Guernsey's best are hungry for success, says coach Guilbert

GUERNSEY'S top fighters have been training six days a week for the last seven weeks ahead of their biggest event of the year. Tomorrow, 16 local boxers take on a strong Manchester Select team in front of more than 700 boxing fans at the annual Open Show at Beau Sejour. This year's event sold out in a record three days.

Guernsey coach Graham Guilbert has seen his team put in a lot of work and states that they are ready and hungry for success.

'They are all looking supremely fit now,' said Guilbert.

'They are all looking tops and sharp, from the juniors right through to Jennings. They're all up for it and have been at training and put in 100 per cent and are fit enough and they are all ready for it.

'The president of the club said that he had never seen the whole club looking so fit. They all try hard for the Open Show because their families are there.'

Since the start of the year, Guilbert has been putting his boys through their paces every Monday, Wednesday and Friday night at the Amalgamated Boys' Club. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the fighters have been benefiting from free cardiovascular sessions under the supervision of Justin at Trainstation.

If that is not enough, every Sunday morning the pugilists undertake a gruelling cliff run from their club in St Martin's along to Petit Bot Bay and back again, followed by another session on the bags and in the ring.

Four Guernsey lads will be making their competitive debut tomorrow: middleweights Alan Myers and Micky Barsby, light-heavyweight Wayne Calladine and heavyweight Marcus Lewis.

Prior to the main event of Matt Jennings, Alderney's Adam Rose is in action and before that, Matt Clark will be looking for his third victory on the trot by knockout in his light-middleweight bout.

From the juniors, the three to watch are western counties champions James Woolnough and Bradley Watson and the exciting Callum Pearson.

The teenage middleweight looked impressive when he comfortably took care of Irishman Gerard Murphy in two rounds last month, but Guilbert expects him to have more of a challenge this weekend when he faces Martin Deaz.

'Deaz is a good technical fighter,' he said.

'Pearson will have to be on top of him and there is a chance of him getting on top of him. He's looking sharp and now his fitness is there with his skills.

'Pearson and Woolnough are the top two juniors and Watson's got a London boy who's the same weight and standard and there's not much to choose between them. It's going to be a close one.'

The Manchester team, which have also drawn boxers from as far afield as London and the Isle of Man, promise to be very strong.

Their general manager, Steve Walshaw, has been over for the show a number of times before and is quite bullish about his team's chances.

'It should be a good one,' he said.

'I know a lot about your fighters. We're hoping to come away with a win.'