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Clayton, Blair win boxing gold

January 16, 2012

IT’S ON TO BRAZIL and Olympic qualifying for Dartmouth’s Custio Clayton and Brody Blair of Lyons Brook, Pictou County.

Blair and Clayton capped perfect weeks in Membertou, Cape Breton on Saturday afternoon with gold-medal victories at the Canadian senior elite boxing tournament.

They got the added thrill of getting their picture taken with former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes, who made a guest appearance for Saturday’s finals.

As defending champions in their respective weight classes, the two Bluenose fighters will be able to skip the Canadian last-chance tournament in Quebec next month and head straight to Rio de Janeiro in May to scrap for berths in the London Olympics.

Clayton, now a six-time national champion out of the City of Lakes Boxing Club, defeated Quebec’s Mian Hussain 12-7 in the 69 kg final. In the next bout, Blair downed Ontario’s Josh Cameron 15-9 at 75 kg.

“It’s an amazing feeling. I’m kind of speechless right now,” Blair, a Pan Am Games bronze medallist, said shortly after his victory. “It’s just a dream come true, really. I get the chance to go to the Olympics and that’s been my goal from the very first of my boxing career.”

Blair — named the Canadian amateur boxer of the year and rookie of the year later Saturday — thanked the people of Cape Breton for their support, as well as a strong contingent from home.

It’s his third national win and second in the senior class. He only turned 20 in December.

“I felt very relaxed this tournament,” he said. “I was amazingly confident, 150-per-cent confident. I knew the hard work and dedication I put in. I knew the hard work and dedication my coach, my dad and my family put in. They are all right there with me.”

Blair had to win three fights to defend his belt.

“They were all game, that’s for sure, and you can’t take anything away from Josh,” he said. “He’s a great fighter and you’ll definitely see him around again.”

The 24-year-old Clayton already had a chance to qualify for the Olympics at the world championships last October in Azerbaijan, but lost to U.S. champion Errol Spence in his second match.

“It was amazing,” Clayton said of his week in Cape Breton. “I went out there and did what I had to do. I stuck to the game plan every time and everything went well.

“All of the opponents were good and they fought hard, but, me being the defending champion, I knew it was my time and I had more to prove. I went out there and did it.”

Clayton, a father of two, wants nothing more than to be an Olympian. He also went 3-0 for the week.

“It’s what I’ve been waiting for, what I’ve been training for,” he said. “Right now I’m probably going to take a week off and chill out for a minute, then see what the national team has for us. I’ll be ready in May to qualify for the Olympics.”

Provincial team head coach Wayne Gordon heaped praise on the two gold medallists and had some fun at the same time.

“They were the class of the tournament, without a doubt,” he said. “They boxed with composure, skill, conditioning and obviously, it goes without saying, superior coaching.

“This whole tournament, Brody didn’t lose a round. I don’t know if any other fighter didn’t lose a round. Custio was close to that. I’m not sure he lost a round, but I know Brody didn’t. And they both had really tough competitors. I was proud to be in the corner with them.”

Four-time champion Joey Laviolette of Lower Sackville, who lost on Thursday in Cape Breton, remains in contention for the Olympics, but has work to do. He will have a chance to regain his national team spot at 56 kg at the final team selection camp.

(www.thechronicleherald.ca)

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