Craig Woods accidentally embarked on his star-making
enterprise when he hung a single heavy bag from a hook in his back-shed so his
then 12-year-old son Luke could learn to box.
In 2010, Luke represented Australia at the Commonwealth
Games in New Delhi... last year, Craig’s nephew Jackson Woods, fought at the
London Olympics. The cousins are both reigning Australian champions in their
weight divisions as is the gym’s light heavyweight, Dylan Hardy.
Jackson actually lives at the gym, behind Craig’s house,
having moved there as a teenager.
“I’ve been here about five years now. I sort of had a few
issues to sort out. I dont know where I’d be without boxing, it probably kept
me off the streets,” Jackson says.
Dylan Hardy, literally flooded with sweat after a bout in
the ring, said the ‘Woods Boys’ were well know for training hard, doing more
full-intensity sparring than most boxing gyms.
“We go pretty hard. When you’re fighting someone samller
you have to be careful not to push it too far but when you’re up against a
bigger guy, you might as well hurt ‘em if it’s there, teaches them to keep
their hands up.”
The Latrobe Boxing Club meets four nights a week to train
with Craig and there are usually 15-20 boxers under his watchful eye. The
youngest is 9, the oldest around 50, though both those members are only there
for fitness.
In between are a number of registered fighters including
Nic Cooney who has an upcoming fight that could see him eligible to challenge
for a place in the Australian World Titles team.
There is a good chance if he wins that four of the
Latrobe boys could be in that team, fully half of the Australian squad.
Craig himself believes a family feeling has helped his
team to punch so far above its weight in terms of success. He was himself a
1983 Australian junior champion but in recent times has decided not to spar
with his charges.
“I used to be able to smack them when I wanted to but
they’re just too good now. Safer staying out of the ring!” he says. (Source)
