Ken Huber is stepping back into the ring to defend a provincial boxing title, following a punishing loss five months ago.
The Kamloops amateur boxer, who grew up in 100 Mile House, is defending for the fifth time his CombSport BC Cruiserweight title. While he last successfully defended that championship belt in an action-packed fight against Victoria pugilist Bryan Colwell last May in Kelowna, Huber more recently lost his national amateur title by unanimous decision to a Toronto boxer, Andre Gore, who dropped Huber with a bruising punch in the fourth round, a few months later in October.
With the defeat came some soul searching for the 31-year-old Huber, who operates the Kamloops Boxing Academy. He contemplated taking a break from competition to start coaching full time. He thought about taking a shot at mixed martial arts.
However, it seems it didn't take much for Huber to start again for the boxing ring – someone had to challenge him to a fight is all.
Heading into the March 21 bout on Vancouver Island, initiated from a challenge by a big Surrey boxer named Aaron Downey, Huber says he's back on track, healthy, in good spirits.
“My body is treating me really well,” the champ says. “I want to give this as much as a go as I can. I think boxing is where it's at for me. That's what I'm cut out to do and that's what I'm going to keep doing.”
Huber adds he's now thinking of taking a professional fight near the end of 2015.
Of Downey, his upcoming opponent, Huber says he doesn't know much about him, except that he's coming down in weight to make the 195-lbs limit, and that he has in the past lost a decision to Colwell, whom Huber last beat via very close split-decision.
“I've heard [Downey is] super tough. He's got a bunch of [mixed martial arts] fights. I think he's got a challenge ahead of him, and I think I do too.”