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Local boxer returns to the ring

August 19, 2015   ·   0 Comments

Second pro fight on the card at Hershey Centre

A year and a-half after his professional debut, local fight Aurey Cox will step back into the ring for a scheduled four round bout at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga on August 29.

Cox won his first fight with a unanimous decision over Mississauga’s John Patsidiotis in February, 2014.

The return will match Cox up against Steve Rainford – a 31 year-old from London, Ontario, who has a 1-1 professional record.

Cox took the long break after his first bout when he wasn’t sure he belonged in the professional ring.

“I had been boxing for quite a while and steadily competing. I had a bunch of amateur fights leading up to that. I wasn’t sure if I belonged with all the professionals. I was very comfortable in the fight, but the training is very intense and I was putting a lot of pressure on myself. The fight felt great and I was relieved with that, but I was worried that I’m not going to keep up with the lifestyle. I told Bryon (Mackie) I thought that was it for me.”

In his first professional fight, Cox came out with a win after dropping his opponent twice – once in the second round and once in the third round – and taking the win on points.

After getting his first pro fight behind him, Cox figured that he had accomplished a goal and it might be time to take another direction in life. He got back into it after seeing other fighters advance their careers.

“I thought I was on the way out,” Cox said. “I was planning on having one pro fight as my kind of grand finale. The more I watched it I seeing guys doing really well that I had sparred with before. I thought, if they’re doing so well, maybe I can too. All lot of them have full time jobs and I do as well.”

The road to getting back in the ring started in the new year when Cox told his coach Bryon Mackie he wanted to give it another go. That meant getting back into training.

“I started getting back into shape, from coming to the gym once in a while to preparing for a pro fight. We had a couple of fights that were ‘maybes’ and they never ended up coming to fruition. We had this fight lined up about three months ago. Usually, what they call training camp is six weeks of every day in the gym.”

With just over a week to go before fight night, coach Bryon Mackie has full confidence in Cox’s ability and made a rare prediction on the outcome.

“He’s been training long enough and hard enough for this coming fight that he’s ready,” Mackie said. “I don’t expect any surprises from the opponent. I know he’s a very very tough guy, but he’s not overly experience or overly skilled. He’s well rounded and he’s tough. Same as Aurey. Aurey’s a tough kid with lots of guts. And that’s exactly what Rainford (opponent) brings to the table. He comes to fight, he can punch hard, he’s aggressive, and he has a good chin. And those are the same traits Aurey possesses, so when you put two fighters together who carry those kind of assets it’s going to be a war – a head on collision and that’s what we’re expecting. Aurey’s a fast starter. He’ll come out swinging right away and that’s what we expect from Rainford. I think the body shots will be the key to this fight. I see the fight being close for a round and a-half and us taking over by the end of the second. I see Aurey wearing him out and stopping him in the fourth round. I don’t like to make predictions but I see the fight unfolding that way.”

The event will get underway on Saturday, August 29, at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga with six bouts on the card. Ticket information at Big Tyme Fitness 519-940-8269 or at United Boxing Promotions at 519-362-7554.

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