Colin Adams's ticket to the Canada Winter Games has already been punched; now it's just a matter of punching a few more opponents before the event gets underway at Halifax in February.

The Cranbrook Eagles boxer defeated the Alberta champ at a Nov. 19 event in Medicine Hat. It was just his first bout since a season-opening meet late October in Kelowna.

He was acclaimed as B.C.'s 52-kg champ, and didn't even get an exhibition match at provincials in Vancouver.

Adams said it was nice to get that most recent bout, against Alberta champ Jace Lundy.

"It felt good, because the last time I drove to Vancouver and I didn't even get to fight," lamented Adams.

The bout at the seventh annual Ev Nieman Memorial boxing card went the distance. The only difficulty Adams faced was with about 10 seconds remaining in the opening round, when he stumbled.

"When I did that, my hands came down and he caught me with a right (hand) and a left hook. It kind of fazed me," said Adams.

He shook that off, settled into strong defence and counterpunching for a pretty convincing win.

"I definitely expected a little more from the Alberta champ, but I guess he wasn't in very good shape and I was," said Adams, who, with 17, had about half as many bouts as Lundy.

It was Adams's first taste of three-minute rounds, and Eagles' coach Bill Watson concurred that fitness was probably the difference in the fight.

"He was ahead after two rounds. We expected his opponent to come out strong in the third round, and he never did because he didn't have the gas and Colin still had lots left in the tank," said Watson.

He said Adams has made strides with every fight.

"On our way home, I said, 'You guys could watch that fight over and over again; don't look at what you did right, look at what you can improve on. Look at what it's going to take to beat the Canadian champion.' He knows what we have to work on."

Ryan Lindsay also fought in Medicine Hat, taking on Josh Bond out of Diamondback, Alta.

The young fighter earned the win; although Lindsay's defence has improved, Watson said there's still some room for growth there.

"Ryan always seems to make a brawl out of it. We're trying to make him a better defensive boxer," said the coach. "He's going to be a good all-around boxer once we're done with him."

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For Adams, the Medicine Hat card could very well be the last bout he gets in before flying out to the Maritimes.

The Eagles will be going to a Bronze Gloves tournament in Edmonton in early January, and a Silver Gloves card in Lethbridge in February. Unfortunately for Adams, you can have up to six and 10 fights respectively to take part in those events.

"Unless I can make a match bout for him, it's going to be tough to get him another bout," said Watson. "Mind you, the phone could always ring from other clubs putting on club shows and they may want Colin on the card. We are keeping our fingers crossed. It would be nice for him to get one or two more bouts before then."

When Adams does make that trip to Halifax, he will be doing so alongside Watson, who is on the provincial team's coaching staff.

Watson put his name in for consideration about a year ago, and got his Level 3 coaching certification in time to be assistant to Kelowna's Dave Habib.

Habib has hosted a pair of Winter Games training camps, and there figures to be another small one before the team departs for Halifax.

Adams is happy to have a familiar person in his corner.

"I think it's pretty cool because he's my own coach, and he'll be there with me. It's going to be a good time," he said.

"That's why my name was put in for coach," said Watson. "I wanted to be part of this with Colin. I've been with Colin the last few years and we've come a long ways. To have this opportunity to coach him at the national level is pretty special for me.

"This is not only the youth Canada Winter Games for boxing, it's also the Canadian national championships, so he could possibly come back as a double champion."