TWO recent Queensland championship successes have given a group of Rebels Boxing Club competitors a major boost for forthcoming tournaments.
Max Cuthel and Ariki Cliffe are the latest state schoolboy title holders in their respective 36kg and 90kg divisions in Cairns.
They are heading to Perth in July to represent Queensland at the national titles.
Rebels Boxing Club owner, manager and trainer Robbie Sbeghen was delighted to see the duo’s hard work rewarded as Max and Ariki prepare to join other club members preparing for the annual Golden Gloves tournament.
Max and Ariki will compete in Brisbane in August along with Fin Bell (youth 100kg), Lachlan Ward (open 65kg), Kade Malcolm (open 75kg) and Flyn Monks (junior 52kg).
Walloon-based Rebels fighters have a good record at past Golden Gloves events.
Ariki won a gold medal in the junior heavyweight division (80+kg) at last year’s tournament.
“All the boys are training the house down,” Sbeghen said.
“We will bring home some gold.”
Other previous Rebels Boxing Club members to have won Golden Glove titles include Chris Bourke (2016, 2018 and 2019), Jesse Jenner (2017 and 2018), Kayne Tate (2018), Chase Townsend (2016), and 2017 winners Mick Chong and Salesi Kaitu.
Rosewood State High School student Max and Ipswich State High competitor Ariki have been training at the Walloon club for 18 months.
Sbeghen said 14-year-old Max’s first Queensland Schoolboy title highlighted his commitment to the sport.
“He’s 100 percent improving, just with his skills and his movement and his footwork and his power and everything,” Sbeghen said.
“He’s come along really well.”
Max trains four days a week and does morning runs along with his extra work at home.
“We’ve got big hopes he will pick up a medal [in Perth],” Sbeghen said, expecting Max to handle the higher-level challenge.
Ariki, 16, also trains four days a week, doing extra weights work in the gym with Sbeghen.
“He’s going really well. He’s had three fights for two stoppages,” Sbeghen said.
“He’s a really good kid.”
Sbeghen said Ariki was also an Australian title contender.
“He’s a very hard hitter,” he said.
The Rebels club trainer said Max and Ariki benefited from receiving access to state coaches and higher-level competition at their latest state tournament.
“They [coaches] took them under their wings and it was really good for them,” he said.
Sbeghen said his club was preparing to host its second Ipswich Amateur Championships at the Ipswich Showgrounds on June 29.
Divisions offered range from 40kg to heavyweight.
“Last year, we had clubs from Victoria, from Sydney come up,” Sbeghen said, hoping Ipswich can attract more interstate interest this year.
“We were very happy. The kids went really well.”
In the meantime, Sbeghen said his boxers would stay focused adjusting to the cooler weather.
The trainer said his boxers would spend more time warming up, doing lots of skipping, stretching and shuttle drills as the chilly conditions set in.
Level 3 coach Sbeghen has trained boxers for 18 years after growing up in the Rosewood area.
He is currently working with eight boxers aged from 10-26.
