By Bryn Levy

Local boxer fighting for national title

Mar 25, 2013 | 6:24 AM

Saskatoon's Michelle Nelson is hoping to lay claim to the Canadian Professional Boxing Council women's bantamweight belt.

She's ramping up her training ahead of a bout against B.C.'s Peggy Maerz to see who will walk away with the title, which is currently sitting vacant.

Nelson and Maerz have squared off twice before, with each fighter claiming one win apiece. Nelson said she's confident she can win the fight and claim the series between the two fighters, and that she's heading into the ring with extra motivation provided by her trainer.

“I want to bring this belt back to Saskatoon. My longtime trainer John Devison, he won the bantamweight title of Canada back in 1959,” she said during an open training session at the gym she runs with husband Chad Selkirk.

Selkirk has moved up to coaching in the years since he started hanging out at Nelson's gym so he could get a chance to spend time with her after they met on vacation. “She was always training, it was kind of the only way I could get to see her,” said Selkirk, who helps coach the gym's amateur team in addition to working with Nelson.

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With fight night approaching, Selkirk said Nelson is in the right headspace:

“Right now I think her strength (is) her confidence. Her confidence is really where it needs to be.”

With 17 years in the sport, Nelson said she hopes to make this title shot count.

“It's just really important to me to win this belt. I mean, I'm getting up there in age, so I really want to make this fight good,” she said.

Nelson acknowledged that being a mother to a 2-year-old has meant extra sacrifices in training for this fight.

“With my son, definitely we've had to have him at daycare a little more and stuff, so, I'm missing him. But I know after this fight I can spend more time with him. So it's harder as a mom for sure.”

Nelson will meet Maerz Apr. 4 at Calgary's Hyatt Regency Hotel. Proceeds from the event will go to benefit Big Brothers.

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