It’s just before noon on Tuesday morning, and a sense of excitement comes over the old Narrabri Boys Club as a boxer from the Gold Coast walks in.
With him is trainer Greg Walker, Pilipino Ronald Pontillas, and in the bag is the WBU Super Featherweight belt.
In four days’ time, Corey McConnell will headline the biggest bout in this town’s history. And for the first time ever, a WBC international title fight will be held outside of a metropolitan area.
“I prepared for my WBU world title down here 12 months ago,” said McConnell. “The opportunity came up to fight down here and we jumped at it. Since the fight’s been signed, there’s been great hype over social media and great support. And there’s a really good undercard.”
Rewind a year and the Narrabri Boxing Club had just reopened its doors. For over a decade, the bags hadn’t moved and the gloves had felt no flesh. Now, up to 30 fighters glide, skip and move on the gym floor each night, such is the lure of an international fight card.
“They’ve picked it right up. We’ve been training six days a week, we’ve got a couple of kids on title fights,” said Narrabri Boxing Club Head Trainer Mitch Williams.
“They’ve picked it right up, they’ve been going really hard, they’re focused, they really want it. You can see it.”
It’s a gym with a glorious past. 107 years before Alex ‘The Lionheart’ Leapai faced the brute strength of the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world Wladimir Klitschko, Narrabri’s Bill Squires fought for the same title.
Squires, once considered the hardest hitting boxer on the planet, and Melbourne’s Bill Lang were the two last boxers from Down Under to fight for the greatest title on earth. That was 1907.
Now the sweat and stench of hard work is back, as these amateur pugilists prepare to fight on their own world-class program.
“It is a bit surreal. I’ve got to pinch myself a bit sometimes to know that it’s real,” said Williams “But this is a big opportunity for all these young kids to fight under something so big. And it might give them something to look for in the future, that they can achieve something.”
One boxer is Jess Webb, who will fight good friend Carol Smith for the NSW Middleweight Belt.
“We spoke about it, it will be different when we finally have to fight, but I suppose once you’re in the ring it’s a sport. So you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do,” said Webb.
The opponents were meant to fight in Jess’s first bout, but that never eventuated. Now they’ll clash at the town’s famous Crossing Theatre.
“It’s going to be good. But definitely don’t want to lose in front of my home town, so it’s more pressure.”
But it’s McConnell who is building the hype around this night. The 28-year-old will fight Pilipino southpaw and current WBC International Super Featherweight champion Ryan Sermona.
That’s where sparring partner Pontillas comes in. Pontillas is a fellow lefty, is ranked number 9 in the WBC lightweight, and according to the McConnell camp he’s a better boxer than Sermona. All part of the fight plan to add another title to cabinet.
“He’s going to be coming to try and rough me up,” said McConnell. “We’re going to be out there to give him a boxing lesson.
“We’re going to box and move, and if the opportunity comes we’re going to break him down and we’re going to take advantage of it. And hopefully put him to sleep.”
One thing for certain on Saturday night is the doorman and the bellman will be busy. A big crowd is expected to witness a card with 12 amateur and three professional bouts, the last of which is for the WBC International Super Featherweight title.
Bill Squires might not be around anymore, but Narrabri is back hitting big in the ring.
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