Boxer Adrian Roach Looking Forward To Match
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Adrian Roach believes he has improved beyond all recognition since his previous fight in Bermuda after spending the past year sharpening his skills on the Crandall University Chargers boxing team.
Roach was recommended for a scholarship at the university in Moncton, New Brunswick, by the Bermuda Boxing Federation and has enhanced his amateur record to eight wins from 12 bouts.
The sophomore has vowed to “put on a show” when boxing returns to the island after an absence of two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic with the Fight Night Champion event at The Shed in Royal Naval Dockyard next Saturday [Jan. 29].
Roach, who studies Kinesiology at Crandall, faces Canadian Jack Cabotaje, who lost to Bermudian Michael Parsons on points at the Fairmont Southampton in 2018.
Photo by Matthew Cook:
“I haven’t fought at home for two years,” Roach told Bernews. “That’s two years of growth and development. People are in for a surprise!
“Bermuda boxing is getting better, and I advise people to come early and watch the amateur card as well as the pros.
“I take every fight seriously, but this feels different, as it will be in front of my friends and family. I’m training like he [Cabotaje] is the hardest fighter in the world.”
The 19-year-old said honing his craft alongside his Chargers teammates, many of whom are also hopefuls for the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024, has exposed him to different fighting styles and accelerated his development.
“Crandall reached out to the Bermuda Boxing Federation and asked if they had any boxers [suitable for a scholarship],” said Roach, whose Chargers coach, Jon Ohlhauser, visits Bermuda next month to deliver clinics for coaches and boxers.
“I had a few options, and I’m glad I chose here because the talent pool is amazing.
“We’ve been flying and driving all around, fighting against teams from Halifax, St John and the US Military Academy at West Point, New York.
“It’s been a great experience, and I’ve had to learn to adapt and analyse an opponent quickly. You only have three rounds in the amateurs.”
Roach, who started boxing aged 15 at Controversy Gym, is set to represent the island at the American Boxing Confederation’s Elite Continental Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador, in March.
“It should be another great experience to take on some of the top amateur fighters in the world and see some different styles and techniques,” he added.
The former Bermuda Institute pupil had hoped to compete at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer but learnt last week that boxing had not received one of the ten spots allocated to the Bermuda Olympic Association.
“It’s disappointing, but it was expected because Bermuda boxing hasn’t made any big waves yet internationally,” the welterweight added.
