AIDEN Falkenberg has only been boxing for two years, but can already call himself junior state champion after taking out the tournament earlier this month, and at 15, he is just getting started.
Falkenberg benefitted from a friendly draw which saw him go straight through to the final, needing to win one fight against his opponent from Whyalla to claim the top prize, which he did without too much trouble.
“State titles only come around once a year, so it’s fair to say it was the most nervous I’d been before a fight,” he said.
“It was just about trying to keep calm and stay relaxed, because I know once I get in the ring all of my training is going to come out and it will just feel normal.
“I felt like I controlled the range and controlled the ring – when I let off the power shots they landed, and when he wanted to come forward I’d move and hit him again.
“I wasn’t 100 per cent confident I’d get the decision, but I remember thinking it’d be bull if I lost.”
With the state championships now in the rear-view mirror, Falkenberg is now preparing for this weekend’s Australian Club Championships – if it is able to go ahead.
“Basically it’s a national tournament, which is being hosted in Adelaide this year, where any club in the country can enter and bring over their fighters,” he said.
“It’s a good chance to see where you stand compared to the other states where the gyms usually have more fighters.”
The Station Gymnasium owner and boxing coach Kirsty Gregory said the next 12 months will be crucial in Falkenberg’s development, with a spot on Australia’s Youth World Games team a real possibility.
“Aiden’s going to come up a weight class first of all,” she said.
“He’s grown a bit so to keep in his weight class has required him to manage his diet really well, which to his credit he’s done, but you always want to be at the top of a weight class not the bottom so he’ll be doing work to add some muscle while maintaining his speed.
“Tournaments will start up again in February, so if he’s healthy he’ll be nominating for those, and it will be the first year that international opportunities will be on the table so it’s going to be a big year hopefully.”