Boxer Regarn Simbwa hopes he's taken the first step towards representing Australia after winning the main bout at Saturday's Boxing at the Lake fight night.
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The 22-year-old was having his first fight since representing Uganda at last year's Commonwealth Games. He finished the night on a high note for host club Barefoot Boxing and a parochial home crowd, just four months after moving to Wagga.
"The Australian people are very welcoming,"Simwba said.
"They showed me love. It's my first fight (here) but I had a lot of support and the crowd was behind me."
Simbwa made the most of his height and reach advantage, and showed the experience of more than 70 fights, to keep impressive Campbelltown boxer Dee Loepa at bay over three three-minute rounds and take the 91kg Murrumbidgee Champion Elite belt.
"I feel so good. I feel happy," an elated Simbwa said.
"He was good. But I was more good, better than him...
"I want to go up with my boxing in Australia. That's my plan. I want to box for Australia."
It was a classy bout to round out a big night of association amateur boxing at a sold out Wagga Boat Club
Loepa packed some power and was more than willing to take the fight to Simbwa but the new hometown hero showed class, composure and control to claim victory
The undercard didn't disappoint an enthusiastic crowd either, including a stunning display in the penultimate event between teenagers Taj Kagho from Kickstart Manly and Isaias Sette from Lakemba's Focus gym.
In a bruising and entertaining encounter, Kagho - an Australian under 19 representative and Oceania champion last year - withstood a little punishment and served up plenty in return to stop Sette in the third and take home the 75kg Murrumbidgee Champion youth belt.
Earlier, Wagga's Billy Kelly set the crowd alight early in his 91kg fight for the Murrumbidgee Champion belt (under five fights) despite going down to Manly's Jordan Menzies.
Kelly looked good early and had his home supporters cheering but lost a little shape as the fight wore on and he was stopped in the third round.
Garth Scriber also missed out on a Murrumbidgee belt when he was unable to find his rhythm against Manly's Billy McManus in the 69kg division (under five fights) and was stopped in the second round.
Adam Owers was the last of the locals to fight on the undercard, making his debut in the ring in an exhibition against Central Coast boxer Beau Willis.
He wasn't disappointed, landing some shots in a willing affair.
"It was good. I love it," Owers said.
"To be honest, I was nervous before, but once I got in there I was good. I wanted to put on a show, you know.
"I stuck to my game plan. I didn't brawl. I just boxed and that's what my coach wanted me to do. If you brawl, you lose. You gas yourself out and don't pick your shots. So I stuck to my game plan. It was tempting to brawl, but I didn't."
Among other entertaining bouts on a 20-fight card, Cowra's Brady Michael was too good for Young's Beau Lestrange in a bruising 81kg encounter and Albury's Connor O'Brien delivered a constant flurry of punches to beat a gallant Tom McIlhatton from Young.
While Ellie Breckenridge from G6 gym on the Central Coast drew plenty of applause after going on the attack against Canberra's Miranda Higgins in another exciting duel at 69kg.
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