Langley’s Sarah Pucek will be travelling to Poland in April to meet her greatest challenge to date as a professional boxer.
She will fight undefeated interim world champion Ewa Brodnicka, who also holds the European lightweight championship, said Langley City Boxing manager Dave Allison.
“Pucek has paid her dues as a pro and has had ups and downs in her boxing career,” he said, confident of his “charge.”
“I believe she is up to the task, she has never been better and is really coming into her own.”
Pucek twice had to leave the sport due to school obligations, Allison explained. But since returning to the ring two years ago, she has remained undefeated, winning her last four fights and picking up three regional titles.
Last April, she won the North American Boxing Federation(NABF) title as a super featherweight. Pucek won the Canadian championship in 2012 and won the Commonwealth featherweight championship in 2016.
“It is always tough to take a title from a boxer in their home country” said Allison, who has been Pucek’s long-time trainer and manager since her amateur career began.
“She is the real deal,” he said. “She is a real pro in ever way.”
For Pucek it has been a long road and her challenges are all typical of issues around pro boxers trying to ply their trades in B.C.
Pucek started her career at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma Washington, having her pro debut in 2008 and next five fights at the Emerald Queen. Until 2013 there was no provincial athletic commission in B.C., so there was very little pro boxing activity, Allison said.
“Although there is not a lot of pro boxing activity in B.C. at this time, it is starting to come together,” he said. Allison has organized and promoted amateur and professional boxing for almost three decades and promoted Pucek’s last three fights in the Clash @ the Cascades boxing series.
“Pro boxing in B.C. is developing and Pucek is the lightning rod making it happen,” Allison said.
“She is the premier boxer in B.C. and her fan base is growing,” he added. “Pucek knows this game and handles herself very well inside and outside the ring. The fight in Poland will be tough. Ewa Brodnicka is undefeated and we challenge her on her home turf. She is tough and strong… Sarah is up to the challenge.”
In the meantime, Pucek is gearing up for another fight here at home later this spring.
On May 25, a pro-boxing show at the Langley Events Centre will not only feature Pucek, it will also showcase up-and-coming boxing talent from Vancouver, such as Julian Kim, Sam Moses, as well as the pro debut of Aman Aujla. It will also feature the return to the ring of Western Canadian Champion Alisah McPhee.