On Wednesday evening, the Oxford Union played host to Oxford Amateur Boxing Club’s annual event: Town v Gown. Although the presence of a bright blue boxing ring inside the Union’s chamber was a somewhat incongruous sight, it was a fantastic venue with a great atmosphere provided by the strong crowd who turned out in force.
The atmosphere was very combative. Spotlights focused on the ring drew the crowd’s attention; loud music designed to pump up both the crowd and the competitors blared out in between bouts; and of course, the gathered spectators provided plenty of their own noise, shouting, clapping, and stomping their feet to cheer on their favourite competitors.
Boxers are paired by weight class to ensure a fair fight. The winner is generally decided by who has the most points at the end of the three rounds. Points are scored for clean hits to the head or body of the opponent. The night consisted of 12 bouts: many pitted a member of OUABC against a boxer from an outside club, whilst others involved two Oxford fighters. Each bout lasts only three minutes, but the sheer intensity of the athletes makes each round seem like much longer, with one Bristol boxer admitting, “Endurance is really important in earning victory.”
The first bout was between two Oxford women boxers: Maria Lazarova and Laura Asserladscheider-Jonas. Lazarova took the upper hand from the start, showing great aggression and scoring several strong hits early on. A-Jonas fought back well, though, with a series of nimble jabs. It was the marginally superior speed of Lazarova and a longer reach that gave her the edge, scoring a series of thundering blows to the head. Despite the match being momentarily paused twice for blood injuries, A-Jonas showed a great deal of determination to keep up the intensity, but in the end it was Lazarova who secured the victory.
After the match, Cherwell caught up with A-Jonas and asked her a few questions. She only seriously started boxing this year: what attracted her to the sport?
“Everything. The discipline, and once you’re in the ring there’s nothing else. Everything disappears. The only thing you hear is the voice of your coach.” This was Laura’s first proper bout outside training and I asked what it felt like to be fighting a teammate. “Well, she has a lot more experience so I knew it was going to be tough, but I was looking forward to it as she would make an excellent training partner.” The third bout was the first clash between Town and Gown, with Theo Cox representing OUABC. The intensity was high from the off and really got the crowd going, with fierce support for both sides. After a tight first round, Igral, the Town boxer, gained the advantage in the second, at one point flooring Cox with a powerful series of blows, finishing with an uppercut and sending the crowd wild. Cox recovered very quickly and fought back strongly at the start of the third round, showing great aggression. However, it was Igral who dominated by the end and the split decision by the judges was in his favour.
The penultimate bout was perhaps the highlight of the evening due to its sheer energy and intensity. It was between two Oxford boxersand both went for it straight from the off. The first round in particular was a real spectacle to watch. The punches were fast and brutal; under the lights it was easy to see, even as a spectator, the welts and bruises rising on their arms as well as the sweat. Several times boxers had their lips split and noses struck hard enough to draw blood. The fighters were undeterred, however, and remained in the ring. This continued into the third round, when Uma strung together a series of powerful uppercuts, but Viner responded well. Both were taking and scoring hits at this stage and it was anyone’s guess who was leading, but in the end Viner clinched the victory.
The final bout was between the OUABC Men’s captain Matt McFahn and a fighter from Emerald Boxing Club. In contrast to the last one, both fighters seemed more calm and composed, although the intensity and aggression was still high. Here, we had a more technical and strategic match, as both boxers dodged and weaved between their opponents’ punches, looking to counter when the other’s guard was down. Emerald Boxing Club’s fighter made a strong impression at the start of the third, pressing Matt back on the ropes through his aggressive style. However, it was OUABC’s Men’s Captain’s finesse and flair that won him victory, in a fantastic final bout.
The University won several matches over their town counterparts; however, the score ultimately fell in favor of the town, 4-2.
Despite a few somewhat dubious rulings, the strength and skill displayed by OUABC was stellar, and they defended the University’s place in the city most nobly.
