Former Canadian amateur boxing champion Moe Zawadi turns pro
TORONTO — Former Canadian amateur boxing champion Moe Zawadi is turning pro.
The 19-year-old middleweight from Barrie, Ont., has signed with Toronto-based Lee Baxter Promotions and is expected to make his pro debut early this year.
“The plan was to be Olympic champion. But I found out that like a lot of sports, amateur boxing had a lot of politics in it,” Zawadi said in a statement. “I lost a decision in the Olympic trials that I didn’t think I lost and that my team didn’t think I lost. So after that we were like, ‘OK, we have the tools to go pro, I’m more mature now, now’s the right time to go pro.’
“You’re getting punched in the head. Your body takes a lot of damage. You can only do it for so many years without making money, you’ve got to get paid for your craft.”