Damn Sam! Border City’s Sam Bumbaca Impresses With Grit, Smarts, and a Bronze Medal

Sam Bumbaca, a former U23 Canadian Champion and Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Windsor, made a huge statement at her first Elite Canadian Amateur Boxing Championships in Winnipeg.

“Sam’s bronze medal was extremely impressive,” her coach Alison Hunter told Powerplay Sports. “Sometimes a boxer can earn a bronze just by stepping into the ring without winning a single fight, simply because there aren’t many athletes in the weight class. There were nine boxers at 70 kg — the most of any female division at the tournament.”

Despite having just 20 fights, the 19-year-old shined in the 70 kg division, winning her first bout by unanimous decision and her second with a hard-fought split over the reigning Canadian Champion, who had 100 fights.

Source: Border City Boxing

On day three Sam went toe-to-toe with the eventual tournament winner from Quebec, dropping a close decision.

“Sam had three fights, three days in a row, and she was able to adapt and switch up her game plan according to the opponent in front of her,” Hunter told Powerplay Sports. “A lot of fighters are one-dimensional and fight the same way no matter who’s there. Sam, on the other hand, has the ring smarts and skills to make the necessary adjustments — and she listens to her coaches really well.”

She showed equal discipline outside the ring, balancing hours of schoolwork between bouts. "I got tired just watching her do all that work — and she was the one with a couple of late nights because of it,” Hunter said. “She wrote an online exam in the airport on the way to Winnipeg, and when we got to the hotel she immediately started working on assignments due the next day. The fact that Sam balanced all of this while also staying on weight was amazing. You can’t teach that kind of work ethic.”

An incredible run capped with a well-earned bronze — and everyone at Border City couldn’t be prouder. "Very often it takes boxers a few trips to Nationals to even reach the podium."