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Wednesday, May 15, 2013
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COLUMN: Another successful boxing card held in the city A16 Kenny Lally had a tough battle against a boxer from Tacoma, Wash. A17
Sports ALISTAIR MCINNIS 250-564-0005 sports@pgfreepress.com
www.pgfreepress.com
Sports
Shorts GIRLS SOFTBALL A team of U14 girls from the Prince George Minor Girls Softball Association travelled to Summerland on the weekend for their first tournament of the season. The R.H. Jones Mechanical Panthers won bronze in the competition. In their final game of the tournament, they edged Penticton 8-7. The Panthers also met Penticton in their first game, which ended in a 3-3 tie. In other games, the Panthers blanked West Kootenay 7-0, downed Chilliwack 3-1, lost 6-0 to the Kobau Koyotes and were defeated 9-3 by the Trail Rebels. The Koyotes went on to win the tournament.
FOOTBALL The Prince George Northern Eagles will play their first home game of the 2013 B.C. Football Conference Tier 2 season this weekend. The Eagles are scheduled to take on North Delta on Sunday. Game time is set for 11 a.m. at Masich Place Stadium. For a closer look at the Eagles entering the contest, check Friday’s Free Press.
LACROSSE The Prince George Senior Lacrosse Association season resumes this evening. The College Heights Pub Assault will take on the Twisted Cork/Regional Security Stylers, 8 p.m. at the Coliseum. The scene shifts to Quesnel on Thursday, with the Crossfire scheduled to host the Shooters Pub Devils at 8 p.m. With Victoria Day on Monday, the league will take a six-day break.
A lis ta ir M cINNIS/ Fre e Pre s s
Referee Allan Bayne stands in between Inner City Boxing Club head coach Bob Pegues, left, and Mickey Sims of Salmon Arm following their 75 kg masters match on Saturday evening at the Northern Sport Centre. Pegues was awarded the decision over Sims in the main event of Night of the Champions.
Pegues makes victorious return to ring ALISTAIR MCINNIS sports@pgfreepress.com
Bob Pegues spent six months getting ready for a three-minute boxing match. He put in a lot of time and preparation to get ready for his first carded tilt in 38 years, gaining no shortage of attention along the way. But more than the lead up and pre-match hype, the 59-year-old Inner City Boxing Club head coach may remember his three minutes inside the ring the most. Three minutes going toe to toe against a masters champion. Three minutes of absorbing impact from gloves, throwing punches and circling around the ring. Three minutes under the spotlight in front of hundreds of fans at the Northern Sport Centre. Three minutes to victory. Pegues defeated 60-year-old Mickey Sims of Salmon Arm by unanimous decision in their 75 kg masters match. The victory came in front of a group of supporters, including daughter Becky, who travelled from Iqualuit to corner her father in the match. Pegues’ 85-year-old mother Bettie Bagnall travelled from Qualicum Beach to witness his return to the ring. Inner City boxers Jag Seehra and Kenny Lally were ringside to watch their coach perform in the ring.
Pegues had boxing supporters, co-workers from Canfor Pulp, friends and family cheering him on. The moment referee Allan Bayne held up his arm to signify a victory was a special feeling. But it’s something he wasn’t worrying about six months ago. Before Saturday’s masters battle, the last of 10 matches on Night of the Champions, Pegues was more focused on getting into shape so he wouldn’t look out of place. “What really mattered to me was not looking like a fool so as it got closer, I got more and more determined to win,” he said. “It became really important to me to win, which makes a good fight in the end is trying to win.” The significance of a win took on a greater meaning on Saturday. “(I said to myself) this is how you’re going to be remembered for boxing so throw down hard, go out there and leave nothing behind,” Pegues said, “and then I started to work my punches.” Pegues carried that desire in the ring. “I pushed and pushed and pushed until I felt like my arms were going to rip out of my sockets they were coming out so fast.” Going into the match, Pegues planned to stay on the outside, move and step in for jabs. In the ring, he moved in close on Sims. “That kind of surprised me because I was
pretty sure his game plan was stick and move to run because I’m heavier than he was,” said Sims, the Boxing BC president. “I didn’t expect him to be clenching all of the time and smothering all of my punches, so it was really hard to box him. He would just step to the side, throw an overhand right and then hold onto me. It was a really good strategy on his part. It was really hard to shake him off, so it was really hard to let my punches go.” Pegues noted that Sims didn’t overwhelm him like he thought he might’ve. Sims is a two-time (2011 and 2012) World Masters Champion and was the favourite going into the match. “But I lost the first round because I gave him too must respect,” Pegues said. “I was worried about his power and his strength and it just wasn’t there.” Sims, who’s originally from Prince George, is interested in a rematch with Pegues. The Inner City coach, who promoted Saturday’s card, said he’d be willing to take on another tilt with Sims. A crowd of about 1,200 spectators attended Night of the Champions. For a portion of the supporters, it marked their first time attending an amateur boxing event. “One thing it did do is it brought in a lot of new people to watch boxing,” Pegues said.