Growing up, Donald Wonch was told he was never "going to be this, never going to do that."

But a quick look at the 37-year-old construction worker's fighting resume shows he didn't listen to the naysayers.

Wonch, who lives in Fonthill, has championship belts in kickboxing, boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA).

Earlier this month, he added a bare-knuckle boxing championship to his resume, winning the belt at a match in the Cumbria region of England.

"I went through life proving people wrong time and time again," said from his home gym - Napper's Boxing Club - Wednesday afternoon.

Wonch has been boxing, and taking part in the other combat sports, for 20 years.

"I got into it because I thought I was a tough guy. I was going down a bad path in life . going into all these gyms and messing around with all the coaches. Just not being a really good person."

It wasn't until he met Hamilton martial artist Gordie Gong that his life changed for the better.

"Gordie told me that if I stopped fighting on the streets and stopped being a menace, he'd let me learn how to fight.

"I took him up on the offer and tried to do the best I could . I became a better person. He basically saved my life."

Wonch said as he and his wife, Lenna Rossi-Wonch, looked for a better place to raise their children Donald, Domenic, Wyatt and Cheyanne. The road of life led them to Fonthill.

"I went to a couple of boxing gyms in the area, trying to find the right fit for me. Then I came to Napper's," he said.

"I found that everyone here is like family. I could bring my kids here while I trained, and people would watch over them."

It was at Napper's that he met Doug Dobias, who has been with the club for 35 years as a boxer and trainer.

"Donnie came to the club about three months or so ago. We kind of hit it off right away and had a good rapport. We know a lot of the same people in the fight game," said Dobias.

He said despite Wonch's size and appearance (he has tattoos on his body), he's a great person.

"As soon as you talk to him, you can tell he's a good guy . an old soul and hard-working family man."

Dobias said the bare-knuckle boxing fight came up in England and Wonch accepted the match.

"I've trained professional and amateur boxers, mixed martial artists and kickboxers before, but I've never trained anyone specifically for bare-knuckle fighting," Dobias said, adding he trained Toronto Maple Leafs players how to fight and get fit for five years under former coach Pat Quinn.

Always wanting to challenge himself, Wonch took the fight.

"I wanted to try something new. I'm one of those extreme people . so if there's something that comes to fighting or combat sports, I'll try it," he said.

The pair flew to England for the June 1 fight against the Bare Knuckle Boxing League champion Billy 'Bang Bang' Hawthorn. The two fought at super heavyweight, which sees fighters weigh between 265 pounds and 400 pounds.

"What I didn't know was that 'Bang Bang' wasn't just a clever nickname. The guy was a real warrior and hit like a ton of bricks. He broke my nose in the first round," said Wonch.

He said when someone punches him in the face, his first instinct is to start punching away, which is what he did.

But Dobias didn't want to see his fighter get into a brawl with the shorter Hawthorn.

"Donnie got hit with a good left hook and his first reaction was to brawl," said Dobias, adding he believed that was the only chance Hawthorn had to stay close to his taller opponent.

"I said we can't fall into his fight and told Donnie to use his height and jab. He heard me."

Wonch said he heard Dobias say, "Donny, get back, get back . stand up, stand up . use your jab."

That's exactly what Wonch did. Used his reach and jab to keep Hawthorn away.

"I dropped him four times in the fight," said Wonch, adding he set his own broken nose.

"With a broken nose, you think you want to give up. But I couldn't give up, I couldn't let down the people that care about me, and so I pushed forward."

Each round of the four-round fight lasted two minutes. Unlike boxing, fighters who are knocked down are given a 20-second count to regain themselves.

"Billy used every second of those 20 to recover and he came back very tough," said Dobias.

Wonch said Hawthorn hit him harder than anyone ever has in the fight game, and he had to stay focused and listen to his coach.

At the end of the fight, Dobias said, Wonch was handed the championship belt. It didn't go to a decision.

"They just gave it to us . it was so obvious."

While bare-knuckle boxing is in its infancy as a professional sport - it's only legal in Wyoming, Mississippi and New Hampshire in the U.S. - it has been around longer in the United Kingdom.

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It's legal there, though there is no official regulatory body governing it. It's still not legal in Canada.

"It's a throwback . the three basic sports from Day 1 were running, wrestling and fighting. It's very primitive in nature," said Dobias.

There are critics of the sport, but Dobias and Wonch both believe it will become more accepted as it grows. They think MMA and the worldwide growth of the sport, thanks to the UFC and other promotions, have helped pave the way for bare-knuckle boxing.

Dobias thinks it's a bit more exciting than MMA.

"There's nothing wrong with MMA. I've trained MMA fighters. When it goes to ground and there's all the grappling . it's not as exciting as going toe-to-toe," he said, adding he's taking nothing away from the skill needed to out-grapple an opponent and gain a submission.

Wonch said it's an entertaining, fast-paced sport. Both say when a person is hit with a bare-knuckle punch, they know it, they feel it.

They acknowledge the sport can be bloody, and bare knuckles can easily open up cuts on an opponent's face.

"Any kind of punch does damage if it lands," said Dobias, adding cuts have to be very serious for a fight to be stopped.

Wonch said he or Dobias could have stopped the fight at any time if either felt an injury was too much.

"There was a really good doctor at ringside who said if he felt either fighter was in any danger, he would stop the fight instantly," said Wonch, adding fighters have to keep their hands up and chin down.

"The thing with bare-knuckle boxing is some people are head hunters, so you're going to show damage more," he said.

Dobias said smart bare-knuckle fighters will tuck in their chins and give their opponents the top of their head, which is almost a guaranteed knuckle breaker if hit.

"You have to adjust somewhat from boxing style . be aware of that and come in with more uppercuts," he said.

The trainer added he and Wonch may have butted heads a few times in preparing for the fight.

"Donnie can be stubborn, but that's part of being a good fighter, too. To be a good fighter you have to believe in yourself. But if you gain a fighter's trust, then they'll die for you and you'll die for them," said Dobias, adding the two work well together.

Wonch will head back to England in early August to defend his title in the Cumbrian town of Carlisle.

"It was an honour to go there, meet the people, fight their champion and become their champion," said Wonch.

Asked why he fights at all, he said, "I fight because I like too. Some people fight because they have too. I don't drink or anything like that, and I think fighting puts me on a little bit of a high.

"I want to show people that if I can do this, anyone can do this. I want everyone to do what they believe in and do what they love. Live your dream and do whatever it is that makes you happy," he said.

Wonch said he couldn't fight without the support of his wife and children, Dobias, Napper's and its owner and members.

"I have to thank everyone that's helped me."

Nathaniel.Johnson@niagaradailies.com

905-684-7251 | @DaveJTheTrib