Jayden Trudell and Hunter Lee have trained together over the years but when the two square off in the boxing ring on August 11th at the Serbian centre, it'll be for bragging rights. "It counts," said Cedric Benn, a national level coach with Boxing Canada. "This is not just a glorified sparring match. This is real. 10 ounce gloves. Trying to hurt each other.
Both boxers were at Maximum Training Centre Monday afternoon to hype the fight and took jabs at each other during an on-line news conference.
"Ever since he won that national title there's always been a little chit chat, especially after I moved to Montreal (where Boxing Canada's national training centre is located), Jayden's the best or Hunter's the best," Lee told Powerplay Sports. "Basically I think this needed to happen just to set the record straight."
The 24-year old has a 114-38 record as an amateur and is a two-time national champion fighting in the 71K division. He has also won numerous tournaments in Canada and around the world and is a seasoned veteran heading into the fight. "I'm going pro after this," Lee declared. "I wouldn't take any regular fight for my last fight. It had to be me and Jayden."
Trudell has a 47-4 record and became national champion in the 67K weight class in February of 2023. Instead of trying to defend his title earlier this year, the 19-year old chose to move up to Lee's division for nationals in the hopes of qualifying for the Olympic Games in Paris.
He doesn't have the same experience as Lee but Trudell is relishing the underdog role. "Everyone's saying he's a bigger guy, more experienced but it always has been the story for me," Trudell said. "They always find out when we're in there oh shoot you know, I underestimated this guy."
The Border City Boxing Club fighter says knowing Lee as well as he does doesn't change his approach to the bout. "Focused. Locked in. Shut out everything. All the noise. All the thoughts and just fight. I could be fighting my best friend in there it would be the same thing."
There have been times in the last year and a half where the two were at the same high performance tournaments but their paths never crossed. They are excited for the opportunity to square off, especially at home where boxing shows are rare and infrequent. "You can't take anyone lightly and fighting in Windsor gives you that little extra." Lee said.
He and Trudell want to win but the consequences the outcome won't have a major impact on their future according to show organizer Rino Belcastro, owner of Maximum Training Centre. "It's gonna help them as boxers and it's gonna help them succeed because of the competition. They're doing the right thing for each other."
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