Taylor Coffin earns nod at Raiders Karratha Fight Night at Karratha Leisureplex

Boxers from Perth to Broome travelled to Karratha to battle it out at the Raiders Boxing Club’s Fight Night VIII. The Karratha-based club held the event at the Karratha Leisureplex on May 7 with close to 400 fans attending. Nine bouts were featured on the card including the highly anticipated main event between Perth’s Chris De Souza and Hedland’s Taylor Coffin. Coffin, who trains out of Raiders Karratha, looked strong from the opening bell in the 77kg light heavyweight division clash. Coffin controlled the action over the three rounds and earned a split-decision victory over the Perth fighter. He said it felt good to fight at light heavyweight after a couple of years competing at welterweight. ”It was a good fight with a tough opponent. A good all-round experience,” he said. Coffin said the training leading up to the fight had its hurdles with the club’s facilities closed and turned into a COVID-19 clinic. “Our gym closed down and we just finished training at home and stuff. So for the boys from Raiders, for most of us to win like this is a big deal,” he said. Raiders trainer Shane McDonald said the event was a success with a great turnout. “We’re just happy to be doing things again after three years, we haven’t done one because of COVID,” he said. McDonald said there were some concerns when the decision was announced as a split decision. “Tayler just boxed very clean. He read him well, had great angles,” he said. “He just boxed really well and boxed his shoes off and I was so impressed.” In the other bouts on the night, Broome’s Rihari Holmes-Ngatai beat Matthew McDonald by split decision in the 38kg sub-schoolboy pin weight division, and Ash Schaffer defeated Thomas Pike. Ruben Phelps defeated Perth’s Tony Galati and Karratha’s Aiden Fitzmaurice debuted with a victory against Geraldton’s Thomas McDonnell.