Dancing key to boxing success
NEWLY minted national boxing champion Zachery Richardson believes he has found a secret weapon to add to his ring arsenal: dancing.
Working full-time as a dancer at Tjapakai Aboriginal Cultural Park has improved the 19-year-old bantamweight’s footwork, agility and balance.
‘‘It definitely gives me an advantage in the ring,’’ he said.
‘‘The way that I move I think is easier because of my background as a dancer.’’
Good dancing can only take you so far, and Richardson learnt that at the Australian Amateur Boxing League National Championships in Mackay last week.
But against Tasmanian brawler Dale Evans, a man nearly 15 years his senior, in the bantamweight national title fight, the dance moves certainly gave him an edge.
‘‘He couldn’t get to him, he was just too quick, too elusive,’’ said Richardson’s trainer David Brown from Kuranda Amateur Boxing Club.
‘‘He was big and strong, but Zachery was too athletic."
By the second round Richardson started to tag his much-older opponent and realised he could land scoring shots.
‘‘That’s when I knew I could win it,’’ he said.
Richardson was not the only one of Brown’s boxers to return from Mackay with gold.
Multi-sport prospect Kris Verevis also took out the 63.5kg junior division.
The 14-year-old, who is a budding representative star in rugby league and union, showed true potential in winning a national title in only his sixth boxing match.
Cecil Brim, Kuranda’s 13-year-old contender in the 48kg class, provided one of the stories of the weekend when he avenged a loss earlier in the year to Andrew Guirin.
Guirin, the Queensland champion, twice knocked Brim down earlier this year, but the Kuranda fighter changed his game plan for the rematch.
‘‘His boxing was very clever, counter punching his opponent and not letting his opponent settle down,’’ Brown said.
Brim won that fight but lost in the title bout, coming home with a silver medal.
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Ring masters: Kris Verevis, 14, (left), Cecil Brim, 13, and former dancer Zachery Richardson came home from the Australian Amateur Boxing Championships in Mackay with medals.
