Now that they know who they'll fight, Jag Seehra and Kenny Lally can narrow their fist plans.
The two Inner City Boxing Club punchers are in St. Hyacinthe, Que., for the national boxing championship, and are ready to rumble with familiar opponents at the sprawling Hotel Des Seigneurs complex, located about 45 minutes east of Montreal.
Seehra is the first to hit the canvas, when he gets a shot at redemption today against Cam O'Connell of Alberta. O'Connell stopped Seehra a month ago at the Western Canadians, leading to a 30-day fight ban for Seehra -- and revenge is clearly on his mind.
"I'm peaking at the right time," said Seehra, a national bronze medallist last year who is in the 132-pound division.
"I feel like I'm exactly where I need to be. I didn't have my coach with me the last time I fought him, and I gave him more respect than I should've, but I feel like I'm the bigger guy and I have to push the issue. There will be a different result."
Lally does not open with a soft assignment when he trades his first punches on Thursday. He'll face Nova Scotian Joey Laviolette, a five-year member of the national team, and Lally lost twice to Laviolette as a 112-pound junior during Quebec Cup bouts.
"The only bad thing is I have to wait (until Thursday)," said Lally, 20, who has three national titles to his credit -- at the cadet, junior and senior levels.
"I've fought him twice two years ago and he was a lot stronger than me then. I was just a little kid, but I've grown so much and grown as a fighter since then. I want my redemption against him. He'll see a whole new fighter, because my whole arsenal is new. I hope he thinks I'm the 'old Kenny.' I'm going to hit him from everywhere."
Inner City's coach, Bob Pegues, finds himself having to calm his fighters in the hours leading up to the debut bouts.
"They are both so ready to go -- Kenny is pumped to fight Joey, and he's wanted to since losing to him at the Quebec Cup," said Pegues.
"You can see Joey's worried. Jag is confident, but we think the psychological advantage is ours going in. Jag got sloppy against Cam the last time, and he's made the adjustments."
To take the title, Lally will have to win three fights. Seehra's draw will require four victories to become national champion.
As for the other Prince George boxers in Quebec, Thomas Spiers (165-pound category) of Spruce Capital Boxing Club will face Ryan Walkowski of Manitoba today, and clubmate Marcus Hume, who moved up to the 141-pound division, will face Shawn Alphonzo. Hume was expected to enter in the same division as Seehra, setting up a potential all-Prince George title bout.
