Woolridge re-match has top-billing at Fight Night
Bermuda kickboxer Jemal Woolridge’s bout with Canadian Jeremy Hawkrigg will have top-billing at Fight Night on Saturday.The pair will clash in a much anticipated re-match on an evening of mixed fights at Berekely Institute.On the under-card will also be a battle between one of the Island’s top boxers, Jashaun Thomas, and experienced Canadian fighter Cody Adair.“Thomas fought Nicky Bascome, who is arguably Bermuda’s best boxer, last year,” said organiser Nir Sadeh. “He lost, just marginally, and he’s been aching for a re-match ever since. It never happened.“We weren’t able to get a re-match, but Thomas is going to box Cody Adair, who we are flying in from Canada. Adair’s an experienced boxer, his record is something like six-and-two. He’s the same weight, and they should put on a real battle, I think that’ll be very good.”And in a huge coup for the Teachers Rugby Club event, local kickboxer Talia Iris will fight talented Canadian Ashley Nichols for the vacant World Muay Thai Federation Continental Female Title.“The guys in Canada deal with the Muay Thai federation and the title for this weightclass was vacant,” said Sadeh. “It’s great that we could get it, and we’ve actually been quite lucky.”Traditionally fight night has been focused entirely on boxing, with untried amateurs making up most of the participants.There is still an element of that, with Teachers rugby player David ‘Kwame’ McHugh getting in the ring to fight Canadian Shaun Richards, a kickboxer who fancied trying boxing.“We were boxing 100 percent, but with contact sport evolving, we wanted to include K1 kickboxing,” said Sadeh. “There is a big contingent here in Bermuda that’s doing it, and we thought it would be a good time to combine the two.“In terms of the boxing, traditionally we tend to be the amateurs, the pure green guys going in. So that’s what we have. Teachers rugby is where this whole sport started. A couple of rugby guys settling their beef in the ring, off the pitch, kind of challenging each other, and going for it.”Tickets for the evening’s bouts, which will take place at Berkeley Institute, start at $65 for general admission, and can be bought at Arcade Barber Shop, C-Mart, International Sports Shop, Sports R Us, and from premiertickets.bm.