When people walk into the Cambridge Union, they often expect to see expressive faces engaged in passionate debate. On 2 February, however, a shouting proposition speaker was replaced by a boxing ring in the centre of the chamber. Town vs. Gown, having run for over 30 years, is a staple of Cambridge University Amateur Boxing Club’s (CUABC) calendar, where the university’s fighters see themselves matched up against a ‘Town’ team, comprising boxers from gyms and universities across the nation. The event was sold out - I could only get tickets for the first half, and it showed; the energy in the chamber was palpable. The setting almost made the night feel more like theatre than sport.

As someone whose boxing background is limited to having watched my friend at ‘Fight Night,’ I made sure to arm myself with an obliging Blues boxer buddy to gain a better grasp of the night’s matches. Yet the universality of the event was evident; the boxing was a display of sheer strength, athleticism, and the deep desire to win. Alongside a large number of intra-CUABC matchups, Cambridge unfortunately ended the night down 4-3 to the Town fighters, but the event represented a larger turning point for CUABC moving forward.

“The event represented a larger turning point for CUABC moving forward”

This year, the opposition had a strong contingent from Imperial College London. The first bout was Ewan Turnbull’s debut fight for the CUABC, as he faced off against Imperial’s Xiao Yuanhao. Turnbull’s athleticism and reach were difficult to counter, and once Yuanhao was caught by a couple of hard blows, he found it hard to recover and reset, resulting in a technical knockout for Turnbull, much to the thrill of the crowd.

The tension emanating from Raheem Smith and Cameron Mencia during their walkouts ahead of a second CUABC-Imperial match made it sure to be an aggressive battle. Smith’s strategy of waiting to counter proved difficult against Mencia’s quick jabs, and the bout ended with a TKO in Mencia’s favour after some incisive hits.

With CUABC and Imperial at 1-1, we were treated to an all-Cambridge fight between Will Gardner and Christopher Lang. After walking out to Bob Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds,’ Gardner used a distinctive movement style to compete with Lang’s strong connections in the first round. However, as the weight behind Lang’s punches built, so did his momentum, and after some strong connections in the last ten seconds of the second round, Lang won on counts.

CUABC’s Aady Nagarajan fight against Imperial’s Ethan Cann was a step up in energy and attack, with Aady’s relentless punching drawing blood from all over Cann’s face. Nagarajan also won on counts, this time in the third round.

“Even when faced with Lee’s fast footwork and critical blows, Townend kept relaxed and easily found counters”

After four men’s fights, we had our first women’s clash. Cambridge’s Anna Townend and Shelly Lee were both technical and powerful. Even when faced with Lee’s fast footwork and critical blows, Townend kept relaxed and easily found counters. At the final bell, Townend, the women’s captain, came away with the win on a split decision in what was a strongly contested bout.

The final fight of the first half was the last clash against Imperial, with Cambridge’s Rhys Honey-Jones finding himself against Joel Stoy. The punches were possibly the heaviest of the night, with greater connections and more controlled power on display than in any other match. Both demonstrated perfect technique, but Stoy’s hunt for big hooks led him to knock out Honey-Jones in the second round, giving us a dramatic end to the first period.

Although I had to leave before the second half, Cambridge continued their momentum. Treasurer of the club Anna Yiu beat Izzy Webb Adams, and Brodie Gibson was overpowered by Enrico Mariotti in two all-Cambridge bouts. The fight between Faith Cunningham and Bronwyn Jenkinson was Head Coach Mehmet Hamuza’s favourite of the night, describing it as “the most exciting,” as both fighters “put their heart and soul into the bouts.” For an audience member less literate in the world of boxing, the passion of the boxers, paired with their technicality and athleticism, made the event not only an enjoyable sports event but a thrilling evening.

Towards the end of the night, Cole Buck of Triple A Boxing Club beat Cambridge’s Patrick Davies with an intense knockout, and Uday Manhas lost in a close fight against Stonebridge Boxing Club’s Benji Kaseba Katambwa, the CUABC fighter walking away with a black eye to show for the aggression of the bout. Shuresh Saheli ended the event on a sweeter note, overpowering St Ives Boxing Academy’s Connor Coles.

Cambridge Coach Hamuza summed up the event, saying he couldn’t have “asked for more from the boxers.” Club President Spencer Lee Boya explained that we are experiencing “the best year for CUABC in recent times,” as despite facing recent “uncertainties” that left a chance that “the club would not have been able to even operate at all,” the club has turned the tide thanks to “one of the most competent and resilient student committees.”

CUABC can be very excited about its bright future. Participation numbers have skyrocketed, with 150 out of 160 people paying to continue boxing after an initial university taster session. Spencer also spoke proudly of the fact that no boxers have been injured in training this year, thanks to new safety measures and training plans. Town vs. Gown was certainly an eye-opening exhibition of this rejuvenated era for CUABC.

Coach Mehmet Hamuza’s tenet “you don’t lose in amateur boxing, you only learn” was displayed in its truest form at the Cambridge Union. Not only were the boxers able to boast their improvement from this year, but the club had a chance to show off a new chapter in its history – one that both nurtures the future of the club yet can also yield fantastic results.