Two boxers from Whitehorse returned home from boxing in the Alberta Sub-novice Tournament in Cochrane over the weekend with gold and silver medals. For Ryan Gayangos and Rosuel Carbana, it was their first boxing tournament.

Gayangos, who has been boxing for two months, won gold in the 14/15 year-old lightweight division. He started the week at 127 pounds, but managed to get down to 125 pounds after the weight cut. He says he won his gold medal by default.

“It was kind of anticlimactic,” said Gayangos. “The thing was I had my first fight and won, and I was at the second fight waiting to weigh but he never showed up, so yeah I kind of just, won.”

Although his opponent did not show for his second fight, Gayangos still managed to get his first match under his belt.

After walking through the ropes and into the ring, he says he was feeling nervous.

“It was very nerve-wracking,” said Gayangos. “It just feels kind of odd having everyone’s attention on you and this other person, in the middle of this room. I could tell it was the other guys first fight too, because we were looking at each other like ‘what’s going on?’”

Gayangos said the adrenaline was already flowing before he took to the ring and he felt prepared leading into his match, but once in the ring it left him.

“The adrenaline took over awhile before the fight, and you have to wait a little bit and it’s just building up, building up,” said Gayangos. “When you’re in there it’s kind of like an out-of-body experience. First I felt pretty prepared heading into the fight, and then I starting thinking too much, you know how things can get into your head? It takes your mind to process like ‘holy crap you’re actually there.”

For Carbana it was also his first time stepping into the ring for a competitive fight. He fought in the lightweight 18-plus division. Like Gayangos, he was also nervous before the bell rung.

“I was nervous, my heart was pounding,” said Carbana. “But once the fight starts it all goes away.”

Carbana, now 19, had always wanted to try boxing since he was a kid, but said he lacked confidence. He has now been boxing for two months. Heading into his championship fight Carbana said he was still nervous but was able to channel his energy into excitement.

“I was excited, I wanted that gold,” said Carbana. “The first round, I knew he won the first round, I didn’t expect him to be so fast. In the second I figured out how he moved and I definitely took the second.”

The fights were three rounds each. After the third round Carbana thought he had done enough to get his hand raised at the end.

“It was a close fight, he was very good,” said Carbana. “I actually thought I won, but it was a good fight, he was very fast, and he deserved to win, I’ve got no regrets.”

Carbana is eager to get back into the ring again and says the training he has received in honing his technique and preparing him mentally has given him the confidence to keep going.

Yukon Boxing head coach Jess Staffen made the trip to Cochrane with the fighters, making sure they applied a defence first approach to their first fights.

“It is always defence first, it is about hitting but not getting hit,” said Staffen. “The game plan for a fighters first few bouts is sticking to the basics. It is about keeping a tight guard, delivering straight punches, and moving forward. The fighters did fantastic.”

With the fighters having their first tournament in the books, and looking forward to the next one, Staffen said this was a great tournament for them to get their first fights under their belts.

“This was a great way for these young guys to go down and test themselves and really make sure they like the sport and are committed to it,” said Staffen. “The refs are really good, if they suspect someone is in trouble they stop the fight right away. There is no concussions, no knockouts it is all very safe.”