Goulburn Valley Boxing Academy put on a showstopper in the Top End during its last team outing before relocating

Of the eight to climb into the ring, five swung the arm up in triumph to add to a record of two draws and one loss.

Kialla’s Jesse Mehmet kicked off the action on April 27 with an exhibition bout against Cyclone 2421’s Andreas Troumouliaris, who had a raft of fights already beneath his belt.

The match was called a draw, leaving GVBA owner Zedda Harrington rapt with how his first boxer stuck up his gloves.

“Jesse took a lot of confidence out of the bout with his opponent having fought at nationals and eight bouts to his name,” he said.

“I was very pleased with how Jesse controlled things mentally after the first round, and is in a good place moving forward to his next bout in July.”

Next up was Mooroopna's Chase Brisbane on debut.

Brisbane took on Anthony Cameron in the under-13 class, taking home a 3-2 split-decision victory from three rounds, to Harrington’s delight.

“Chase finished strong, putting an eight count on him in the third,” he said.

“It was anyone's fight heading into the final round, I gave him a good rev up and he responded well.”

From one end of the scale to the other, up stepped Shepparton lawyer Luke Slater to deliver some hard justice to Dennis Goodwin in the master’s division.

Slater wound up a thumping body shot which stopped his opponent — and the fight — short, handing the GVBA representative the spoils.

It bodes well for Slater, whose next assignment comes in the form of the Australian Club Championships, where he’ll fight for a national masters title in Adelaide on May 18.

The fourth fighter to step forward against a Boxing NT foe was Mooroopna’s Mervyn Fernando, who “put on a jabbing clinic to cruise to a points win” according to Harrington.

“Merv has been around boxing for years; he's a crafty cat and I’m pleased we have been able to have some success with him in the ring,” Harrington said.

Fernando’s bullish effort was followed by young sensation Izaiah Harrington, who went punch for punch against Ayden Galvin in the fight of the night.

Harrington won a points decision 4-1 and, in doing so, earned great plaudits from his proud father.

“At 11 years old he is able to read plays far beyond his years,” Harrington said.

“The crowd got their money’s worth with this one.”

Scott Henery was the sixth GVBA fighter to step on to the canvas, and despite a lionhearted showing, Henery lost out to Graham Wakefield via majority decision.

Henery did not lose any respect from his mentor after the defeat, however.

“Scotty is a very disciplined kid, and is a pleasure to train and have a part of the club,” Harrington said.

“We look forward to progressing forward.”

Harrington’s eldest son Urijah was lucky number seven to glove up, meeting Landon Hampton on the proverbial dancefloor.

Though Hampton weighed in three divisions heavier than Harrington, the latter claimed bragging rights in the under-15 exhibition — and he had some choice words of inspiration in the post.

“I was ready to give away weight but not that much,” he said.

Rounding out GVBA’s card was Marcus ‘The Head’ Turner, who lived up to his name by wheeling out a performance that saw him crowned the victor over Arnold Baird thanks to a 4-1 whitewash.

Like Slater, Turner has his next task on the horizon as he turns an eye towards the Victorian State Titles on May 26.

With such an exceptional, uniting experience now done and dusted, Harrington glowed with pride when reflecting on the trip to the Top End.

“It was an amazing achievement for the club, having eight athletes take on Boxing NT,” he said.

“The best part overall was seeing the club’s growth, all the athletes and supporters got behind as one and we created special memories that will last forever.

“We had so much local support in attendance and support from home who made the trek over.”

And as the chapter closes on the NT jaunt, so do the doors on the GVBA’s Mooroopna facility.

Harrington cut the ribbon to open operations back in November 2020, but after countless memories and plenty of blood, sweat and tears to boot, GVBA is moving across the causeway.

The club’s new location is in the Tirana City Walk complex centre in central Shepparton, where Harrington is more than ready to continue the journey.

“We can't wait to produce our talent out of Shepparton and continue what we do best.”