A Richmond boxer took part in the recent Rumble of the Rock event, beating his opponent from Abbotsford in the 10-bout annual event.
Alex Jun Seok Lee faced Daniel McLean in the Olympic-style amateur boxing event on Feb. 7 at River Rock Casino, dominating the fight in the third round.
The event is held to support amateur boxers and help the community meet "the rising stars of British Columbia boxing," according to the event website.
Lee trains with Vancity Boxing Club at Diaz Combat Sports in Vancouver under his coach JY Kim.
The 23-year-old recently represented B.C. for the first time at the National Boxing Tournament in Sarnia, Ont., held from Nov. 19 to 23. The event included nearly 200 athletes competing in Olympic-style bouts.
Lee lost in the quarter-finals with a closed-book decision, where two judges were on his side and the three other judges favoured his opponent.
"It was a privilege and a great opportunity for me to represent the province," said Lee.
"I feel we did a great job as a team to show that we have a lot of talent here in B.C. After this year's nationals, we were able to prove we have a lot of talented boxers on the West Coast despite eastern Canada being a bit more dominant in the sport."
Lee immigrated to Richmond from South Korea when he was nine years old but it wasn't until he was 18 that he started boxing.
"I did a lot of taekwondo when I was a kid and was always into striking sports, like martial arts," said Lee, adding he started while he was in South Korea.
He took a break from it to pursue bodybuilding but, after a few years, he started looking for "new hobbies" and was introduced to boxing.
"When I found the sport of boxing, I knew this was exactly what I wanted to do. Ever since then, I just never looked back and continued it."
When asked what he thinks about boxing being perceived as a violent sport, Lee said there are risks with any sport.
"I know that the general consensus is that it is a dangerous sport and every time you step in the ring, it's a risk that fighters take," he said.
For Lee, stepping into the boxing ring is a way to test himself and be the best version of himself in the sport.
Outside the ring, Lee is studying for his bachelor's degree in business administration at Simon Fraser University and working as a server at two hotels. He also teaches boxing.
His server jobs, however, are seasonal and his teaching schedule is flexible so he can work around his own boxing training and school.
"I eventually find a balance between all that I do and prioritize what I need at that moment.
"My goal is to become a national champion in boxing and after that go to the Olympics. I'm just taking it fight by fight and step by step."
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