Published: 11 Mar 2010
Laingy's Lion Hearts (Patricks) take out the shield at Souths Sydney Junior Leagues Club boxing tournament fund raiser for kids with cancer
Eighteen men painted themselves with glory last night in the South Juniors ring as they raised over $35,000 for the Sydney Children's Hospital.
In a night of no beg pardons but contests that finished in collective hugs, Laingy's "Lionhearts" from the Patricks wharves won narrowly from Wilmont's "Wildcats" of DP World.
The 3 minute bouts were fast and furious and the practitioners clearly well-versed in the hands of trainers Jayson Laing and Kane Hay for the Lionhearts Corner and Brian Wilmont and Ryan Waters for the Wildcats.
Reminiscent of boxing nights of olde, the immaculately attired ringmasters Cooper Silk and Craig Markham made sure that introductions echoed long and loud as boxers approached the ring in time to their chosen music.
The audience was peppered with former rugby league greats all greeted warmly by the crowd. As Steve Blocker Roach commented in making a presentation: "The mark of a man is that he'll do this for nothing and all of you here tonight are doing it for nothing and it's all going to the Hospital..."
Another celebrity guest Mike Gibson, a great of Australian sport journalism was a pig in mud. "I love nights like this", he told the crowd. "You've done all this for charity....you should be proud of yourselves".
It was a packed out venue of 600 maritime workers and their families cheering from the sides.
"It was a fantastic rank and file initiative," said MUA deputy national secretary Mick Doleman, there representing the national office. "It was a good opportunity for workers to come together for a good cause. There were no losers. Everyone was a winner, especially the Children's Hospital and worker solidarity. Congratulations must go to the organisers on the night."
Officially - thanks Kane Hay, Jules Parry, Cooper Silk and to all who put their bodies on the line.
Fight night results:
William Teaurima drew with Vince Thomas
Paul Wallington beat Brad Dunn
Brad Hay beat Duane Royal
Matty Lewis beat Trent Murphy (split decision)
Luke Dwyer beat Greg Thompson
Luke Lewis stopped Jake Palale
Adam Cawley beat Ryan Bellingham
Ben Robertson beat Jules Parry
Andrew Roberts beat Chris Burns
Cooper Smith and the MUA film unit are making a film of the night which will be circulated to all branches.
Meanwhile watch Port Botany wharfies Luke Dyer and Greg Thompson in action on YouTube
And check out the MUA photos on FlickR
ALSO photos by Jakob de Zwart
