The atmosphere in the Vikings Boxing Academy hall was one of excitement as everyone waited for the club tournament to start.
Phillip du Randt, head coach at the Vikings, was very eager to explain exactly what all the fuss was about, and said, “Tonight we have two of our senior boxers – Marno Pretorius and Winston Kruger – who will be fighting for the honour of being crowned as the unofficial World Viking Champion. They have laid down the challenge, and the winner will be decided after 12 two-minute rounds. Although I cannot predict who the winner will be, I am sure it will be an exciting match, as they are both very good fighters.”
The aim of this tournament was not only to build some team spirit between the members training at the academy, but also to encourage some healthy competition between the boxers.
The evening consisted of three pre-fights between some of the younger boxers before the main match took place. Mossie Schreuder, Frankie Batyi, Andries Kruger, Amehle Mosomi, JJ Small and Aphelele Mosomi entertained the fans with their boxing skills, and the encouragement from the side of the ring was boisterous.
With the crowd warmed up and the right atmosphere set for the main match, Marno and Winston climbed into the ring to loud cheers and rhythmic clapping.
With the clang of the bell, the two boxers immediately started exchanging blows, showing just how seriously they took the match, but although they both gave it their all, at the end of the night, there could only be one winner.
“The match lasted 12 rounds, and in the end Marno was announced as the winner with the most points. He was crowned as the unofficial Viking World Champion. This was a very good club event, and I am very proud of all of my boxers,” Phillip said.
When Marno was asked how he felt about being the new champion, he just smiled and said, “I told you I would win.”
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