Wyatt Sanford wants to be one out of 500, as he comes from Kennetcook, Nova Scotia, Canada, which has a population of just that.
Sanford returns for the fourth time in 2025 on Thursday, facing Semjon Kamanin in a six-round junior welterweight at the Montreal Casino in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Sanford, 3-0 (2 KOs), is a 2024 Canadian Olympic bronze medalist. He also grew up commuting from his hometown to gyms in neighboring cities. Sanford began with Citadel Boxing with Taylor and Wayne Gordon. It was a 45-minute drive from the gym to his home, one way. Taylor coached five Olympic Games, and Wayne had fought in the Olympics and coached in three as well.
“We are small, but mighty,” Sanford told BoxingScene. “Especially me, being from Kennetcook, we have a population of 500 people. So going out and trying to achieve and be successful is a little bit more difficult.”
“You can’t say inside the community you have to travel and get that experience, and I was blessed with great parents willing and able to do that,” Sanford said. “That is one of those things that small-town people don’t always have the opportunity to reach that next goal.”
Sanford grew up in the community of Kennetcook, knowing everyone’s name and the car they drove. When he made it to the Olympic Games, his local community supported him back home.
“The community is so together, and they always unite,” Sanford said. “They hosted my fights when I fought at the Paris Olympics at local ball fields.”
Sanford, 26, believes Nova Scotia is a big-time fight region.
“I know the people in Nova Scotia love fights,” Sanford said. “If you have been to a Ryan Rozicki card, the fans absolutely love him.”
Sanford faces Kamanin, 5-3 (3 KOs), a 24-year-old from Narva, Estonia. Kamanin enters on a two-fight losing streak, but has never been stopped. Sanford is hoping to change that.
“He has got a few different styles,” Sanford said. “I want to get ahead early and see if I can stop it within six rounds."
