Temple Fight Gym fighters Adam Dawe, Riley Willis-Callahan, Eric Harris, Ben Andrews, Josh Meins, Jonathon Marcos, Jayden Skaines, Tommy McDermott and their coaches Ash Fewson, Rick Judd and Wilfred Williams are preparing to represent Wagga on a stacked card for Adrenalyn 13. Photo: Supplied.
Fighters and boxers from Wagga’s Muay Thai gym, Temple Fight Gym, are preparing for the city’s biggest ever fight night at the Equex Centre’s multipurpose stadium this weekend.
Adrenalyn 13 will feature 12 fights across boxing, kickboxing and Muay Thai, headlined by a title fight for the MASA State Muay Thai Title between local challenger and Temple Fight member Adam Dawe and the champion Nick Fraietta from Manly.
The packed card will feature eight fighters from Temple Fight Gym, who have been working for months to put the card together.
Temple Fight gym co-owner Jen Fewson said there was a nervous excitement from the fighters who were looking forward to putting on a show for their local crowd.
“We originally organised for the night to occur at the beginning of the year, but unfortunately, it got delayed,” she said.
“We’ve been working at it for about six months, and for the last eight weeks, the boys have been in fight camp preparing for Saturday night.
“It’s so great to have a fight night here in Wagga. So often the boys have to travel to Albury, Sydney, Canberra and even as far as Newcastle.
“It’s really fantastic to have it at home and have the boys be appreciated and propped up by their home crowds, because not everyone can travel to see them fight away.”
The team at Temple Fight Gym are wishing all their fighters the best ahead of their big night; however, Jen said there is one fighter she is most keen to see fight.
“They’re all looking fantastic, like they have worked so hard. But I’m personally really excited to see Riley Willis. This is his debut fight, and we’re so excited to see him do well,” she said.
“Obviously, there are some other huge fights as well. Adam will be looking to take home the championship, which would just be huge.
“We can’t understate how hard everyone has worked. Eric, Ben and Tommy will kill it in their Muay Thai fights. They’ve worked really hard with their coach (Rick Judd) for months.
“Then our boxers, Josh, Jayden and Jonathon, are no doubt going to put on a show.”
Jen said one of the things both she and her husband, Ash, were most proud of since opening Temple Fight midway through last year was seeing their fighters grow both physically and in confidence.
“It’s been amazing just seeing them grow as people, regardless of whether you’re going to be a fighter or not, the lessons that you learn and the growth that you get from being in that gym environment are so special,” she said.
“You’ve got to persevere, you’ve got to stick to your goals, you’ve got to keep yourself accountable. You’ve got to have heart, and it’s really great to see them grow.
“Even though our gym is still quite young, we’ve built a really strong community, and that’s something we’re really proud of. Seeing some of our guys fight on the weekend, it’s just another bit of proof that opening this gym was one of the best things we’ve ever done.”
Doors open at Wagga’s multipurpose stadium at 6:30 pm on Saturday 28 March. Tickets for Adrenalyn 13 can be purchased at the door, unless sold out, or prior to the event online here.
