SEEING Jersey Leonis ABC’s fighters come of age at the Radisson Hotel on Saturday evening “was incredibly emotional” for their manager.
Miguel Ferreira has become the heartbeat of the club, which was founded in 1924, and his current crop of pugilists put on a night to remember for many in attendance as the Caesareans welcomed London Select to the Island.
Given the rising cost of expenses, and with the club obligated to cover the costs of travelling clubs, nights like these are few and far between.
While boxers based in the mainland are regularly sparring with high quality opposition, Ferreira’s crop suffer as Jersey is isolated from the UK’s strong boxing community.
“It can be quite frustrating at times, because the London clubs have so many boxers to choose from and they bring their best over to face us, so it is very hard for our fighters. We are up against it due to the circumstances,” said the club manager.
“But I cannot express how proud I am of every single one of them.
“They were going up against a very experienced team and their opportunity to fight is limited compared to those based in the UK.
“Whatever the circumstances of the fight, however tough it was, they all hung in there.
“No one caved and they gave everything they had.
“The grit and determination we instil at Leonis was on full display and that is all we can ask of our boxers.
“This is the purest form of boxing. Grassroots boxing.
“There is not much glamour, or lights, it is all about amateur boxing and the crowd create a wonderful atmosphere and people get right behind our boxers.
“As a coach it is really quite emotional when we host fights.”
While London Select took the win overall during the night, as perhaps anticipated, there were plenty of standout performances from the red corner.
At just 16 years old, Emily Logie Inman displayed composure way beyond her years to seal a unanimous victory, while Joe Paterson and now London-based Charlie Corbel also had their arms hoisted high by the referee.
“Seeing Emily’s progress makes me very proud.
“She walked into the gym a pretty shy and quiet girl.
“Perhaps she is still pretty shy, but that doesn’t show in the ring.
“There is a confidence in her ability and that hard work has been rewarded with a win away in Liverpool and now another at home.
“Joe [Paterson] is another really good prospect.
“He is a humble and kind guy and really lets his boxing do the talking.
“Frankie Christou from London had won by stoppage in his previous two bouts and they were expecting a comfortable win.
“But Joe really stepped up and fully deserved the win.
“Charlie [Corbel] has some real experience in the ring now and is based in London getting valuable training and he was really sharp in the ring.
“Even those who didn’t get the result on the night impressed me.
“Arron Gallichan fought really hard and took everything the corner said on board, he just came up against a really strong opponent.
“But he held in there and gave his all.”
While the competitive side of the sport is abundantly clear on showcase night, what perhaps goes unnoticed is the work behind the scenes and how Jersey Leonis has become a second home for the Island’s aspiring boxers.
Ferreira added: “It’s incredible seeing our junior boxers progress.
“People begin training for different reasons. Some struggle with confidence, some might have been treated poorly at school, everyone begins their journey for their own individual reason.
“People don’t always appreciate the guts that it takes to get inside the ropes.
“At that age, in front of 300 people, to step up against a really tough London Select side, shows immense bravery and courage.
“I am so grateful for all the coaching staff, officials and volunteers.
“There is a massive amount of work that goes into creating a successful night of boxing and everyone deserves a lot of credit.”
Jersey Leonis ABC extended their thanks to Structura Lending for their ongoing support of the club.
