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Crown Boxing Club's 'Fight Night' showcased up-and-coming talent

November 5, 2018

Prudden Street Gym in Lansing, Mich., in association with Crown Boxing Club (CBC), hosted Capital City Fight Night this past Friday. The event was a fundraiser for Crown Boxing Club in its mission to "help underprivileged and impoverished kids in the area," said announcer Tricia Easley. 

The boxing ring was the center of attention as tables filled with spectators surrounded it. Catchy rap songs blasted throughout the gym as everyone was getting ready to watch the event. The event held 10 bouts, with a corner for each team; red for the visitors and blue for Crown Boxing Club members.  Nine of the bouts consisted of men, while one was a female matchup. 

Before any bouts began, boxing judge Domingo Ledesma said when judging he looks for “quality blows that are clean and effective, as well as tactical technique.” He also said the rule book describes that a good blow must use the whole arm including the shoulder. 

Joe Boxing's (JB) Brett Bray, who was in the first bout of the event, said he was “excited” about his bout, as it was his “second or third year of boxing.” 

JB fighter Matt Monday, who has been boxing for a year, said he was “excited” for the night and said for younger boxers just starting out: “Don’t quit, keep going.”

Gage Shepard from CBC, who competed in bout No. 2, said he felt “pretty good but a bit nervous” about his bout. He said he tried to clear his mind and "think about boxing.” 

Reagan McCaw from CBC was entering his first fight with about “three weeks of training.” He was interested in Michigan State’s Greek Fight Night and began his boxing training upon hearing about it.

Maya Irigoyen from the University of Michigan fought in the sixth bout of the night, and she described where her love for the sport stemmed from.  

“My whole family was boxing, so naturally my dad got me in the ring,” Irigoyen said.

The first bout began with Bray vs. CBC’s Van Wirtz, in the 70 pound novice division. Wirtz came out victorious after the full six minutes, with the judges favoring him 2-1. 

“I feel good. I think I did pretty good,” said Bray, who was all smiles after the loss.

Bout No. 2 was between Monday and Shepard. Competing in the 152 pound intermediate novice division, Monday came through with the win 3-0 in a unanimous spread. 

The third bout pinned Clinton County Boxing’s Roberto Montiel against CBC’s Luis Lomeli in the 132 pound men’s novice division. Lomeli, who said he "felt great," after the match, received the 3-0 spread, securing his win over Montiel.

Bout No. 4, between Stone Rathbun of U-M and Ramadhani Haji of CBC, ended in the second round with the referee stopping the contest (an RSC). Rathbun prevailed over Haji in the 156 pound men’s novice division. 

“I feel great. It’s kind of weird being here as a transfer from MSU, but they converted me,” Rathbun said after his match. 

The fifth bout between JB’s Rico Eady and CBC’s Reagan McCaw ended with an RSC 12 seconds into the fight, leaving Eady victorious over McCaw in the 200-plus pound men's novice division. 

Bout No. 6 pinned U-M’s Irigoyen against CBC’s Elle Coughlin, in the 132 pound women’s novice division. Irigoyen came on top after another RSC, this time coming 25 seconds into the second round. 

Referee Ron Cunningham said the women’s bout was the hardest to stop. “She (Coughlin) would have fought till the end. She had so much heart," Cunningham said. 

Bout No. 7 was Olivet’s Frank Grayson and CBC’s Victor Ovalle in the 123 pound men’s open division. The judges ruled in favor of Grayson, 3-0, after the three rounds. 

The next bout, between U-M’s Vikram Mathew and CBC’s Javier Gasca ended with an RSC 23 seconds into the match. Gasca would win the 141 pound men's novice division fight. 

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Bout No. 9 pinned U-M’s Noah Dobos against CBC’s Timothy Collins in the 175 pound men's novice division. Collins would be victorious after an RSC in the first round. 

"I feel like the boss I am," Collins said after his match. 

The final bout finished with U-M’s Micheal Zlonkevicz defeating CBC’s Donavan Snow. An RSC was called six seconds into the second round. 

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