Aboriginal youth do battle during amateur boxing night

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The Riel Boxing Club is an amateur club for Aboriginal boys in Regina run by Les LaFramboise. It hosted young fighters from across western Canada at the North Central Community Association in Regina last Oct. 19 for a 13-fight boxing card. It featured boys from Edmonton, Red Deer, Saskatoon, Regina and surrounding areas.

The main event featured Wesley Sunshine of the host Riel Boxing Club versus Junior Moar of the Oriels Boxing Club. The officials were Morgan Williams, Belinda Bellegarde and Mike Kuzik.

The first bout featured Omar Moreno from the Cougar Boxing Club, against James McCaughan from the Starbuck Boxing Club. This fight was in the 38 kg weight class. Omar Moreno stopped his opponent in the second round.

The second fight was between Rene Laverdieve of the Grassland Boxing Club against Derek Dudar of the Starbuck Boxing Club in the 55 kg class. Laverdieve retired Dudar in the first round.

Andrew Booker, from the Starbuck Boxing Club, was defeated by Francisco Moreno of the Cougar Boxing Club in the 45 kg class.

Kenny Blohm of the Grassland Boxing Club scored a unanimous decision against Ian MacLaurin from the Vanscoy Boxing Club, in the fourth fight. These two fighters were in the 60 kg class.

The fifth fight was an 81 kg class battle between Jason Kennedy of Oriels Boxing Club and Stuart Sutherland of the Starbuck Boxing Club. Kennedy won in a split decision.

Rod Thompson of the Saskatoon Boxing Club and Mike Fenner of the Iron Works Boxing Club met in the sixth fight in the 70 kg class. Fenner won by unanimous decision.

The seventh fight was a 63 kg class fight between Garreth Sutherland of the Starbuck Boxing Club and Vinny Kurata of the Red Deer Boxing Club. Sutherland won this bout by a unanimous decision.

Next, Pat Campbell of the Red Deer Boxing Club managed a split decision over Alex Paunovic of the Iron Works Boxing Club in a super-heavyweight bout.

The ninth fight featured Jesse Laframboise of the Riel Boxing Club, versus Gary Head of the Iron Works Boxing Club in the 45kg class. Jesse Laframboise did the host club proud with a unanimous decision over Head.

Gary Kopas, also of the host Riel Boxing Club, continued the streak with a unanimous decision over Edmontonian Michael Sound of the Cougar Boxing Club in a 70 kg class fight.

In a 59 kg class fight, Dana Laframboise made it three in a row for the Riel Boxing Club when he stopped Paul Walberg of the Cougar Boxing Club in the third round.

In the 12th fight of the night, Brian Hnatin of the Hub City Boxing Club went up against Ernest Sutherland of the Saskatoon Aboriginal Youth Boxing Club. This was a heavyweight bout with Hnatin earning the victory over Sutherland.

The main event bout went its full five rounds with Wesley Sunshine making it a perfect night for the Riel Boxing Club. Sunshine and Junior Moar went the distance, but a unanimous decision gave it to Sunshine.