Last season, for the first time in their careers, Thomas Speirs and Marcus Hume represented B.C. at the senior national boxing championships.
Both, of course, want to get back to nationals this year. The two Spruce Capital Boxing Club members can take major steps in that direction this weekend in Surrey, where they'll try to punch their way to B.C. titles.
At provincials, Speirs and Hume -- both 20 -- are scheduled to have their opening bouts on Friday night. Speirs is entered in the 165-pound category and Hume will throw leather in the 141-pound class.
Spruce Capital coach Wayne Sponagle is anticipating winning weekends for both fighters. But Sponagle, who has been teaching the craft for 45 years, knows better than to take things for granted.
"They're both very capable of winning the provincials," he said. "But the way the new amateur style is, the way they judge it now and the way a lot of these top amateurs fight, it's not even boxing anymore. It's this cover-up style, and my boys don't fight like that. I refuse to train my guys like that. Sometimes the scoring can be very subjective. They usually end up giving (the win) to the boxer that fights the style they're encouraging everybody to fight."
See Wednesday's Citizen for more.
