No boxer epitomised the Teachers Rugby Fight Night’s ‘Relentless’ theme more than Canada’s Nick Hoover, who claimed a unanimous points victory over Bermuda’s Andre Lambe at the Berkeley Institute Gym on Saturday night.

Hoover, of the Fifth Round Martial Arts and Training Academy in Ontario, tormented Lambe, of Forty Rego’s Gym (FRG), throughout a tenacious three rounds with a non-stop barrage of menacing punches.

Primarily a muay thai fighter, Hoover might not have been the prettiest to watch but his aggressive, confrontational style proved ever-so effective, with Lambe unable to shake-off or even stall his unyielding opponent.

Lambe, who was searching for his first victory after losing in his debut at last year’s Fight Night, started brightly enough, using his piston-like jab to good effect during a close-fought opening round.

However, Hoover’s work-rate increased noticeably, starting the second at a ferocious pace that never relented and seemed to unsettle Lambe, a pure boxer, with his unorthodox, bully-boy methods of fighting. Firing constant one-two combinations to his opponent’s head, Hoover stalked Lambe down before pinning him against the ropes for much of the remainder of the bout, forcing the 17-year-old Bermudian to adopt self-preservation tactics.

The braided-haired Canadian, also 17, was making his amateur boxing debut and admitted that his “pressure, pressure, pressure” game plan had more than made up for any boxing deficiencies that he might have had.

“I’m a muay thai fighter so basically my head movement is very different from that of a boxer.” Hoover said. “I never dip my head or I’m going to get kneed in my face or kicked in the head.

“Muay thai is my love and this might be my last boxing fight. I think that it was mainly my conditioning that helped me win the fight.

“[Lambe] showed me he had a quicker jab and he is a little taller than me, but I just worked off his jab, and it happened to work out, I guess.”

Coleman Mills, of FRG, and Justin Tucker, of Controversy Boxing Gym (CBG), thrilled the appreciative crowd in the Fight of the Night.

Both boxers received standing eight counts during the brutal bout, and although Tucker stunned his opponent with a pair of right hooks in the second, he was floored by Mills midway through the third with a stinging straight right.

“In the second round [Justin] caught me with a few good shots and every time I gained my composure he seemed to catch me again,” said Mills, who claimed the Fighter of Night award.

“But, my corner kept telling me that I had to let the right go and that’s what ended the fight.”

Corey Boyce, of the Bermuda Karate Institute (BKI), defeated Shannon Ford, of the Bermuda Sanshou Association (BSA), with a devastating straight cross in the third round that left his opponent motionless on the canvass.

“It was a tough fight and he rocked me pretty clean in the second round but I managed to shake it off,” said Boyce, a Bermuda rugby sevens player.

“We were trading blows and I think I caught him with his guard down with a punch straight down the middle.” Kaelin Cox, beat Anthony Williams, of CBG, by a split decision in the opening bout of the night, while Jason Lowe, of the BSA, stopped Neil Templeman, of CBG, at the end of the first round after three standing eight counts.

Adam Chevis, of BSA, was victorious against Zubair Hasan, of CBG, who was pulled out of the fight at the end of the first round.

Callon Burns, of CBG, took on Matthew Tannock, of FRG, in an exhibition match after both their opponents, Mark Prior, of BKI, and Tyler Christopher, of CBG, withdrew from their bouts. Tannock stopped Burns with a powerful right hand in the second round.

Tannock, a firefighter who harbours aspirations of turning professional, said he had spent six years honing his ringcraft but had never previously fought in an amateur bout.

“I need some more amateur fights because I would like to go professional one day, that’s always been my dream,” said the 22-year-old.

“Nikki Bascome [the Bermuda professional] helps train me and I would like to follow in his footsteps.”