Axcel Almenana and Kendal Wonham made their debut in the ring last weekend at the Fight To End Boredom event held in Sarnia by the Bluewater Boxing Club. "It went better than I expected." said Wonham.
The 13-year old defeated Olivia Quinn of Sarnia, "I think I did pretty well for my first fight." said Wonham. "I was really nervous leading up to it and wasn't sure exactly what to expect. It was easier with my coaches, my parents and even my sister there."
According to her coach Joe Leblanc Wonham, "totally dominated her opponent. She gave her opponent a standing count within 45 seconds of the first round. Unbelievable talent for such a young athlete."
An official at the event approached Leblanc following the fight and told him the grade 8 student is a future champion. "He said he seen a lot of young athletes and this one is very special. Or course I told her and she was beaming."
Wonham is looking forward to growing in the sport. "I have so much more to learn and improve on. I want to see how far I can go. I hope I can be an inspiration to the younger girls just starting out."
Almanana fought Diaa Alasmarra of DelGato's Boxing Club. "I think it was a good fight for both of us." said the 16-year old. "He might've had more points than me but I came back the second round and pushed myself the last round, and I respect my opponent's skill and ability.
Almanana says he looks forward to learning more and can't wait to push himself past his limits.