Skip to content

Trio returns from Silver Gloves

The Williams Lake Boxing Club landed a three-punch combination at the Richmond Silver Gloves championships.
32714tribuneGS-Silver-Gloves-318
The Williams Lake Boxing Club’s (from left) Harley Mulvahill

The Williams Lake Boxing Club landed a three-punch combination at the Richmond Silver Gloves championships when three of its fighters competed on the card.

Harley Mulvahill, Laura Klassen and Alex Hadden represented the WLBC at the championships, hosted June 1 at the Richmond Sports Club.

There, Mulvahill won a unanimous decision over Nanaimo’s Michael Pool in the main event of the 15-card lineup and Klassen lost a close decision to Lillooet’s Alaina John. Hadden — competing in his first bout — fought an exhibition versus New Westminster’s Derrick Wong.

WLBC coach Gary McLellan said Mulvahill dominated all three rounds of his fight by landing a repeated right jab and hard right hands through his opponent’s defense.

“It was his jab that he used a lot,” McLellan said. “He was sticking and moving well.”

Mulvahill added he went into the fight with a game plan and stuck to it.

“I didn’t know anything about him [going in],” Mulvahill said. “My boxing was the best part. Mentally I was there really strong that night and I was just able to stick to the game plan.

“I allowed him to come into things and sucked him into things during the fight. I was never going forward much — I was always going back, so I boxed well.”

McLellan said he thought Klassen fought a strong fight and did enough to win, despite the judges’ decision.

“Everybody was coming up to us — even her own coaches — saying that they thought Laura had won,” McLellan said.

“I gave her a standing eight count in the third round,” Klassen added. “I’d hurt her in the second and I didn’t notice it but I realized in the last round.”

Hadden, who just began training with the WLBC in November, said it was an amazing experience to get his first fight under his belt. However, because it was an exhibition the bout wasn’t scored.

“It was awesome,” Hadden said. “I was pretty nervous at first but once I got in there you just blank everything out and you’re focused. I was just trying to listen to my coaches.”

Mulvahill added he’d like to thank everyone who’s helped out the club’s fighters.

“I want to thank everybody that comes down to the club week in and week out and puts in work because without them I wouldn’t be motivated to do it, either — especially my sparring partners and my coach,” he said. “I’d secondly like to thank my girlfriend and her parents for supporting me and, lastly, I want to thank Angie [Delainey] at Satya Yoga for stretching me.”

The Williams Lake Boxing Club is looking for new members 11 and up. The club trains every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the club, located in the basement of the Western Wood Heat building on Highway 97. Cost is $40 a month or $10 to drop in.



Greg Sabatino

About the Author: Greg Sabatino

Greg Sabatino graduated from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops with a Bachelor of Journalism degree in 2008.
Read more