Jason Nahal decided he needed to learn how to defend himself the day he came home from a schoolyard scrap with a black eye.
His dad Ken knew Wayne Sponagle, the longtime coach of the Spruce Capital Warriors Boxing Club, and they decided Sponagle's 49 years of teaching the sweet science was just what Jason needed to take charge of his own self preservation.
After six months working out in the gym and taking sparring punches from Spruce Capital pros Marcus Hume and Thomas Spiers, the 15-year-old Nahal will step though the ropes into the ring for his first boxing match tonight in Langley.
"I like the fighting part about boxing - I just like going in there one-on-one," said Nahal, who will be fighting another first-time boxer in a 126-pound featherweight bout. "For self-defence, I just love this sport.
"I never thought I'd be this good, I'm pretty proud of myself. I'm a bit nervous about my first fight, hopefully I'll win. I'll just go in there and do what I've been trained to do and listen to Wayne. Hopefully I won't make any mistakes."
Sponagle is impressed with Nahal's ability to tough it out in the gym. Despite Nahal's slight frame, he packs plenty of power into his punches.
"For a kid just starting he's a really tough kid and he's only 125 pounds but he can hit like heck," said Sponagle. "Sparring in the gym with 16-ounce gloves on, he's already stopped some guys who are 175 or 180 pounds. They're new too and they don't know how to go easy and he's taking their power and giving right back and he's hurting them more than they're hurting him. He has a very good right hand and he took to it like a duck to water.
"They look great in the gym but you never know what they're going to do when they get in there for the first time. I honestly feel, if he stays dedicated, someday he could end up a national champion."
Nahal used to play hockey but says he prefers individual sports. The aerobic requirements of boxing have taken his level of fitness into uncharted territory.
"I'm in pretty good shape," he said. "When I first came I couldn't do two-round minutes and now I can go for a bunch. I'm in way better shape. When you get in there you've got to force yourself to keep going. I was afraid to get hit and even now I'm still a bit sketchy about getting hit, but you just have to take it and try to hit him first. Right now I would say speed is my best weapon - my feet and hands. My footwork has really improved."
Colton Bilawchuk, 21, works as a roofer with Hume and Spiers and has known them for years. Bilawchuk joined the Spruce Capital gym in November 2013 and now feels ready for the ring. He'll face another first-time fighter in a 147-pound welterweight bout tonight in Langley.
"I'm excited, nervous and curious," said Bilawchuk. "I do feel confident.
"I can do four three-minute rounds against an experienced fighter Thomas (Spiers) and my first fight will be three two-minute rounds with somebody who has zero experience so I should have no problem.
"My strategy for the fight is to do what we've been practicing in sparring and do what Wayne says. We're going to study the guy as it goes and try to find his weak spots and try to formulate a plan to fit around that. It's mostly just fundamentals for your first fight, just lots of movement and straight 1-2-3 punches to score points."
Bilawchuk dabbled in boxing while he was a high school student at Duchess Park but dropped it for a couple of years after he graduated.
"I'm fully into it, I'm committed to boxing at this point - this is something I really want to do," said Bilawchuk.
"I played a lot of hockey when I was younger and never went anywhere with it and I regret that, I wished I stayed in something. I was always an athletic person and I didn't want that to slip away. Eventually, after I get enough amateur fights under my belt, good or bad, I will sign a pro contract. I want to go as far as Wayne can take me."
Bilawchuk feels fortunate to have Sponagle in his corner tonight. Sponagle, who turns 70 in November, began his coaching career when he was 20 in Nova Scotia, training his younger brother Barry to take on pro fighters.
"He's trained multiple pros and he can take me where I want to go," said Bilawchuk. "He's got everything I need, it's just up to me to use it. He's my best weapon. I can learn quickly and pick things up really fast, and with Wayne's knowledge, that's what it will take to get to where I want to go in boxing."
Sponagle says Bilawchuk is setting the standard around the Spruce Capital gym for his dedication and willingness to show up for practice every night and the results of his efforts will show in the ring tonight.
"He's been very steady with his training this year and he's in good shape," said Sponagle. "Colton trains real hard and he does some running and he's somebody who can move up there with Marcus and Thomas in a couple of years if he stays dedicated."
One other Spruce Capital fighter, heavyweight Patrick Akinbay, 21, is also scheduled to make his boxing debut tonight in Langley. Lyndon Creyke and Nate Coole have been helping Sponagle get the three new fighters ready for their matches.
