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Local boxers win first fights

Wark and Bate already looking forward to their next bouts
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It took four months of intense training, six days a week including sparring at a boxing club every Saturday night, but the hard work paid off for Geoff Bate and James Wark.

On Saturday, Oct. 24, the Whistler residents headed to Griffins Boxing in North Vancouver, their sparring club, to take part in their first Boxing B.C.- sanctioned bouts.

It couldn't have gone much better for either fighter. Wark won his match early in the second round by a technical knock-out (TKO) while Bate won the scoring in all three rounds to take his match by a unanimous decision. Neither boxer knew their opponent or what to expect, but used a combination of tactics and fitness to come out ahead.

"I went second after James, so I was a little anxious to get out and fight," said Bate. "It was pretty fun. It was a really good show that the Griffins put on, and my friends came up from the city to cheer me on, which really helped."

Bate said he only took one good punch during the match, as well as an elbow off a poorly-thrown punch.

"He really didn't get too many off on me," he said. "I chased him around the ring for a good three rounds.

"There was really no game plan, no particular set of tactics. The guy trained in a really traditional Russian style so I came in more with a double jab and straight right, and tried to utilize a lot of shuffling left and a lot of left hooks. I also had to try to get him in the corner and keep him there, he was really elusive and when he got into a corner he could get out really quick."

Bate is looking forward to his next match up, which could be in the next three weeks. He wants to drop another weight division for that fight to see how he feels in the 70 kg (155 pound) class.

That means more work on conditioning and technical skills with coach Sasha Gier, and more Saturday nights sparring at Griffins.

"I feel like I'm in the best shape I've ever been, cardio-wise, and conditioning has been great. We work pretty hard on training all week and it comes in pretty handy in the ring."

Earlier in the evening Wark battled a tall fighter with a long reach, and almost immediately took charge of the fight. Just past the halfway mark in the first round he landed a solid right that prompted the referee to step in and give his opponent an eight count. Soon after the bell went, and Wark came out hard again. After landing a flurry of face shots the referee stepped in and called the match with a TKO.

"It was definitely a lot more intense (than sparring)," said Wark. "Especially in the first 20 seconds, we were throwing all the punches we can and just got right into it. The nerves were definitely in there until the first punch was thrown, and then it eases down a bit.

"I think it was probably faster than what I expected, especially in the beginning when both fighters are excited. Then the pace gets set."

After the standing eight count Wark said he had a feeling that the match was his to win and came out hard to take the win. "He was definitely a good opponent and he had a lot of reach on me. I just started timing him nicely from the beginning," he said.

Now Wark is excited for his next fight and what promises to be a harder match.

"I can't wait, I really can't wait, that was some of the best fun I've had in a while," he said. "I know the training is going to get harder and the opponents are going to get harder as well, but (Bate and I) are committed to do the work to get better."

Wark and Bate trained with several local coaches in recent years, including Jason Kawaguchi, Jack Noesgaard, Kevin Murray and Gabe Price-Jones, which Gier said gave them a solid foundation before the boxers approached him four months ago to coach them to a competitive level.

"I knew (Bate and Wark) from around town, but they approached me about four months ago with the desire to step into the ring," said Gier. "I met with them to find out how serious they were, and we had numerous discussions explaining, basically, that you can play sports but you don't play boxing. I wanted to make sure they understood the commitment, and they have really worked hard since then."

Gier's history is nothing short of colourful. Once upon a time he was a sergeant in the Air Assault Unit of the Soviet Marines before emigrating to Canada where he went from dishwasher to bouncer based on training. He came to Whistler to work for the bylaw department, and then graduated from Executive Security International in Colorado before launching his own executive security service.

He was a born teacher, however, and started a kickboxing club in Whistler that grew to over 100 members from 1996 to 2002. At one point he had 16 students who were regional, provincial, national and even international title winners.

He stepped back from kickboxing then, and put his boxing certifications to work for a while. He currently runs the Siberian Sandbox fitness program in town, as well as working with a few hand-picked students in Whistler and North Vancouver. In December, along with Kevin Murray, Gier is launching a Boxing B.C.-sanctioned gym at the old high school in the Pemberton area. The goal is to give youth the opportunity to learn to box in a positive, healthy atmosphere, as well as to build a regional training centre with an actual ring to train in.

"I think we have about 30 guys from Whistler to support the club, and a lot of young guys are going to be inspired (by Bate and Wark)," said Gier.

Wark's match is posted on You Tube. Search for "Siberian Sandbox" to get the first video - Wark's first round - and then click on the poster's user name, 81285, to get the second round video.