BOXING – TOM HAYES

 

FOR a pair of brothers, nothing would be able to shake the feeling of winning on the same night.

And for Moe locals Dylan and Oliver Lupton, they were able to share that memory together late last year, both exiting the boxing ring victorious.

Fighting out of the Moe Youth Club Gym, located at Apex Park, the two brothers train, spar and fight together regularly, as they begin to make moves in the boxing world.

Older brother, Dylan, always had a keen interest in the sport of boxing and has now been in the sport for five years, but never got into it straight away.

He diverted into football simultaneously during his high school days, before deciding to make the switch solely to boxing.

“Dylan did the responsible thing and took the year off when he did VCE, and then there was the 18 months when there was no competition over COVID,” Moe Youth Club Gym’s boxing coach, Paul Jenkins, said.

Ever since, he hasn’t looked back and the 22-year-old is always looking for the next challenge.

Dylan eventually dragged his brother, Oliver, down to the gym as well, and after three years of training, he also got his chance at the end of 2023.

It’s been a long process for 15-year-old Oliver, who has had fights fall through and interruptions due to COVID too.

Sunday, December 10, 2023 was the day of Boxing Victoria’s Victorian Silver Gloves event, with 35 fights going ahead on the afternoon.

Having to travel up to the Whitehorse Club in Burwood for the event didn’t seem to shake the locals one bit, as they arrived prepared as ever.

Dylan was first up for the Moe Youth Club Gym, going up against Anthony Debono fighting out of Chris Folina’s Fitness and Boxing Gym in Warrnambool.

Dylan triumphed over his opponent to get the ball rolling for the Moe Youth Club Gym – going the distance, allowing him to somewhat relax for his brother’s bout.

“It was a high-paced fight, I came out just listening to Paul’s instructions and that’s what I did,” Dylan said.

When asked what worked in his favour, Dylan was certain of his answer.

“My speed I guess, and the fact that I just outworked him would’ve helped,” he said.

“I’m gonna enjoy a nice little break now and we’ll wait and see for next year.”

Eight fights passed before it was Oliver’s turn to debut himself to the boxing world, coming up against Yusuf Sadkhan, trained by professional boxer Mohammad Jelil from Roxburgh Park.

Preparation must have been optimal for the Moe boys, with the stars aligning for a perfect ending, as Oliver also claimed his first boxing win.

The fight went the distance, just like his brother’s, prolonging three two-minute rounds.

Pleased with his first win, Oliver simply put it as “great”.

“He’s fast for his weight, and strong,” Jenkins said.

Moe Youth Club Gym also had another boxer take part at the event, 33-year-old Josh Gordon.

Unfortunately the locals were unable to complete a clean sweep, with Gordon going down in his bout.

The Moe Youth Club Gym has been around since 1987, formally completing the move to Apex Park in 1992, staying there ever since.

The gym has thrived post-COVID, seeing around 20 boxers attend a training session per night, with two separate sessions for juniors and seniors.

If everything runs smoothly, Jenkins and the Moe Youth Club Gym hope to get boxers fit enough to take part in up to 10 fights per year, which is not out of the question.

The gym discovered a common goal with other gyms from Traralgon, Trafalgar and Warragul, teaming up for sparring sessions in Trafalgar to reach that common goal of success.

This partnership has proved to pay dividends, especially after the results from the Victorian Silver Gloves event, but it also comes down to the determination of the individuals, who appear to be on the right track.

The Moe Youth Club Gym keeps a busy schedule, with skill work, sparring, defence and cardio completed during the week.

Junior session run from 4.30pm to 5.30pm, with seniors following shortly after from 5.30pm.

The Moe Youth Club Gym will reopen for formal training in February 2024.