Boxers aim to knock out cancer in annual charity fight

Senior Bryan Campos can be found at the local boxing club working on his skills and striving to get better. After having surgery on both shoulders, he traded in his USD football shoulder pads for boxing gloves.

“I was looking for something to do as far as physical activity that actually had a goal at the end of it, instead of just working out to work out,” Campos said. “This definitely fit for what I was looking for.”

Campos will be one of thirty boxers participating in the annual Tau Kappa Epsilon Fight Night March 26 starting at 7 p.m. to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The event will be held at the Vermillion Armory.

“It’s a fantastic workout and at the same time we can raise a lot of money for kids that way,” Campos said. “It seemed like the best of both worlds.”

Campos said he leaves training barely able to lift his arms up.

“I was never into boxing before I saw this and decided it was something I wanted to try,” Campos said. “It’s been a while since I’ve learned something entirely new. Building everything from scratch has been a fun experience.”

This past weekend, Campos participated in the Golden Gloves Tournament in Omaha, Neb.

“I did not do very well, because I was matched against a guy who has been fighting for four years. He took me to the cleaners, but it was good practice,” Campos said.

Senior Anthony Gosch is the philanthropy chair for TKE and said he enjoys the uniqueness of Fight Night.

“It’s always been popular. It’s a very different way to raise money for charity. This provides both entertainment and charity,” Gosch said.

The money that will be donated is raised through ticket sales, sponsorships and donations.

“Tickets are $10 for general admission and $15 for VIP tickets,” Gosch said.

Those who purchase VIP tickets will get ringside tickets as well as a free meal from Heck’s Dakota Style BBQ.

Last year, TKE Fight Night raised $3,600, and this year’s goal is set at $4,000 Gosch said.

It is required that each fighter attend at least two training sessions to prepare for the event. They receive training from boxing coach Jody Harnois.

Harnois started the event in 1984 and said he volunteers his time because he wants to share with others what boxing has done in his life.

“My experiences changed me,” Harnois said. “It gave me confidence.”

Harnois said there are valuable lessons to be learned through boxing and being a part of this event is a way for him to remember loved ones lost to cancer while giving back to the community.

Senior Jackson Yates will also be taking part in the event as one of the fighters and has been able to attend two training sessions; however, Yates said he has no previous experience fighting.

“I’m going into this one cold turkey,” Yates said. “I’ve kind of been psyching myself out for it, too. If I go in there with a calm mind maybe I’ll do better.”

Yates said the training has been beneficial in preparing him for the fight.

“The actual training is awesome. I’m a guy that likes working out,” Yates said. “I leave that place sweating my butt off.”

Yates is a member of the fraternity Phi Kappa Theta, but has friends in TKE who encouraged him to fight.

“Going to the fights, it’s a good time. It’s just a couple of guys beating up on each other,” Yates said. “It’s the basic form of entertainment and on top of that, too, it’s a good cause.”

Even though Campos took a beating at the tournament in Omaha, he isn’t too worried about having to fight at the event.

“Mostly I’m just hoping we get enough people to show up so we can actually make a sizable donation,” Campos said. “That’s my biggest concern here, is getting people in the door to make a difference.”

(Photo: Boxers practice for the upcoming TKE Fight Night March 24 at the Coyote Combat Gym. Malachi Petersen / The Volante)