Legacy is king in boxing, with pugilism often passed down through the generations.
Shepparton’s Harrington family is a prime example of such tradition, with the successful timeline of Goulburn Valley Boxing Academy (GVBA) owner and trainer Zedda only made possible by champion fighters Joe, his grandfather, and Titch, his father.
But a new chapter has been added to the Harrington story and, now, the legacy looks healthier than ever.
Zedda’s sons, young punching pair Urijah and Izaiah, took their first competitive steps in the sport earlier this month as they entered in the Boxing ACT Tournament in Canberra on June 4.
The funny thing about the Harrington legacy is, while boxing flows down the bloodlines, so does winning ― and the fourth generation fighters were quick to oblige.
Izaiah, 10, met Aston Waters from Southside NSW across three 90-second rounds, winning via unanimous points decision in his first judged bout over an opponent with two previous fights beneath his belt.
“Yeah, it was very great,” Izaiah said.
“(There were) not much (nerves), I was just zoned in for the fight.”
Fighting at 10 may seem a touch young and that’s because it technically is.
Izaiah isn’t yet permitted to fight in Victoria, NSW, Queensland or Western Australia, with only Northern Territory, Tasmania and ACT allowing exhibition bouts for those as young as 10.
Hence why the Harringtons made the 13-hour round trip to the national capital.
But that’s not the case for 12-year-old Urijah, who can take to the ring in his home state after notching his first win at the Boxing ACT Tournament.
He fought the more experienced Tristan Davies, from Crockers NSW, and only needed two rounds to get the job done as the match was awarded in the GVBA youngster’s favour by technical knockout.
“I was more worried at the start about how I would perform, but when my brother had his win, it made me feel more confident and I just went in there and performed,” Urijah said.
“I felt comfortable, because the day before we got to go in there and see how the ring was, so that was pretty good.
“I’ve done about 10 exhibitions, maybe 11, so I’ve been doing it for a fair bit and decided why not give it a shot.”
Running through the list of emotions following the win, “excitement” was atop Urijah’s list.
As for father Zedda, seeing your kids step in the competition ring for the first time could have a daunting feeling attached – but he knew his boys’ pedigree.
“The nerves were no more than they would be for any other fight really, just because I’m confident in their ability,” Zedda said.
“Izaiah fought a kid who was a fellow 10-year-old, and he was born into the sport as well. I know he had the gloves on since he was four, so I knew that was going to be a really good fight.
“They put on a really special fight, Izaiah got the unanimous decision, but they’ll probably go again.
“Urijah, I couldn’t fault his performance. His shot selection and everything like that was just superb, so it was an A+ performance from him.
“He didn’t waste anything, he got three standing eight counts on him which led to a TKO.”
The brothers follow boxing as a creed, training at least four days a week at GVBA where they trade just as many physical jabs as verbal ones.
Urijah admits their sparring sessions can get “heated”, while Izaiah believes he has enough punching power to knock his older sibling over when push comes to shove.
At their core, they are sports-mad pre-teens ― Urijah also plays footy, while Izaiah is a keen basketball player ― just like thousands of others across the Goulburn Valley.
But to Zedda, seeing his sons take an interest in his chosen code and carry on the family tradition means so much more.
“It’s bloody awesome; as soon as my career was cut short with injuries, after a while I thought I’d take up coaching,” he said.
“I’ve coached a lot of champion boxers who’ve come through the doors, but to have my own flesh and blood, it’s been great.
“Many people think because their last name is Harrington that it’s a given they will succeed in boxing.
“But the grind doesn’t come any cheaper and this is a credit to the work the boys put in, especially at the ages they are, I’m super proud of them”
“My old man isn’t here ― he passed away ― but if he could look down, which he is, and see what we’re doing here, he’d be over the moon with it.
“If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t continue the legacy or anything like that, so it’s very special.”
Zedda noted the brothers were likely to don the silks next month in Mildura, fighting under the Boxing South Australia banner on July 22.