Three boxers who hope to join the paid ranks over the next couple of years joined twelve others from Hunslet’s Golden Team gym on a show at the Aria Suite in Woodhouse attended by upwards of four hundred people.
Middleton’s Nicola Aldred, 31, faced Manchester fighter Frankie Taylor.
“I did my best to land clean shots and not just get drawn into a scrappy fight. She’s highly experienced fighting every weekend and was very aggressive constantly pushing me back. I was happy with a draw as the result. It’s given me a wake-up call never to cut corners in training. Boxing isn’t just a game you play it’s a hard sport and you need to be disciplined. I’m still undefeated with five wins and a draw. I’d like possibly four more bouts this year and then see if I can make it into the professional ranks. I’m also up for a rematch with Frankie but to win would require up to a couple of months training” she said.
Danny Knee and Max Clark both won their bouts, and both aim to join the paid ranks over the next couple of years. Jacob Robson-Batley also excelled with a decisive victory in his first scored bout over Bradford’s Jack Sunter. Fourteen-year-old Zac Rymer from Belle Isle was one of several children including Aidan and Thomas Winstanley who enjoyed showcasing their developing boxing ability in ‘skills bouts’ without the pressure of a win/lose decision.
“Zac’s been training at Golden Team for two years,” said Dad Matty. “He loves his boxing and seems to have potential as he’s agile and quick on his feet. He’s trained with Nicola four times a week and had one to one training sessions for this his third skills. As his parents we want to thank her. What a credit she is to the gym. Zac struggles in school subjects like maths, but boxing has developed his confidence. When he was three, Zac was diagnosed with permanent hearing damage and wears hearing aids. Boxing is the best sport to help him develop focus.”
“I want to continue to progress as a boxer,” said Zac, “go through the amateur ranks and hopefully make a career as a professional. I’m grateful to everyone at Golden Team who’s helped me and especially Nicola who’s brought me on. I’ll show I’m thankful by becoming a top-class boxer. It’s the best ambition a boy can have.”
This post was written by James Bovington
Photo: Zac Rymer with Nicola Aldred
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