Local fighter heading to major boxing tournament
- Ron Giofu
- 14 hours ago
- 2 min read
Two-time Canadian national boxing champion Curtis Realba will be competing in Oklahoma this weekend and was sent there with the support of the community.
Realba is heading to the Rival Tournament this coming weekend – July 23-26 – in Oklahoma City as part of the Canadian team. Realba is a member of the Fighting Island Boxing Club (FIBC) in Amherstburg and the club raised funds to pay for the trip at a pasta dinner at Shooters Roadhouse last Sunday evening. The cost to send a boxer is $2,500.
“It’s a big tournament down south,” said FIBC owner/head coach Joe LeBlanc, of the Rival Tournament.
LeBlanc compared it to the Brampton Cup, where there are multiple rings and a lot of top notch boxers in action.
Realba has competed in British Columbia, Calgary, Quebec and will add will add Oklahoma to his resume. He said the goal is to win there too. He said he was honoured and happy to be chosen for the Canadian team at the boxing tournament.
“They selected me for being a two-time national champion,” said Realba. “They were impressed with my performance.”
Realba said he feels good to be supported by the community.
“I’m very grateful to represent my country,” said Realba.
Realba said he has been in the gym every day in preparation for the Rival Tournament. He has moved up two weight classes to 119 pounds.
“I couldn’t make 110 pounds anymore,” he said.
Training is going well, Realba added.
“It’s been a good camp so far,” he said. “I am putting in the work and I am ready to go down there and perform.”
LeBlanc said it is tough to get sparring partners for Realba, so they have been training at the well known Kronk Gym in Detroit.
“He’s getting some hard work in and that’s what he needs,” said LeBlanc. “You have to work hard to get respect. We’ve been asked back (to Kronk) several times. We like the hard work and so do they.”
In addition to Realba, Team Canada will be sending three other fighters from Ontario, three from western Canada, two from Quebec and one from Nova Scotia. There are also two coaches heading to Oklahoma City.
LeBlanc added the FIBC accepts all donations at any time, as it is a non-profit organization where every dollar raised goes back towards the fighters.
The Fighting Island Boxing Club is planning another card for the Shooters Roadhouse’s parking lot in September. LeBlanc added they hope to have Realba fight on that card, but they are trying to find him an opponent.
Local fighter heading to major boxing tournament
By Ron Giofu
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