Boxers eye national titles

Two Wickham fighters are a chance to make the Australian boxing team after winning bouts at the WA State Selection fights in Fremantle on March 29.

Daniel Stuart,17, who was registered for the youth 81kg category, fought against 91kg Brandon Reeves, and won by unanimous decision.

Stuart said it was the second hardest fight he'd ever had and came out of it with a bit of blood on the lip and nose.

Luke Morrison had a big task against the mountainous Issac Fischer Russmussen, who weighed in at 120kg, in the elite 91kg-plus category.

Morrison, 98kg, kept on the back foot and popped in to pepper Fischer Russmussen and avoid his power shots.

Only days after winning, it was back into the Peak1 Boxing Club gym for the pair who will fly on April 27 to Brisbane for the Australian Championships.

Along for the ride will be coach Mick Hale, who also got the representative nod and will be a State coach.

If you were to suggest a reason as to how the small Pilbara club has achieved so much in three years it would be the dedication shown by its trainers and fighters.

The motto of Peak1 is to pursue excellence, whether it is in knowledge or more physical endeavours like boxing.

In Stuart's case, Hale said this also meant pursuing excellence in cleaning the gym floor every week too.

Hale and his wife Claire started the club from close to the ground up to make what they call the "Peak1 family."

The club took up residence under the old squash courts in a small room once used for cardio by the Wickham Wasps.

Brackets had been put in the roof for bags to hang off but a speed bag and wall brackets have since been added.

The room is also adorned with a collection of boxing posters, memorabilia, trophies, and photos of local tournaments as well as some of the greats of the sport.

The biggest change was clearing out an old room that looks about 4m by 4m, adding in padded walls and renaming it "The Cell".

Stuart said that pure and simple, "The Cell was hell."

One exercise often run in "The Cell" pits one boxer up against up to four others in a series of rounds.

Since its establishment more than 1000 people have come through the club that operates on an old-school honesty box system, and there's a lot of humour and a mantra to leave your ego behind.

There are no memberships and if you can afford your $10 bucks to do a session you can, and if you can't you can't.

Free youth training sessions used to run every week until numbers dropped off, but Hale said now there were now about five 12-year-olds from that program who attend regularly.

In a normal week when there are no upcoming fights, there are pads and skills sessions on Tuesdays, ring craft Wednesday, and strength and conditioning Thursday.

Nearing a fight, training becomes a six-day-a-week schedule.

But for Stuart and Morrison they'll be training close to three times a day for six days a week leading into the Australian Championships.

Hale said you couldn't train two days a week and expect to become a champion in boxing and it was the extra work done by the young boxers who did things like getting up early at about 5am every day to do roadwork that made the difference.

Hale is confident his boxers will win and in his regular speech he talks as though they already have.

Not out of cockiness but from a place of belief.

Morrison has a lot of heart and although he'll be going up against bigger fighters he'll rely on his motor and skills to keep them honest.

There is also no doubt Stuart will be a handful for his eastern opponents when he squares up later this month.

The young pugilist has come a long way and had a big growth spurt since first pulling on the gloves in 2013.

Stuart said he didn't have any apprehension about the Perth or upcoming Brisbane fights because Mick said he had to win: "Otherwise I won't be allowed back in Wickham."