Skip to content

Local takes on Edmonton fighter in boxing debut

Dylan Mitchell will be representing his home town of Fernie in an upcoming boxing match in Nelson on November 4.
9164556_web1_DylanBoxer4
Dylan Mitchell, 6 days before his debut. Phil McLachlan/The Free Press

Dylan Mitchell will be representing his home town of Fernie in an upcoming boxing match in Nelson on November 4.

This will serve as the boxer’s debut fight.

At 22, the first-season boxer had a late start to the sport, but isn’t letting that stop him from progressing quickly. On Thursday he could be seen training hard with one of his coach, Sam Skiffington, at Fernie Old School Boxing.

On the 4th, Mitchell will step into the ring with Malindu Don, age 23, from Southside Legion Boxing Club in Edmonton. He’s excited to take on his first opponent, and has been training hard for the past two weeks. Don has two fights under his belt; both losses.

“I want to win, I plan on winning,” he said.

Mitchell is already looking past this fight, to many more which he hopes will come in the near future. He intends on stacking up a few wins, then potentially transitioning into mixed martial arts.

Looking back on who he was a year ago, Mitchell is blown away on how much he has changed as a person since boxing introduced itself into his life. His knowledge and perspective on the sport has grown and changed tremendously.

“When I first started going, I thought I was a pretty tough guy, and I thought I knew a lot about fighting,” said Mitchell. “If you go in there thinking you know a lot you get humbled really quick.”

“Over the past year I feel like I’ve learned a lot and improved a lot,” he added. “I feel really confident going into this fight.”

Trainer Mike Johnson reiterated this, saying Mitchell has come a long way since joined as a novice one year ago.

“He’s always showing full commitment, he turns up every week, very eager to learn,” he said, adding that Mitchell will often spar with the veterans in order to gain experience and learn.

In the boxing world, Mitchell greatly admires Vasyl Lomachenko, professional Ukrainian boxer known for his speed and agility.

His motivation to box is sourced from his competitive nature, an attribute he has always possessed.

“It [boxing] puts you in an uncomfortable situation to get in a ring and do something you haven’t done before,” he said. “I think it helps you grow as a person and learn more about yourself.

Fernie Old School Boxing currently has four registered boxers, and has raised many successful boxers in the past including heavyweight Bob Larsen, who had 15 fights.

They are always looking for new members, and hope to have their boxers compete in a lot more fights this coming season and into 2018.

They are also looking to set themselves up to host fights some time in the new year.



Phil McLachlan

About the Author: Phil McLachlan

Phil McLachlan is the editor at the Penticton Western News. He served as the reporter, and eventually editor of The Free Press newspaper in Fernie.
Read more