Impressive results for Fivestar Boxing in Quesnel

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – After a lengthy 18-month-plus layoff, boxers from Fivestar Boxing & Martial Arts in Fort St. John were eager to get back in the ring on the weekend in Quesnel.

Five athletes competed in Quesnel, including two first-time fighters, coming home with a 3-1 record with one bout scored as a no-contest.

Boxing coach Justin Donally says veteran fighter Nick Young continues to turn heads as he dominated his bout, finishing with a unanimous decision and a near stoppage in the third round.

“Nick’s getting to the point where he’s been to Nationals twice, he’s got multiple Golden Gloves titles, and he’s a two-time provincial champion. We’re going to take him one more year, and we’re going to take a run at Nationals this year. We’ll reevaluate after this season, and there’s potential that we may take him pro after that.”

Another boxer that continues to impress is youngster Cruz Gordon, who won his bout by unanimous decision.

“Cruz is a bit of a phenomenon. He started with me at three years old when his mom first brought him into the gym, which was pretty young. Typically, I don’t start until they’re four years old, but he was so into it and focused that I took him on early.”

Gordon’s other talent is motocross, which limits his ability to train in the summertime.

“The sky’s the limit with him. But at what point is he able to keep doing two, three sports and be at the top of them all? It just depends where he decides to go in time, but he’s very committed.”

Rounding out the victories for Fivestar was Ashton Mokler, who won by unanimous decision.

The lone loss went to rookie fighter Dyson Felix, who lost by the narrowest of margins in a split decision.

The no-contest result was a tough first fight for Jackson Kachowski, who was unable to continue after being hit with a low blow.

“It was a tough go for his first fight, but we’ll get him back in the ring again.”

Donally says his fighters are generally better-conditioned than their opponents, and that comes from his mixed martial arts background.

“I started on the MMA side, and the cardio and conditioning have to be at such a high level for MMA. So I always took that over to the boxing side. Any time we’ve competed, my guys have usually been in better shape.”

Pushing the pace is something that suits Nick Young’s boxing style and physical makeup.

“He’s always small in his weight class because he’s got big legs, so he’s typically fighting guys that are taller than him. Similar to a Mike Tyson style, he’s got a size disadvantage and a reach disadvantage, so he has to work to get inside. He’s got to be very technical, he’s got to push the pace and get in guys’ faces, and that’s what he does.”

With the COVID-19 pandemic dragging on, Donally says it was actually nice to slow things down after so many years of non-stop action.

“We used to run a huge gym in town for years, and with taxes and expenses and COVID-19, we moved outside of the city limits. It was a blessing in disguise because I ran a pretty small show for the last couple of years. I’ve been at this for over a decade and it’s kind of nice to take a step back and enjoy life.”

Now that sports are returning to normal, Donally says it’s time to start looking at getting a space that offers more exposure.

“Not that we’ve outgrown the space, but I’ve been kind of in the shadows and just training who comes in, not promoting the gym a whole bunch. I’m in a position where I don’t have to leave my current spot, but we certainly could use more space. As our program grows, I’m planning on promoting more, and hopefully getting back to promoting shows in Fort St. John this spring.”

Donally says things will heat up in the new year with events like B.C. Golden Gloves, Alberta Golden Gloves, Provincials, Nationals and more.