K.O. or N.O. – Will you be Edinburgh fight night’s next champion?

As the bitter Edinburgh winter slowly depletes, the Meadows are not the only thing Edinburgh students are flocking to. The student fight night has been the social event of the season for years now, and I have only had the pleasure of attending twice.

In November I attended the night to support a friend competing, but I couldn’t help but wonder really how challenging it is? They made it look so easy, surely it isn’t that hard, right?

However, in the new year, my flatmate Tamsin, took the plunge and signed herself up for the March fight night. Watching the preparation in such close proximity has dashed my hopes of it being a simple task, here’s what she told me.

I began with the obvious, how does it impact your uni schedule (and more importantly, social life)?

Tamsin, a UoE third year in sports science, shared with me that due to the training taking place four times a week – and typically in the afternoon – left her feeling like it was a “difficult thing to balance”.

She even told me that she wished she had “done it sooner, because it would’ve been a lighter workload” in first or second year.

Tamsin also detailed that lots of people go sober for weeks or even months before the event as being hungover for training would be tortuous, and that healthy, clean eating tends to be a topic of conversation amongst the fighters.

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When asked if she intends to continue these habits after the event, she agreed, telling me that she can “feel the benefit of having more energy” – however, she did reassure me that she will break the sobriety to “properly celebrate”.

At this point it’s pretty obvious to me that I don’t have the discipline to be a boxer, although Tamsin does promise that there are tremendous upsides to what sounds like an life-consuming experience.

She told me that it’s “like nothing I’ve ever done before” and despite a “different, more intense vibe” at training after everyone found out who they were fighting, she has made a great circle of friends who intend to keep in touch.

On Sunday March 22nd, the night was finally upon us, and as Tamsin walked to the ring while we all cheered for her I couldn’t be more proud. Although when the punches started flying, I made up my mind that spectating was as close to the ring as I’m willing to get.

She was successful in her fight but tells me that it doesn’t matter whether you win or lose as the experience is worth it either way.

Despite the bruises and the black eyes, she still recommended fight night to anyone willing to commit to giving it their all – or you could be like me and get your flatmate to do it so you can live vicariously through them while dressed up on the sidelines.