NJ, NY Boxers Score Knockout Wins In Greenland

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A team of standout pugilists from New Jersey and New York made a trailblazing appearance in Greenland last weekend – and thrilled the crowd with some knockout wins.

Sebastian Mazeneth, 21, of Brooklyn, N.Y., Carlos Lizardo, 25, of Newark, N.J., Joshua Rodriguez, 18, of Staten Island, N.Y., Corina Shirk-Harris, 17, of Atlantic City, N.J. and Nolan Hill, 34, of Edgewater, N.J. all scored dominant knockout wins during their matches at Godthabhallen in the capital city of Nuuk on May 4.

Meanwhile, Andriy Lishchuk, 15, of Linden, N.J., Quamaine Futrell, 27, of Hillside, N.J. and Timothy Hardy, 19, of Neptune, N.J. lost competitive decisions, but put up inspiring performances.

According to their trainers, the boxers were the first American team to ever compete in Greenland.

Meanwhile, seven of the Greenland boxers hail from Fight Club Nanoq, the only boxing gym in the sparsely populated autonomous territory, while the eighth boxer is from Denmark.

The event brought out several hundred fans, including Peter Velasco of the United States’ Consulate in Nuuk. It was the first international bout for all of the American boxers, as they got to listen to their national anthem performed for them in the ring before the fights.

After the fight, the boxers visited Fight Club Nanoq for a joint training session, sharing their boxing knowledge with their hosts.

The team was led by trainers Ryan Songalia and Percy Gayanilo, with trainer Jacklyn Atkins accompanying her boxers, Shirk-Harris and Hardy.

“We couldn’t be prouder of the boxers for stepping up to the plate in their opponents’ home country and performing to the best of their abilities,” said Songalia, who organized the event with Fight Club Nanoq owner/trainer Mahmoud Minaei.

“We are grateful for the hospitality here in Greenland and hope that our visit helps spark more interest and opportunities for the local boxing scene,” Songalia added. “The boxers in Greenland are true warriors, they just need more experience. The only way to get better is to box better opponents, so we applaud how they chase greatness.”

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