The sport of amateur boxing as we know it is changing, and Parksville's Brandon Busby is part of a new wave of up and coming fighters who are benefiting from a shift in philosophy that by all accounts has raised the bar.
On May 11 Busby, 21, climbs through the ropes for an elimination bout. The winner earns a shot at the B.C. super-middlewight title.
The event is hosted and sanctioned by COMBSPORT, the new face and the new direction for amateur boxing, and not only in B.C. Started in this province in 2009, COMBSPORT (Comb being short for combat) has been accepted by Washington State amateur boxing, by Ontario amateur boxing, and it looks like Boxing Canada is going to take them on.
COMBSPORT has invited Boxing BC to join forces, but Boxing BC has declined.
Brandon, six feet, 168 pounds, goes into the fight as the top-ranked super-middleweight amateur in B.C. His opponent, Kalic Taylor from Surrey's Ocean City Boxing, is undefeated at 6-0 and the current middleweight champion, moving up a class.
Busby's record going in is 5-1 and he's unbeaten in his last three bouts since joining LeStage Boxing.
According to local boxing trainer/manager Richard LeStage, the B.C. super-middleweight title became vacant, so COMBSPORT decided to take the top four boxers in that class and have a fight-off for the provincial title. The two winners were supposed to meet in June, but that changed when one of the boxers backed out, leaving three.
The winner of this weekend's fight will face Dave Robinson out of North Burnaby Boxing for the title in June.
Busby fights this Friday at Cascades Casino in Langley as part of a 12 fight card in a 7 p.m. start.
"Brandon's been doing really well — he's improving fast," LeStage said of the lone amateur on the team, pointing to the benefits of sparring with pro stablemate Aubrey 'Bam Bam' Morrow.
As an amateur, Bam Bam sparred with some big names from the local scene.
Former Canadian super middleweight champion Mark Woolnough, and an up and coming young heavyweight named Shane Andreesen, have all sparred with Morrow.
"Aubry did the same thing," chuckled LeStage, conceding, "it's not easy, but I think there's a bit of confidence that comes with knowing the guy you spar with three nights a week nobody else in B.C. can touch him.
"Absolutely," Genesis Boxing and Fitness head trainer Rick Rae confirmed when asked if the new direction of amateur boxing has raised the bar for young boxers.
In the meantime, how serendipitous for the sweet science that LeStage and his boxers are now training at Genesis.
Either way, the mood around the gym is upbeat as the journey of another talented local boxer unfolds.
'Shotgun' Shane Andreesen is booked to bang on ESPN's Friday Night Fights June 29 against an opponent to be named.
ACCORDING TO www.fightcity.ca.,the word COMBSPORT is an amalgam of the official name 'The British Columbia Combative Sports Association.' The association has been put together by a group of individuals, boxing clubs and martial arts clubs that are looking for a new pathway that recognizes the diversity of combative sports.