Gary “Hocus Pocus” Kopas is the first to admit he got in too many fights growing up.
“I was getting in fights every week,” Kopas told CTV News. “Back then, you’d get in fights at recess, come back from recess with a bloody nose and say you fell in the parking lot or on the playground. It’s not like that anymore, obviously.”
After moving to Saskatoon, he discovered a boxing gym a block away. All it took was walking in the door to discover his passion.
“I walked in, my future coach Sharrod Thibault, he was punching a guy, they were sparring, there was blood flying,” said Kopas. “I fell in love with it the second I walked in, I started in September and by middle of October I was competing already.”
Despite losing his first two fights, Kopas turned boxing into an outlet for his energy, and an opportunity to see the world.
Following a 20-year career that took him across North America, Mexico and France — and earned him the international cruiserweight champion title in 2017 — Kopas turned to coaching so he can mentor the next generation of fighters.
“When I see some of these kids coming in, I see myself,” said Kopas. “They may not have a lot of confidence or they have a hard time making friends. But they get accepted here. That’s the way the sport works.”
Being able to guide young athletes, competitive or recreational, has given him a new purpose after his career.
“Nothing I’ve ever done in my life has this effect.”
Through his career, Kopas has made connections that he’s been able to use with his athletes.
Whether he’s arranging training sessions at the Mayweather gym for his boxers, or celebrity promoters like Butterbean who visited Kopas Boxing Club to speak to the athletes before a big fight card.
“Don’t overdo it today, everybody wants to overdo it the day before a fight,” Butterbean told the fighters on Friday. “Go out there and have fun, that’s the main thing. It’s not worth all these hours if you’re not enjoying yourself.”
Butterbean’s career has spanned nearly 30 years in four different sports. But he says sportsmanship is the main thing to remember in the ring.
“The people you’re fighting with, they’re friends overall,” Butterbean told CTV News. “It’s a sport, enjoy it. Have a good time and, you’re trying to knock the other guy out, but afterwards, shake their hand and say it was a good fight, no matter what the outcome is.”
Kopas has learned that it takes good role models to give younger athletes someone to look up to. That’s why older fighters like Kyle Paposi are expected to set a good example.
“We’re always wanting to give back to the young people,” said Paposi. “Gary is really driving hard into the youth, especially the inner-city youth. So he expects us, after we’re done competing, to take up coaching.”
One of the younger athletes following the lead is Walker Odnokon, who says boxing gets mistaken as a solo pursuit.
“Everybody thinks boxing is a solo sport that you do on your own and it’s not really a team,” Odnokon said. “But definitely there is a team. All these guys in here training just like how I am, even harder.”
One benefit of that team mentality in the gym is that it can keep you humble.
“Even when I come spar with some of my buddies and I think, I’ve got this, I’ll get too cocky and they’ll tune me in,” said Odnokon.
Kopas says the rules of respect, teamwork and sportsmanship will serve these athletes in competition and in life.
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