Center of the ring: USA Boxing event lands a knockout at W.A. Foster Center

By Ethan Smith
Published in Sports on October 15, 2017 3:28 PM

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Saturday was Georges Kopa's first-ever boxing match.

After all, he only began training one year ago.

"I was a kickboxer," Kopa said. "I wanted to get my hands right, so I started boxing."

But as he circled the ring set up in the middle of the W.A. Foster Center's gymnasium -- jetting jabs, uppercuts and parrying counter strikes from his opponent -- you wouldn't have been able to tell.

Kopa began his match -- the third of 14 on the evening -- slowly.

"I wanted to test the waters and see what his fighting style was like," Kopa said.

Then in the second round, things heated up.

Quickly.

His opponent was knocked off his feet by a strong haymaker from Kopa, but got back up just before the round ended.

Then in the third round, Kopa -- dripping sweat but breathing easy -- put his opponent on the canvas twice.

The second knockdown was it.

His opponent sat defeated in the corner, trying to get his wits about him.

Kopa took home the belt and made it look easy.

He ran out of the ring smiling ear to ear, raising a fist in the air and making an appearance on someone's Facebook Live video with his coach as they discussed the match.

"I trained hard for this," Kopa said after his fight. "It was all good. I let my skills do the work."

The boxing championship -- the first-ever held by the local Ashford's Boxing Club -- started off with action from the 8-10-year-old division, with the tikes popping punches off toward each other like dynamite.

Things heated up with Kopa's match, when the older boxers began fighting in the ring, filling the air with solid thuds of gloves against head gear and torsos.

The "No Guts, No Glory, Championship Belt Bouts" drew a massive crowd, causing the parking lot to fill to capacity and for cars to begin parking down the road leading up to the center.

Ashford's Boxing Club, owned and operated by Steve Ashford, has been a local staple of creating boxers and mentoring young boys to become men.

Ashford was quick to recognize some sponsors of the event -- Billy Strickland, of Strickland, Agner & Associates of Goldsboro, as well as Goldsboro Parks and Recreation -- for helping make the day possible.

In the past, Ashford has also recognized the sponsors for their efforts in getting the club to where it is now.

Ashford said he began planning the hallmark event about three months ago.

He said he teaches his boxers -- who competed during the bouts Saturday -- a defensive style of fighting, but that he instills in them a work ethic and a drive to succeed.

"No guts, no glory," Ashford said. "You've got to put in that work."

In total, there were 14 fights during the championship.

Boxers came from all over, coming in from as far away as Virginia, South Carolina, while others were from nearer by, hailing from places such as Jacksonville, Wilmington and more.

Ashford said the competitors ranged in age from 8 years old to 24 years old.