The Sunshine Coast Boxing Club remained active in Kelowna Saturday, Aug. 12 with Gibsons’ Theo Kontekakis and Graham Porter picking up wins.
The event, hosted by Kelowna’s MadKats Boxing Club, was a sold out fundraiser in support of the Urban Bulldogs Against Kids Abuse organization. A total of $18,000 was raised Saturday.
In the ring, Kontekakis, a 19-year-old, 215-pound athlete, boxed Kelowna’s Mike Truman.
At the bell, the tall and fit Kontekakis defended the charging attack of the shorter Truman and quickly found his punching distance. Truman walked into a right uppercut that stunned him, setting him up for a professional level five punch combination by Kontekakis that sent Truman to the canvas so dazed the referee had to stop the fight at .33 seconds of the first round.
In the main event of the evening, Gibsons heavyweight Graham Porter, a 44-year-old, 225-pound athlete, once again turned back the hands of time and performed very well in the ring. Porter faced Kelowna’s popular 250-pound, 38-year-old Rob Mason-Brown in a rematch of their close April 1 fight in Gibsons won by Porter.
With over 500 pounds of boxer fighting their hearts out in the ring, the audience was treated to the boxing skills of Porter versus the bludgeoning punching power of Mason-Brown.
Porter was rocked back on his heels a few times. However, his overall boxing skill, momentum and sharp counter-punching gave him the edge in the fight, earning him a split decision victory in a tilt that brought the house to its feet in the final round. Along with the boxers, the Gibsons contingent included SCBC coaches Randy Hollett and George Vortsis as well as a number of supporters who made the trip to Kelowna. The Sunshine Coast Boxing Club is located at 851 Gibsons Way. For more information, contact Randy Hollett at 604-989-5180.
– Submitted by Rick Shannon
