George Elliott fitter than ever despite narrow boxing debut defeat

But on the night of Saturday, November 30, George Elliott set an unwanted record when he became the veteran's first student not to claim a win on debut.

In a close fight against Earl Woods, Elliott went the distance and lost a tight split decision. Although, in Spider's eyes, it could have gone the other way.

"Earl put in a great performance, and maybe I'm biased, but I thought we won the first and the third round," Spider said. "Enough to give him the win, in my opinion.

"I think nerves may have gotten the better of George, but I still think he did more than enough to win, as I'm sure Earl's camp thinks the same about their boy."

Though the result was not ideal for his fighter, Spider was full of praise for his opponent.

"Earl was a tough competitor, and despite George managing to draw claret from his opponents nose, he fought to the end," Spider said.

"He was clearly fitter than [Earl], who was no slouch and came to fight."

The biggest positive to come out of the bout for Elliott was his fitness level.

When he first arrived at Spider's gym, Elliott struggled to complete 15 minutes of training.

In the seven months since, his endurance has gone through the roof, and it showed during the fight.

"Despite the ferocity and intensity of the fight, George was still breathing relaxed at the end of it, a testament to his conditioning and fitness levels," Spider said.

"He was recently put through a series of tests in Canberra and was informed that he performs at elite athlete levels, which is pretty impressive."

It is these achievements which Spider is urging Elliott to keep at the forefront of his mind. Rather than focus on the result, he says, focus on the impact it has had on his life.

"Despite the loss, there are many positives he takes away from the whole experience, most importantly, a healthier lifestyle," Spider said.

"A loss pales in comparison to the benefits he has gotten from our training."

To rebound from a loss in boxing can be harder to do than in many other sports, as it has an acute physical impact as well as mental. However, Elliott quickly showed Spider that his mental fortitude is not to be questioned.

"He has informed me that he'd like to go again, but that will have to wait until next year now," Spider said.

The veteran thanked iBox for giving Elliott a spot on the card, and the other boxers at his gym for helping to prepare the 19-year-old for his debut bout.

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