Niagara Falls Review e-edition

A victory is better than a rest for teenage boxer who wins twice in two days

Niagara Falls teen improves to 5-1 after winning two fights in two days

BERND FRANKE

Jack Costantino is scheduled to step into the ring next Saturday night in Welland where Nappers Boxing Club will be showcasing the skills of young fighters.

It will be nearly two weeks since the 15-year-old Niagara Falls native’s last fight, but the break between his unanimous decision at the Legends of Boxing Series: In Honour of Pat Kelly tournament and his second-last fight was shorter than that. Much shorter.

Before defeating Mike White of Chatham for the championship in the male junior-C novice, 66-70kilogram division, Costantino earned a split decision over Armaan Pabla of Brampton the day before — yes, the day before — to reach the final.

On both days, Costantino, a Grade 10 student at A.N. Myer Secondary School, went the distance — three, two-minute rounds — in both fights. And on both days, he got the better of previously undefeated opponents.

Costantino’s fight against Pabla was his first facing a southpaw, “so it was kind of tricky.”

“I think I deserved to win. I gave him an eight-count at the end of the third round, a big right hand, but I think that punched in my victory.”

Costantino wasn’t worried about having nothing left in the tank

Costantino wasn’t worried about having nothing left in the tank heading into his rematch against White

heading into his rematch against White, the KAYO (Kent Athletic Youth Organization) fighter who beat him in a controversial split decision at the Brampton Cup in July.

“The first day I was really tired because I had to skip to lose weight, but the next day I was a lot more energized.”

He didn’t have to make weight for his second fight, the final in his division.

“I was on weight.”

Pabla gave Costantino a “little shiner” over his left eye but the punch didn’t draw blood. After his first fight, Costantino relaxed by taking a bath with Epsom salt the night before.

“It was very good. I wasn’t sore or anything the next day.”

White was 7-0 coming into the fight; Costantino, 4-1.

“I lost a split decision to him. Everyone thought it was a robbery, but it was a very close fight,” he said. “I got the chance to avenge my loss.”

Costantino controlled the fight in the rematch.

“I won all three rounds, and the key was to keep my jab on because he really wanted to swarm me,” he said. “I kept my distance, I kept my jab on him and I found my right hand.”

City Boxing Club head coach Jesse Sallows and Costantino went over the first fight heading into Sunday’s final against White.

“We knew we had a game plan going into the second fight that we focused on. He executed it to a T,” Sallows said.

“He just boxed the kid on the outside, kept him on the jab, jab right hand. He was punching first at all times. We didn’t give him any time to set up.”

The son of Pat and Chrisanne Costantino is a double threat in sports this year. After focusing solely on boxing in his first year in high school, Costantino began the fall playing outside linebacker for Myer’s junior team.

Last year Sallows didn’t let Costantino play football because of the potential for injuries.

“Anything can happen, but this year he really wanted to do it. He’s only got a few years in high school,” the coach said. “I just told him to be careful.”

So far, it’s juggling the two sports, and all that practice that goes with excelling in the rink and on the gridiron, has been fine.

“Hitting guys with the helmet. That’s the only thing that worried me at the beginning, but he’s a strong enough kid,” Sallows said. “I’m sure he’s probably just steamrolling these kids anyway out there.

“He was doing football the whole time leading up to the tournament.”

Does football make him a better boxer or does boxing make him a better football player, Costantino is asked.

“I think the speed from boxing transfers to football, but from football, I don’t really gain anything here (at the boxing club).”

Costantino the football player sometimes thinks about what Costantino the boxer would do when an opponent is running toward the Myer defence.

“I always want to punch the ball out when I see the running back,” he admitted with a chuckle.

Held Sept. 23 to 25 at Niagara Falls Convention Centre, the tournament honouring the memory of legendary boxing coach Pat Kelly was the first in a series launched by Boxing Ontario. Each event in the series will honour the life, legacy and impact of such contributors as Kelly.

After co-founding Niagara Falls Boxing Club in 1974 and founding Shamrock Boxing Club in 1980, Kelly went on to a coaching career that at one time had him training five Canadian champions, including Mike Strange and Billy Irwin.

‘‘ We knew we had a game plan going into the second fight that we focused on. He executed it to a T.

JESSE SALLOWS CITY BOXING CLUB HEAD COACH

FRONT PAGE

en-ca

2022-10-03T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-10-03T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://niagarafallsreview.pressreader.com/article/281809992782802

Toronto Star Newspapers Limited