By Russell Bennett
If local young boxing stars Lockie Byrne and Jordan Seaborne progress as far in the next 12 months as they have in the past year, then look out.
The pair of 13-year-olds, who train at Officer’s Urban Boxer gym under managing director and head trainer Nathan Skeen, have already put the boxing world on notice, but their performances recently at the nationals were nothing short of jaw-dropping.
Byrne walked away as the Australian champion at 52 kilograms, while Seaborne picked up a silver medal in the 34-kilogram division.
“They’re really achieving great things, and they feel like they’re making something of themselves,” Skeen said.
“Jordan just has this larger than life personality.
“He’s unbelievably flashy and looks like a million dollars. You just think this kid is going to be unbelievably good.
“He won his first fight and with some of the stuff he was doing, you could actually hear the crowd gasping.”
Byrne, meanwhile, is a little more reserved with a quiet an unassuming demeanour. But in the ring he’s a pure assassin.
He stopped his opponent – the 50-kilogram champion from last year – in the second round of his title fight, with the referee forced to step in
“It looked like it was going to be an awkward fight at the start, because of this kid’s style, but he just kept it together and started landing these really clean, crisp shots and once he did he just kept the momentum going,” Skeen explained.
“He scored an eight-count in the first round, and the unanswered blows in the second just added up and the referee jumped in.”
The results of both youngsters just go to show the work being put in at Urban Boxer.
It truly is a breeding ground of young champions.
But the gym not only provides a home for some of the area’s most prodigiously-talented amateur boxers to fine-tune their craft, it also provides an elite conditioning and personal training environment for anyone looking to improve their fitness base.
The Station Street-based gym caters to absolutely anyone of any ability – young or old, experienced or just starting out.
Skeen started boxing when he was just 14 and ultimately went on to train under some of the biggest names in the game, including John Tandy and Ian Burbedge in the UK, and the legendary Johnny Lewis in Sydney – former trainer of world champions Jeff Fenech and Kostya Tszyu.
The eye-opening experience helped mould Skeen into the trainer he is today.
He’s now focused on the amateur scene in Melbourne, and mentoring the likes of Byrne and Seaborne who also picked up silver medals from the Adelaide junior nationals last year.
