Ca'Naan O'Donnell wins light heavyweight Golden Gloves

Usually a middleweight, O'Donnell couldn't get a match in his division or the one immediately above him, so he fought the light heavyweight (81kgs) at 70kgs.

"It was a big jump,'' his trainer, Tim Rogers said,

He received a wildcard to move directly through to the final. O'Donnell, 20, only had five previous fights.

The final was held over four two minute rounds and O'Donnell dominated his opponent virtually from the first punch to score a unanimous points decision.

"We'll look to take him to Coffs Harbour in a few weeks but longer term we want to go to the nationals at the end of the year,'' Rogers said.

"We might even be looking at the Commonwealth Games at bit further down the track. Or we could turn professional.''

He could also be heading to Tasmania again soon after he lost the final of the middleweight division in a split decision there earlier in the year. Fellow Knuckle Up Boxing Gym boxer Lachlan Shannon-Brown returned home with a bronze medal in the super lightweight (63.5kg). Like O'Donnell, Shannon-Brown received a wildcard through to the finals. However, that's where his luck ended as he came up against a vastly experienced fighter with a top class record.

"He went the full distance. They just went at one-another,'' Rogers said.

"It was named the fight of the night.''

Earlier this year Shannon-Brown won the Far North Coast title and according to Rogers he shows promise. He'll also go to Coffs Harbour in a month and could join O'Donnell in the trip to Tasmania. He also spars against professional fighters in Newcastle, some with world rankings.

Remarkably, he had his first fight as a heavyweight when he weighed 87kg against a 94kg opponent.

Rogers said the pandemic was tough for the gym.

"Before COVID we had eight boxers, but we didn't do any training or fighting for a couple of years. We're starting to build our numbers up now,'' he said.