Local boxing club inviting you to ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ this Saturday
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IDAHO FALLS – Members of a local boxing club will be pulling out their gloves and duking it out in the ring for a competition in Idaho Falls this Saturday.
Razor’s Edge Boxing Club is a nonprofit organization that’s provided an outlet for at-risk youth since 2006. The club is also affiliated with USA Boxing and some members of the club train to compete at the regional, state and national level. Locals can watch these athletes compete this weekend and see what the club is all about during “Rumble in the Jungle.”
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“The shows we go to compete at, basically we’re hosting one,” Club President and Head Coach Holly Gregson tells EastIdahoNews.com. “This allows our boxers to compete (in their) hometown, instead of having to travel out of state, and get more of their own friends and family to attend than if we were to drive four or five hours away. That’s the big benefit of doing (this show).”
The club currently has between 20 and 40 members, but six of them will face-off with members of other boxing clubs from Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, California and other states.
A total of 54 athletes will spar in one of the 27 rounds that night in hopes of winning the belt in their division. Each fight will last three rounds. The event will culminate with the “Fight of the Night,” featuring 4-time state champion Jonathan Garcia.
“My fights are always — both guys end up bloody. We pretty much just go to war,” Garcia says. “With other sports, you have to depend on a team. Boxing is just on your own. That’s what I like about it.”
Garcia is 23, but he’s been boxing since he was 10. He’s excited to face-off with his opponent, Austin Bronco, of Fort Hall, for the first time in four months.
“This is a second fight. I’m pretty confident in this one,” Garcia says.
Though athletes from other states will attend, Gregson says Saturday’s event is different than a tournament. Rather than preparing athletes to move on to the next level of competition, this is a chance for other clubs to get to know each other and test their skills in what’s considered a practice competition.
“It’s still a competition, but we all work together so that when we go fight out of state, our little home circuit is designed to get them ready (for tournaments),” says Gregson.
The other benefit of hosting one of these shows, Gregson says, is the ability to raise funds. Gregson is hoping to use the proceeds from Saturday’s show to host several other events before purchasing a new ring for the club to train in.
The name of Saturday’s competition — “Rumble in the Jungle,” — is inspired by the famous fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Kinsasha, Zaire on Oct. 30, 1974. The show will take place inside the Joe Marmo/Wayne Lehto Ice Arena next to the Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park. Given the location and the time of year, Gregson felt the name “Rumble in the Jungle” was appropriate.
“We decided that would be a fun name to pay homage to that classic fight because we’re having it in August. It’s going to be hot and we’re right there amongst all the animals at the zoo,” she says.
“Rumble in the Jungle” begins at 6 p.m. Saturday. Doors open at 5 p.m. The cost of admission is $12. Students are $7 and children four and under are free. Tickets can be purchased at the door.
Casa de Ochoa, a Mexican restaurant in Rexburg, is catering the event, and a Beer Garden will be available for the adult crowd. There will also be other snacks and concessions available for purchase.
“We want people to understand what it is they’re coming to look at. There are going to be kids boxing and there will be a few bloody noses, but it is a family-friendly environment,” Gregson says.
If you’re interested in learning about Razor’s Edge Boxing Club or this event, you can visit the group’s website or Facebook page.