91 kg Bart Dear

Bart Dear is a 21 year old American from Texas. He is a one year undergraduate exchange student from the University of Notre Dame and is currently studying chemical engineering at King’s College. Bart grew up playing American football, but since starting University has switched his focus to boxing. He most looks forward to shutting up a loud and hostile crowd with his right hand.

75 kg (B) Ssegawa-Ssekintu Kiwanuka - Middleweight

Queens’ graduate Ssegawa-Ssekintu Kiwanuka is 22 years old and has started a PhD in Laser Analytics (not laser discos). SSK was an undergraduate at Jesus College, Cambridge and spent a year at MIT studying Chemical Engineering (with a Spring Break in Puerto Rico). This is the sometime DJ and opera poster boy’s first year in the ring. He hopes to emulate his childhood hero ‘Afro Thunder’ from the computer game Ready 2 Rumble, but has now realised boxing was far easier on the Nintendo 64. Not since touring South Africa with Whitgift School 1st XV as a puny 17 year-old has he been pummeled so much, but this has been for six months (thanks Chadders and Bart)! He is extremely grateful to the CUABC coaches for unlocking his true athletic potential and hopes to repay them by unloading some Light Blue dynamite in VM 103.

81 kg Tom Burlton - Light Heavyweight

The youngest member of our team tonight, Tom Burlton is 19 years old and in his first year at Cambridge reading Land Economy at St. Catherine’s College.  Born and brought up in Dorset, he left The Blandford School as a fully formed comprehensive kid, for sunny Brazil.  During his gap year, working for Sao Piuete, a local community charity, where he taught the school children English and himself Portuguese, and spent 6 months dodging gunfights and gangsters on his way to work.  A quick learner in raising hell it seems, he helped to get the St. Cat’s rugby team closed down in his first term, after a some light partying, and consequently found a home at CUABC.  We’re not sure if world financial stability is going to last should he achieve his current ambition to work in the City.

75 kg (A) Ed Chadwick - Middleweight

This is Ed’s second and final season boxing out of the CUABC corner, and is this year’s Vice-Captain.  Ed realises the collective determination and individual skill in the team and he has confidence in all of tonight’s boxers.  Previously he has toured South America with Leeds Grammar School 1st XV, playing first-team college rugby and football as well as throwing javelin for Cambridge University.  Ed has thoroughly enjoyed his boxing with CUABC, and his now familiar growl of “Come on, Lads!” towards the end of particularly painful stamina sessions has been a highlight of the gym this year.  He’s glad to have made such good friends at CUABC, and for great memories too.  He has done a super job supporting Webbie and the coaches, and he too commends everyone stepping into the ring tonight. 

67 kg Fergal McCool - Welterweight

Fergal McCool is a 4th year Engineer at Trinity Hall.  Whilst at Cambridge, Fergal has competed at running, rowing and rugby.  He decided to give boxing another go this year after competing for the University in 2007.  Then he was a reserve for VM101 at 71 kg.  Fergal has a special place in his heart for Jaffa Cakes.

71 kg Chris Webb - Light Middleweight

Chris Webb, at 22 years old, is this year’s Captain of CUABC.  He was born in High Wycombe and attended the Royal Grammar School. During his time there, he took part in rifle shooting, winning the u18 CADSAAM gold medal in 2005. Chris also represented the country at kickboxing in the same year.

Now in his 4th year studying clinical veterinary medicine at Queen’s College, Cambridge, Chris still finds the time to captain CUABC, even though he can frequently be found on the farm - it is lambing season after all.  Most notably he won the ‘Boxer of the Night’ award in the Town v Gown of ‘09, by bouncing back from the canvas, and also won his bout at the 102nd Varsity Boxing match.  Chris says he enjoys boxing at Cambridge, as it ‘pushes me to my physical limits each any every session’.

63.5 kg Brett Shanley - Light-Welterweight

Brett Shanley is the latest product of the Land Economy Sports Academy. Brett’s first two years at Cambridge saw him divide his excessive amounts of spare time between student politics and Cindies nightclub, but boxing has provided a new and exciting challenge for his final three terms. The decision to take up boxing was, in part, motivated by his growing reputation as ‘the most hated man in Cambridge’ and an increasing need to defend himself. The 2 ft 4’ fitness fanatic is looking to enhance that reputation before a wider audience by joining the banking profession upon graduation.

60 kg Jason Blick - Lightweight

Jason is 20 years old and in his second year reading history at Corpus Christi.  He went to University College School, London and has trained in various martial arts.  From the outset there was already rivalry within the family as his brother boxed for the Dark Blues in last year’s VM 102.  He has striven to improve his skills “in every way possible with the help of everyone in the club”.  Whilst the atmosphere in the gym has been a competitive one, there has been a strong bond amongst all the boxers. Jason says “Boxing for CUABC is certainly the hardest mental and physical challenge I have EVER faced.  The training, dieting and overall commitment required to succeed is unparalleled to any other sport in Cambridge.  However, IT IS WORTH IT!” .  Fortunately for CUABC, he’s looking forward to representing the club in the ring again next year.

57 kg Faisal Nasim - Featherweight

Faisal is a third year undergraduate at Jesus College, studying History and Philosophy of Science. Having come first in the year in Prelim exams, he subsequently decided to take up boxing. His academic performance then swiftly declined. Faisal speaks five languages and enjoys traveling. Eventually he plans to run a surf-board shop on Grumari beach in Rio De Janeiro but before that he wants to climb the Seven Summits and qualify as an expert base jumper and ice diver. He also forms one half of the deadly liquid funk DJ duo ‘Timone and Pumba’.