Next Ryan up
Make way for the next Ryan sibling to compete at the Canadian national boxing championships.
When Mark Ryan steps into the ring next weekend at the youth nationals in Quebec City, the 15-year-old St. Catharines resident will become the fifth Ryan brother to compete at the Canadian championships following in the footsteps of siblings, Matthew, Daniel, Stephen and Gerry. There are 11 Ryan brothers in total and all of them have laced up a pair of boxing gloves. All but two have stepped into a boxing ring to compete in an official fight.
Matthew won gold in the junior C division at nationals. Daniel captured three bronze medals at the nationals, including two at youth and one at senior open. Stephen won a gold medal in the youth division and a silver at the Canadian seniors. Gerry Ryan captured two national silver medals and one Canadian bronze medal, including senior silver and bronze.
Mark is thrilled to be able to carry on the family tradition at the highest level.
“I am very proud because it’s part of my story,” the Grade 10 student at Holy Cross said.
All of his brothers and cousin, Antonio Napolitano, a pro fighter with national medals on his resume, have been sparring with him to get him ready.
“It has been really helpful. Steve has been doing pads, giving me a lot of pointers and really pushing me,” Mark said.
His boxing bothers and relatives have also been giving him advice.
“One thing that I found in common was they said that I had to be in the best possible shape and I really had to push myself in the training and if I did, I could take it.”
Mark has been training in the gym four times a week and does a lot of road work and other training away from the club.
He believes that training regimen will be crucial to his success.
“It’s going to take last minute-stamina, whatever I’ve got in the last minute of the last round.”
He is not thinking about results but rather process.
“I want to be prepared as much as possible and confident but not too confident. You never want to underestimate someone.”
He can’t wait to get there.
“I excited to get in the ring and throw a couple of punches.”
Mark won the Junior C novice 60-kilogram division at the prestigious Brampton Cup in February but was unable to compete in the earlier open provincials because he didn’t have 10 fights.
Once he hit the 10-fight minimum, he was invited to a training camp in Toronto to determine a wildcard entry to join the reigning gold and silver medalists at nationals.
“It was unexpected and I was a bit nervous but I was feeling good. I was in shape and the opportunity presented itself.”
He went to the first camp and was eventually invited back to the final camp where he was told he had made Team Ontario for the nationals.
“I had performed really well in sparring and I had kind of already got the gist that I was going but I was really excited.”
St. Catharines Boxing Club coach John Robertson said Mark left no doubt at the training camp that he should be the wildcard entry.
“He even sparred the winners of the silver and the gold and he did fantastic against them. We had to hold him back against one guy. He had an opportunity to spar and show them what he had and they picked him right away.”
Robertson feels Mark has all the tools to succeeds in the sport.
“He’s good. He has fast feet, fast hands, a high boxing IQ and he is well conditioned.”
Robertson is excited to see how Mark can do at nationals.
“I think he will win, I really do, because I think he is as good as anybody in Ontario or Quebec.”
Mark received an early introduction to boxing from his brothers when he was five or six. He began training consistently in boxing about two years ago.
