TRURO - Already a Canadian champ, Ryan Dillman is looking to see where he stacks up on the world stage.
The 15-year-old Truro resident is off to Kansas City, Mo., Sunday to throw punches at the 2012 Ringside World Championships. The event, which features 2,500 fighters from around the globe, runs until Aug. 5 and boasts six rings with bouts going at all times.
"I'm ready to go right now," Dillman said. "I'm excited."
Dillman, tipping the scales at 100 pounds, will be trading blows in the 96-101-pound class. However, he has no idea just how many bouts he'll fight, nor who his opponents will be, until he arrives.
But that has no bearing on the 20-bout veteran's goal.
"I'm hoping to fight every day and just go through everybody and win the belt," Dillman said.
Dillman qualified for the event after becoming Canadian junior champion at nationals in Ste-Hyacinthe, Que., in February in just his second appearance at the event. He brought home a silver-medal a year earlier. His Canadian hardware has him riding a wave of confidence.
"It's just after nationals where I won gold. I'm the best in Canada in my weight class and I just feel confident," he said. "I got gold at nationals and I think I can do it here."
He's also happy with how his training has gone since coming home from Quebec. He's been at the Truro Amateur Boxing Club - where he's been a member for five years - four nights per week and two hours per session. He's also been traveling to Sackville's Citadel Amateur Boxing Club for extra sparring.
"It's really been helping me out for Kansas," he said. "Physically and mentally I feel like I'm ready to go."
Aside from seeing how he measures up against boxers from all over the world, Dillman is also excited about potentially opening doors for his future, which he hopes includes an appearance at the Olympics.
"I have one more year at junior nationals then after that I move up to senior and can qualify for the Olympics."
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