The Holland Hurricanes are partnering with the Prince Edward Island KOed Boxing Academy to host the Watts Memorial Cup on Saturday, October 15.  The event will take place at the McMillan Centre (323 Grafton Street) on the Holland College Prince of Wales Campus in Charlottetown and will begin at 7pm, with doors opening at 6:30pm.

The event, serving as a test prior to the 2023 Canada Games in PEI, will feature the best male and female boxers from around the Maritimes, representing 13 different clubs. Competitors range from ages 12-30, in weight classes from 36-91 kg. There are currently 13 bouts scheduled for the evening (subject to change).

“KOed Boxing Academy and the PEI Amateur Boxing Association look forward to partnering with the Hurricanes in hosting the best boxers in the Maritimes,” shares Jeff Perry, Administrative Coordinator for Sport PEI.  “We are in for a night of fast-paced, heavy-hitting action as our resurgent boxing community prepares for the 2023 Canada Games. Our experienced coaches and athletes can compete and win against anyone in Canada. It’s been incredible to see the first-hand physical, mental, and technical growth our top boxers have displayed over the past few months through their training as they prepare to peak for Canada Games here on home-soil.”

The event is a tribute to Steven and Darren Watts, who during their time were both competitive boxers here in PEI. Steven is a three-time Canadian Champion, while Darren is a two-time Gold Glove Champion.

The Holland Hurricanes look forward to hosting this prestigious event in its facility.

“Bringing boxing to our venue offers a tremendous opportunity to profile the sport and Canada Games, develop more partnerships here in the province, and showcase our facility and hosting capacity,” shared Director of Athletics and Recreation at Holland College, Albert Roche. “The calibre of fighters on this card is indeed impressive and we are extremely excited to welcome competitors and boxing fans to this prestigious event.  We look forward to fight night and encourage everyone to support the Watts Memorial Cup featuring these up-and-coming boxers.”

The following 13 teams are expected to compete on Saturday evening.

1. Bell Boxing Fitness, Stratford, PE
2. Westville Boxing Club, Westville, NS
3. Albion Boxing Club, Trenton, NS
4. Citadel Boxing, Lower Sackville, NS
5. Pegasus Boxing Club, Middleton, NS
6. DMC Boxing Club, Bridgewater, NS
7. New Waterford Boxing Club, New Waterford, Cape Breton, NS
8. Tri-Town Boxing Club, Sydney Mines, Cape Breton, NS
9. Eskasoni Red Tribe Boxing Club, Mi’kmaq Maiseet Nations, Cape Breton, NS
10. Don't Blink Boxing Club, Dieppe, NB
11. Saint John Golden Gloves, Saint John, NB
12. Oromocto Boxing Club, Oromocto, NB
13. Fist Boxing Club, Moncton, NB

The head coach for the KOed Boxing Academy, Howard Watts, who has 41-years coaching experience, is excited with this new partnership with the Hurricanes.

“Holland College offers a first-class facility that will be a show pleaser.  The partnership has been great. Working with their support staff has been a pleasure and this event has been a great opportunity for sport and event students to gain a unique experience with our sport.”

Advance tickets are now available and can be purchased for $15 at the McMillan Centre, Sport PEI and the KOed Boxing Academy. Students can purchase tickets for $10 (with a student ID), or tickets can be purchased at the door on Saturday evening for $20. Children 12 and under and with an adult will receive free admission.

Connect with the KOed Boxing Academy at www.facebook.com/PEIBoxing.

Connect with the Holland Hurricanes at www.hollandhurricanes.com, www.facebook.com/hollandhurricanes,www.twitter.com/hc_hurricanes and www.instagram.com/hollandhurricanes.

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