Dandrej Felix RYAN FROM THE 6IX interview on Nationals

The Dandrej Felix RYAN FROM THE 6IX interview began with a difficult draw: Felix said his next Nationals opponents include national champions and runners-up. The Pinnacle Boxing fighter also discussed a possible route to the Olympics through team grenada and why he intends to turn professional, though he has not decided when.

Why did Dandrej Felix start boxing?

Dandrej Felix started boxing to lose weight after reaching about 230 pounds during COVID, not to compete. He told his coach he had no interest in fighting, but the coach booked him a bout roughly three months after he joined the gym. Felix won that first fight and wanted another.

The first booking surprised him. Felix recalled his coach coming over while he trained and telling him a fight had been arranged. Once he had competed, the feeling of being in the ring changed his plans. By the time we spoke, he said he had fought 38 times.

Felix had put in substantial gym time before his debut. He described training for two hours a day, five or six days a week, to the point that his coach told him to take breaks. He was sparring boxers who already had fights and moving with professionals, which helped make his first bout feel like a natural next step despite his original reluctance.

He said he began boxing at about 24 and had recently turned 26. Before entering the gym, he did not watch the sport.

How does Dandrej Felix train at Pinnacle Boxing in Belleville?

Dandrej Felix trains at Pinnacle Boxing in Belleville, Ontario, where he said the gym has more than 50 competitors and more than 100 members. His team also travels for sparring rather than relying only on local partners. Felix sees those rounds and road trips as part of finding stronger opposition.

Sparring trips beyond Belleville

The team goes to Brampton, Mississauga, Ottawa, Montreal and other parts of Quebec to work with high-level boxers, Felix said. They also invite fighters to come to them. He named Thunder Bay, Windsor and Winnipeg among the places the team has traveled for bouts.

A growing Pinnacle Boxing team

Felix estimated that Pinnacle Boxing had been open for about four years. He said teammates had accumulated 25, 30 and 40 fights, and that one boxer with around 40 fights was preparing for a professional debut. Carter Seymour trains at dawn pound, which Felix described as another gym nearby.

For Felix, the travel is not merely a way to fill a schedule. He wants rounds with the best available opposition and said his team does not turn them down because the fighters are at a higher level.

What happened to Dandrej Felix at his first Nationals?

Dandrej Felix said he won his first two fights at Nationals before losing a close third bout to an Alberta boxer. He was sick during the tournament and had to begin in the preliminaries, putting him on a four-day fighting schedule. He nevertheless described the experience as a strong showing.

Two wins before the close loss

Felix said his opening opponent was a provincial champion and a national runner-up. His second had previously been a national champion. On the third day, he faced an Alberta fighter whom he described as much more experienced; Felix said the decision was separated by one point. He estimated that he had around 23 to 25 fights at the time.

Fighting near his natural weight

He also described arriving at tournaments around 175 pounds while opponents who had cut weight were considerably heavier between bouts. Felix said he had fought at 195, 190, 185 and down to 175 pounds, but prefers to compete where he feels comfortable rather than spend his preparation making a difficult weight.

That approach fits his view of amateur boxing. Felix said fighters should test themselves against different styles and experienced opponents, then use losses to measure their progress. He described accepting a fight against a two-time provincial champion with roughly 60 bouts when he had 18 fights, rather than waiting for an easier matchup.

What did Dandrej Felix say about the Olympics and turning pro?

Dandrej Felix said turning professional is a definite goal, while the Olympics remain a possibility because his Grenadian background could give him a route to represent team grenada. He has not committed to either path first. Felix said the timing depends on his development and on decisions he will make with his coach and team.

He wants to keep improving and facing international opponents before deciding when to move into the professional ranks. If he is still developing when an Olympic opportunity fits, he said he would try that route; if his team believes he is ready for the pros, he could make that move instead. He trusts his coach’s judgment on the choice.

Felix also outlined a possible professional weight range. He said his plan would be to walk around at roughly 176 to 180 pounds and aim to compete around 165 to 170 pounds. He would rather use camp to develop his boxing than spend much of it trying to shed a large amount of weight.

His interest in being paid to fight does not lessen his commitment to the amateur work ahead. Felix expects to keep competing while he and his team decide which opportunity makes sense next.

Who is Dandrej Felix facing at his next Nationals?

Dandrej Felix said his next Nationals draw again starts in the preliminaries and includes national champions and runners-up. He expects another demanding sequence rather than an easy route through the event. Pinnacle Boxing teammate Sylas Foley is also going; Felix said it will be Foley’s first Nationals.

Felix described his anticipated opponents as a national champion who has fought internationally, a previous national champion and other fighters who have finished at or near the top of Nationals. He compared the draw with his first appearance, when he said he faced leading competitors in succession.

Felix summed up why he welcomes that assignment:

I don't travel all this way for easy fights

Foley will compete at 70 kilograms after placing silver at the provincials, Felix said. He also mentioned a female teammate who placed silver but was out with an injury, and four youth gold medalists from the gym who were heading to Nationals in Calgary.

What did Dandrej Felix say about boxing funding in Ontario?

Dandrej Felix said the cost of traveling to compete makes more funding important for Ontario boxers. In his view, athletes who must pay their own way while balancing work and training have less time to develop. He regards those expenses as an investment, but wants stronger support for fighters representing their communities and country.

The cost of competing

Felix said boxers have to pay to reach events such as Nationals. He contrasted that with athletes elsewhere who, in his view, receive enough support to concentrate on training instead of fitting it around long workdays. He hopes Ontario and Canada put more resources behind competitors as they progress.

Support at a Belleville show

Local interest gave him a reason for encouragement. Felix said he was the main event on a Belleville show that drew about 1,000 people. He also praised the talent he saw at the provincials in Brampton and argued that those boxers need chances to compete and be seen.