For Harvard University gymnasium, red gloves dey fly, sweat dey pour as students dey show their boxing skills for Fight Night event. The atmosphere na electric, with spectators wey dey shout encouragement for every jab and dodge wey dey happen inside the ring.
Harvard Boxing Club President Aram Bagdasarian ’27 dey oversee the matches, and e dey clear say the sport don find new life for campus. “We get people from all schools around, from all kinds of backgrounds, from all different types of different countries coming,” Bagdasarian yarn. “And I think that’s what makes our Club really beautiful.”
The tradition of boxing for Harvard don dey since 1857, with former U.S. Presidents John F. Kennedy ’40 and Theodore Roosevelt, class of 1880, both involved for the sport. Training even become mandatory for students during World War II. But interest don fluctuate over the years.
Head Coach Joe Lake, wey get 35 years experience training professional fighters like world champions Sam Soloman, Dan Rosenblatt, and Mickey Ward, as well as Joe Rogan, dey lead the club revival. E become head coach for 2024, but e don dey for Harvard as wrestling team striking coach since before.
“Kids want to do something hard,” Lake talk about the renewed interest. “So they want to try boxing.” E add say boxing teach lessons wey go follow students beyond the ring, make dem dey fearless for life.
For this year Fight Night, Harvard Divinity School student Jiamin Li dey participate for her first ever boxing match. She talk say she “came to the team and found it to be a very welcoming environment of people from all experience levels.” Her friend Hank Young, also from Divinity School, dey showcase skills too.
The club dey attract both beginners and experienced fighters. Bagdasarian wey compete for national boxing team for Armenia dey talk about “the discipline that it requires, and the amount of action and full work and brain that you have to put into the fight itself to actually succeed.”
Amari Urquhart ’27 say the Boxing Club help am tap back into his childhood passion for martial arts wey e lose during pandemic. “It was a great way for me to stay fit but get also involved with a new community,” e explain.
For the matches themselves, fighters dey express their individuality through personalized intro songs. Jiamin Li choose 360 by Charli xcx. The emcee dey introduce boxers with their chosen nicknames — from “The Ace” to “Unemployed But Needs The Money.”
As the night dey progress, crowd energy dey shift from uncertainty to full participation, with people dey shout encouragement for every punch wey dey land. When matches dey end, fighters dey hug their teammates and dey shake hands with Coach Lake.
“We’re only going to get better,” Lake talk after the event. “And I can see the enthusiasm around the University.” E conclude with confidence: “Harvard University’s Boxing Club is back.”
The club no dey currently participate for National Collegiate Boxing Association competitions, but under Coach Lake leadership, dem dey gear up to eventually join. This revival dey happen alongside intercollegiate boxing resurgence generally.
For Harvard Law School student Rafael Santa Maria and Babson College’s Lenny Castillo wey dey fight for the final match, the experience dey represent more than just physical competition. As Lake put am, students go remember these matches for difficult moments down the line, as proof of wetin dem fit do.
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