Cody Brown became a two-time Canadian champion when he won a gold medal at the Canadian Junior Nationals in St. Hyacinthe, Que. last week.
Only three people competed in Brown’s weight division, as many chose to fight in a higher or lower class to avoid boxing the defending champion, said coach Dale Gatin.
Brown earned a bye in the first bout and then fought Sheldon Wilcox from Hamilton, Ont. for the championship. Last year, Wilcox also won gold in his weight division.
Brown and Gatin watched Wilcox box the day before the bout and formulated a game plan that would see the Mission fighter get inside and use his stronger punching to eliminate the Ontarian.
When the match began, Wilcox started with a stick-and-move strategy against Brown, said Gatin. Brown cut off the ring and landed several combinations to the body and head, which staggered Wilcox, and forced the referee to give a standing eight count. By the end of the first round, Brown was up 5-0.
Brown came out aggressively in the second, putting a left hook to Wilcox. In the middle of the second round, the score was 12-1 for Brown. Wilcox’s corner threw in the towel a few moments later.
Brown’s gold medal added to the team’s overall haul of two golds, four silvers and a bronze.