Fight Night 2012: GO HARD OR GO HOME

Saturday 12^th May was a spectacle of action and drama as the Cube hosted Southampton University Boxing Team’s biggest event to date: FIGHT NIGHT: GO HARD OR GO HOME.

Over 300 spectators were in attendance, being treated to a total of seven fights ranging from welterweight to heavyweight. The first fight saw fresher Chris Oldfield take on an adversary from JoJos gym. The new Captain was quick to assert his authority and won with the most dominant performance of the night. Second was Charlie Speechley, who faced a southpaw fighter from the infamous Samson’s gym. Following an explosive first round, both fighters came out panting in the second. Unfortunately the 75 kilo fighter had no answer and the win was given to the Samson’s fighter.

There was a great atmosphere at a packed out Cube

Third in the line-up was current Captain Pete Lord who took on Tom Dredge from JoJos. A close battle ensued, however, the boxer representing the University outboxed his opponent to take the gold medal. Next was an internal battle that saw Ken Kenyon take on Ben Triggs. With a significant weight disparity of 15 kilos separating the two fighters, the size and strength of Triggs ultimately proved too much for Kenyon. However it was clear that the smaller fighter had a bigger heart, fighting aggressively until the bell.

Triggs swings for Kenyon in a fascinating bout

Following a short interval that allowed the crowd to take advantage of the Cube’s two fully equipped bars, Light Heavyweight Charlie Murphy clashed with another fighter from Samson’s. Both men came out fighting; however, following  a slip in the second, Murphy never quite regained his composure and the victory was given to the Samson’s boxer.

Next up was the heavyweight bout between the club’s new President Adam Knight and an opponent from Samson’s who entered the ring with a 6 kilo weight advantage. After a cautious first round, the fighters began exchanging some big hits in the second. As the bell rang for the final round the atmosphere was electric, with the crowd screaming ferociously. Another big exchange brought perhaps the closest fight of the night to a close, the referee deciding to award the win to the man from Samson’s.

The final bout of the evening was another internal battle that saw Tom Lee take on Max Jenkins in a middleweight contest that had all the action of a Mayweather classic. The two boxers threw a combination of jabs and hooks that really demonstrated their skill. As the referee raised Jenkins’ hand in victory the crowd applauded both fighters for their valiant efforts. The night itself was a huge success, with an MC, DJ and some gorgeous ring girls courtesy of the University Cheerleading Squad adding a touch of glamour to the event. Next year the boys at SUABC hope to continue their success with a bigger and better event at the Cube in December.

Well done to everybody involved in the evening, and to find out more about SUABC you can join the Facebook group here.