Blue Collar Boxing Academy Shines at Provincials
- Powerplay Sports
- Oct 21
- 2 min read
(Windsor, On) The athletes of Blue Collar Boxing Academy made a powerful statement at this year’s Provincial Championships, returning home with an impressive haul of medals and the respect of the Ontario boxing community.
Leading the charge was Desmond Bennett, who captured gold at 176lbs (80kg) and earned the title of Provincial Champion. Several teammates joined him on the podium after hard-fought performances in deep and competitive divisions:
Michael Harrington – Bronze at 165lbs (75kg)
Raphael Jabbour – Bronze at 70kg Youth
Jayden Reyes – Bronze at 70kg U23
Max Guignard – Bronze at 50kg (112lbs)
Gabriel Rodriguez – Lost a close decision in the semis. Gabriel is the current U23 National Champion and was approached by high performance committee to defend title.
Their performances didn’t go unnoticed. According to club coach Dustin Heggie, multiple athletes have already been earmarked by the Ontario High Performance Committee for spots at their respective National Championships.
Coach Dustin, the driving force behind the team, shared an emotional statement with Powerplay Sports reflecting on the weekend:
“I could not be more proud of my team. Many of these young athletes were stepping into a provincial tournament for the very first time, and they gave it everything. We lost several tight 3-2 split decisions to eventual champions. Every one of my fighters has already asked for a rematch—they know they can win.”
“As a coach, I vow to work twice as hard to prepare them even better for next year. In 2024, we travelled over 17,000km to compete. In 2025 so far, we’ve already logged more than 19,000km. It’s normal for us to fight in Belleville on Friday, Sarnia on Saturday, and Toronto on Sunday. We are road warriors—and our journey is just beginning.”
“To my team—thank you. Your hard work, dedication, and character make all of this worth it. I love this team, and I’m proud to be your coach.”
Blue Collar Boxing Academy continues to build a reputation not just for its success in the ring, but for the relentless drive and unity that fuels it.
Next stop: Nationals. 🥊🔥
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