Boxing coach Mitch Overlie, with paper, introduces the boxers as auctioneer Ted Guazzini, in hat, looks on. The Night of Boxing returns tonight at 5 p.m. at the Gym at Venturacci Park.
It is the same great action, just at a different location.
The Night of Boxing featuring high school boxers squaring off will now make its home at the Gym at Venturacci Park.
Doors open today (Friday) at 5 p.m. with the VIP dinner beginning at 6 p.m. and the fights to follow. Admission is $10 and the proceeds benefit the Fallon high school wrestling program.
The event, meanwhile, is organized by the Greenwave Takedown booster club. However, one big bonus for the club is the city of Fallon donated the ring, which usually costs more than $1,000 for the boosters to rent.
“It’s going to be tight,” booster club member Rob Goings said. “It will seat almost 800. It’s basically the same, just different location. The city is very excited.”
In addition to the new locale, another twist has been added in the form of faux sumo wrestling. Two bouts will take center stage during intermission as four students will don the big, fluffy suits and do battle.
The sumo portion of the night was added due to an initial low turnout of boxers. Once the students flocked to practice, however, the booster club opted to keep the sumo wrestling as a light break.
Of course, the official kick-off to the fights was Tuesday at the Elks Lodge where the annual auction was held for local businesses and individuals to bid on fighters.
Auctioneer Ted Guazzini got the crowd in a bidding mood as fighters ranged from $150 to about $300.
Those in attendance were treated to a lasagna dinner with drinks and dessert, while being able to view each boxer.
“Our average was above last year,” Goings said of the auction. “When you have a true auctioneer, you get out of here fast. We had a lot of support this year and hopefully we sell our tables and the public comes out.”
As for the fights, 16 bouts are on the slate with two co-main events. In the girls division, Katelynn White and Brianne Richard take center stage, while the boys main event features True Hanley against Bryson Abe.
In addition, other featured fights include Fidel Enriquez against Sam Goings, Trae Workman versus Beau Arrive and Tucker Stritenberger against Conner McGowan.
For the past three weeks, many of the boxers worked with coaches Mitch Overlie and Dan Shaw to work on their jabs, uppercuts and footwork. The bouts consist of three, 1-minute rounds.
The coaches, meanwhile, rank the boxers based on skill and experience to determine who gets top billing.
“We watch them spar,” Overlie said. “We can see who is taking the teaching and getting a feel for it. It’s usually the kids who’ve boxed before.”
White, meanwhile, continues the family tradition of boxing in the annual event. She will be joined by her brother, Terry, while her older brother Robert White participated several times before he graduated last year.
Katelynn White, though, faces a tough test in Richard. White is in her third year and said she will use her experience to gain the advantage.
“My opponent is very lengthy compared to me,” she said. “She gets a lot of head shots so I have to go to the body. If I win, it’s because of my speed. I am actually going to use a lot more technique this time.”