Diamond Belts attract top amateurs

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Alberta boxing fans and promoters are in their glory as the fights return after a somewhat dismal and quiet winter.

An amateur card at the Canadian Native Friendship Centre on March 11 featured a long, drawn-out 15-bout card that hit the midnight hour before it was concluded.

Jointly sponsored by the Hortie and Cougar boxing clubs of Edmonton, the 1998 Diamond Belt Championships drew a full house to watch the best fighters that Alberta and Saskatchewan have to offer, many of whom are from prairie Aboriginal communities.

The first match-up saw Alex Shirjang from Wind Warriors of Edmonton defeat Scott Red Young Man of Main Event Boxing while Cougar Boxing's Todd Cassidy (132 lb.) put down Jerry Cooper from Ft. McKay's Bear Boxing.

Of two female bouts, the first one saw Cougar's Monica Kosobudzki and Saskatoon Native Friendship Centre's Krista Mirasty (112 lbs) go at each other, toe to toe, in a real slugfest with Kosobudzki winning.

The leather really flew in the fourth bout, when Jessie Laframboise of the Regina Flying Eagles pounded out a well-deserved win over Cougar toughie, Ernesto Moreno. in the 119 lb division. Then, 132 lb. Neil Glazebrook of Calgary's Derrick Club made a valiant comeback to win over Chad Minion from Bowmont Boxing.

In the 165 lb category, Brent Kronk from Calgary Boxing took a standing eight count in the fourth and lost to Walter Pritchard of the Derrick Club. Then, a dancing Jason Adams, 119 lbs, from the Cougar Club relentlessly pursued Calgary's Kishor Limbu and went on to defeat his opponent quite handily. Another well-conditioned Cougar boxer, Sean Burke, steamrolled over Ryan Belcourt from the Hortie Gym. Belcourt took two standing eights in the third round.

Paul Wallberg from Cougar worked the inside with stunning body shots to West Pembina's Trevor Paige from Calgary who, despite a height and reach advantage, could not overcome the more powerful and talented Wallberg.

Hortie's Crystal Arcand was a true wrecking machine as she scored an easy win after forcing Sask-atoon's Pearl Sutherland to take a standing eight early in the first.

Saskatchewan managed to win three of the last five fights. Regina's 147 lb Gary Kopas handily defeated Trent Price from Prince George. Price took a standing eight in the first and second rounds and then suffered a knock-down in the third that ended it.

The 178 lb category saw Hortie's best hope in Bernie St. Pierre who came back after a first round knockdown by Saskatoon's Harley Munroe.

Another Laframboise win was posted by Danah who took out Christopher Andrews from Cougar. Although 210 lb Terry Buck from Hortie's was the stronger man, he lost by disqualification for a low blow to Hub City Saskatoon's Brian Natoneau.

The wind-up battle pitted local Edmonton favourite Michael Sound against Saskatoon's Ephrum Bellehumeur. Sound appeared well off his regular form, yet he still managed to score a win in the 165 lb category.

In the corner: Whiz kid Willard Lewis hopes to take on Vancouver's Eric Deluca in the planned May 29 Canadian Cruiserweight Championship bout.