"Six Nations' Karl Hess still undefeated"

BRANTFORD - Six Nations boxer Karl Hess, left no doubt in his unanimous decision win over Mohamed Alareebi of Toronto's famous Cabbagetown Boxing Club, Saturday evening at the Brantford Curling Club.

Hess and Alareebi were the main event in an eight-bout boxing card hosted by Brantford's Black Eye Boxing Club.

Alareebi looked fit, strong and ready and gave Hess a lot to early trouble, but by the end of the round, Hess had established himself as the more powerful puncher in the ring, landing a few shots that backed Alareebi off.

In the second round Hess seemed to take charge, but he had to watch for Alareebi's counters.

By the halfway point in the third and final round, Alareebi could find no clear shots while Hess was unloading more and more power with every punch as his confidence grew.

"I have to admit I was a little scared at first," said Hess following the fight. "I thought he was super-strong because he is a lot bigger than me. I found he wasn't all that strong. I started giving him some body shots to wear him down then I just kept going."

Once Hess knew he could hurt Alareebi, his confidence began to soar and his punches became cleaner and stronger as the fight progressed.

The impressive win over Alareebi puts the 23-year-old Hess at 6-0, as he focuses on turning pro somewhere down the road. But at 23, he is a late bloomer and will have to make that happen more sooner than later.

Hess' Black Eye Boxing Club coach, Jackie Armour, and promoter of the event, was pleased with all four of his fighters on the card. Along with the logistics of running a boxing event, he was in the corner of all four of his own fighters as well as working the corner of an out of town fighter.

"Karl was amazing, when he came out with that power, working the uppercuts, Armour says of his 68 kilogram fighter. "I think Karl could have taken him out at a couple of points there."

"Tonight was just fantastic," beamed Armour. "Paul Hines had his first fight and did phenomenal."

Hines, who didn't start boxing until later in life, looks good, especially considering it was his first bout and he was ecstatic after knocking down Leo Roni out of the Toronto Stockyards Boxing Club with three previous bouts under his belt.

Once he shook off the nerves, he landed several power punches slowing the smaller Roni down and put him on the canvas with a perfectly timed right, which hit the button. Hines, born in 1975, had an impressive start to his amateur career.

In the 70 kilogram women's division, Nikita Abbott, also of the Black Eye Club, looked very impressive in her win over Ida Jagaric. It was also her first bout and she had a lot of supporters at ringside to cheer her on in her unanimous decision over Cabbagetown's Jagaric.

Also on the card and winning for the Black Eye Club was 11-year-old Owen Paquette who easily out boxed Dinitri Moumos, also of the Cabbagetown Gym.

"Paquette shows a tremendous amount of potential as such an early age," says Armour.

Among the boxing celebrities on hand for the even were the fighting Summerhayes brothers, and the great Canadian heavyweight, Razor Ruddick. Another Black Eye Boxing Club boxing card is being arranged for some time in August.