc Boxing and Fitness. Along with training sessions, they’ll be in the ring for sparring on Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Innis and Greenwood are new members of Team B.C., and the practice bouts will help get them ready for the Boxing Canada national championships. For McLeod, this weekend’s work will sharpen him up for the Canada Cup tournament. Nationals and the Canada Cup will run side-by-side, March 18-22 in Calgary.
“It’s a quick weekend but it will be very valuable,” Inner City and Team B.C. coach Kenny Lally said of attending the training camp.
“Mentally, it’s huge, knowing that they’re ready. We can train non-stop here but to go to a training camp with the highest-level fighters in our province and train with them and spar with them and come out of that, there are only benefits. Three days of high-level sparring, Thunder and Josh are going to be 100 per cent ready for their first nationals.”
At nationals, the 17-year-old Innis will fight in the U19 80-kilogram class. The 19-year-old Greenwood, meanwhile, will compete in the U23 category at 70kg.
For the Canada Cup, the 16-year-old McLeod will throw punches in the U19 division at 60kg.
At this weekend’s camp in Vancouver, there’s a good chance Innis could end up toe-to-toe with Porter Hansen, a 17-year-old from Nelson who is the current national champion at 75kg. Innis and Hansen had an epic battle in mid-February in Cochrane, Alta., and, that night, the more experienced Hansen picked up a split decision. With that result, Innis saw his previously unblemished record drop to 8-1.
Innis is hoping for some more ringtime with Hansen this weekend.
“Since that fight, I’ve improved so much in my technique, in my IQ, in my movement – I’ve improved all around and I’m really excited to test my skills against Porter again,” Innis said.
Innis says he treats sparring just like the real thing – no holding back.
“Every time I’m in that ring, I’m always looking to get the better of my opponent, no matter who it is,” he said.
At the camp, Inner City’s Jag Seehra will join Lally as a Team B.C. coach. Both men worked with Team B.C. fighters last month in Cochrane, and they’re looking forward to spending more time in provincial colours this weekend.
“It’s an honour, and it’s a testament to the work we’ve been putting in the last two years,” Seehra said in reference to reviving the Inner City club after it had been shut down for several years. “We’re going back to where we kind of left off as Team B.C. athletes – back on the team, and helping out this new batch of fighters.”
Audrey Edmunds, a 13-year-old Inner City fighter, will also travel to Vancouver for the training camp in hopes of finding a sparring partner or two.
“It’s very, very hard for a girl, 13 years old, to find somebody her weight and her age,” Seehra said. “She understands. We’ve told her many times that this is the way it is for girls, especially that young. She never lets it get to her. She comes to the gym, she’s always positive, puts the work in, gets her technique better and learns something new every day. She’s staying ready.”
