Young falls to Calgary fighter in homecoming fight at New Frontier Bar and Grill

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — With a packed crowd awaiting his homecoming, Fort St. John boxer Nick Young fell short in the main event at the New Frontier Bar and Grill.

However, Young, a boxer who now trains on Vancouver Island, took the split decision defeat to Calgary’s Ranford Callao in stride after Fivestar Fight League’s ‘Frontier Fight Night’ on Saturday, April 12th.

With the energy in the venue and hometown fans cheering him on, Young wasn’t disappointed despite the result.

“There’s no light without dark,” said Young afterward. “I don’t really care about [the] outcome, but it was about my performance.

“My game plan started really well, [to pop out] my jab lots. Moving to the left, working on two to the head and three to the body. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t maintain the pace I needed to.”

Callao maintained a steady pace and countered on his way to the victory.

“It’s hard to win against someone local,” said Callao. “He’s really good, [so] much respect. He hits really hard, I could feel every single punch.”

The bout capped off a 15-fight card featuring fighters from Fort St. John gyms Fivestar Fight Academy and Iron Forge Fight and Fitness, as well as fighters from Calgary, Edmonton, Fort Nelson, Grande Prairie and Quesnel.

Promoter Justin Donally also acted as coach for several fighters from his camp, including Dyson Felix, Marshall Kraftczyk and the headline fight.

Donally said he wanted to put on the card to give “something fun and a little energetic” for this springtime fight card.  

He said there may be future cards at the New Frontier planned, as soon “as he catches his breath.”

“We packed [that] place as full as we possibly could,” said Donally. “Everybody had a great time. So it’s one of the finest cards I’ve ever been to.

“[I] thought Nick looked real good. And, I mean Ranford’s a great fighter. We knew that bringing him in. Getting two of the best guys in the country to headline.”

Highlights included the three-fight preliminary card, which featured brothers Caleb and Nolan Welch in an exhibition contest, as well as Grande Prairie’s Brysen Howe and Fort Nelson’s Devin Armstrong, who had the unquestionable fight of the night.

“Those kids are both real good fighters, both up-and-comers,” said Donally. “They just met in the center and went, and it was perfect. [It] got the crowd real fired up.”

Felix won a rematch against Edmonton’s Matthew Gear, and the co-feature had Fivestar’s Mason Tetreault versus Gear’s Marshall Boxing teammate Kai Pearson.

Despite three standing eight counts against him, Pearson took a controversial split decision.  

More information about the Fivestar Fight League is available at the Fivestar Boxing Academy’s Facebook page.