If you live in Plant City, you’re probably aware that this is a very good town for youth and amateur sports. There’s nearly always something going on that’s worth watching.
But now that boxing shows are becoming a regular occurrence here, I think it’s safe to say that there are few local sports that are as
consistently exciting to watch.
I’m not here to talk smack about sports that are slower-paced and more visibly methodical than amateur boxing. Those sports offer different kinds of thrills with different buildup, and their finest moments are as fun to watch as anything else out there. And I’m also not suggesting it tops football, which is undefeated in small-town America.
Longtime readers of my column know that I enjoy boxing more than most sports — and there’s a reason. Based on what I’ve seen, I have yet to walk away disappointed from a Plant City Boxing Gym show.
I chalk it up to the fighters’ hunger, especially so for the older ones. These men and women are (literally) scrapping to carve out a career for themselves in a sport with some of the world’s highest purses, but have a long way to go to get there. You can see it in the way they carry themselves in the ring. They’ve got three rounds, one or two minutes apiece, to make their impression felt. There’s not enough time to take a few rounds to conserve energy, as in a full-length, professional bout, so many fighters want to throw knockout-caliber combos as soon as possible.
One of the knockouts from the Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016, showcase even went viral on social media. The KO sequence from the Ahmad Jones-Nicholas Riley fight, in which Jones froze Riley with a two-piece to the face and sent him to the mat with another quick combo, got picked up by 120 Sports and is still being shared.
I haven’t seen any videos from this weekend’s showcase go viral yet, but there were several moments that could get some good Facebook traffic.
I also wish Jones, who fought in the gym’s first two showcases, was on the card for the latest one, as he has ridiculous power.
If you enjoy boxing, whether it’s as much as I do or not, these showcases are definitely worth checking out. The gym is located at 607 Hitchcock St., #103, in Plant City.