It’s Deontay Wilder day in Columbus.
Twenty years ago, such an event may have sparked more excitement. Forty years ago, it might have shut down town.
Boxing is not what it used to be in the U.S., but it can still capture our imaginations.
When Wilder, the WBC World Heavyweight Champion, visits Columbus today, it will be a big deal. He will be presented keys to the city by Mayor Robert Smith. Student-athletes from Columbus Municipal School District and surrounding counties will hear him speak. They will also see a demonstration in boxing training.
Oliver Miller hopes they will like what they see.
The 59-year-old runs Miller’s Boxing and Taekwondo Gym in Columbus. A former state Golden Gloves champion and world champion kickboxer, Miller has been in boxing and martial arts for more than 40 years. Miller trains 10 fighters — amateur and pro, male and female — at his College Street gym. His youngest fighters are brothers ages 9 and 13. But getting kids to come out today isn’t easy.
“It’s nothing like it used to be, man,” Miller said. “I mean like zero.”
Boxing suffers while combat sports rise
Still, he said there are kids who like to box.
To box in the U.S., athletes must be registered through U.S.A. Boxing. It is $80 to register. Sanctioned bouts begin for children at 8 years old. Currently there are 38,314 registered members with U.S.A. Boxing, according to spokesperson Julie Goldsticker. Just 14,029 of them are under 18.
Miller offers training in boxing, Taekwondo and karate for children. Youth participation numbers, he said, have been down in recent years, something he attributes to a combination of the economy and kids being less interested in receiving training. Miller charges $55 a month for lessons twice a week.
While local boxers are becoming harder to find, local combat sport participants have increased. Mixed Martial Arts took the country by storm in the 2000s, and local gyms opened to feed appetites for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai and kick-boxing, three disciplines featured prominently in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Jae McIntosh, 25, opened No-Limit Jiu-Jitsu in Starkville the week after he graduated from Mississippi State University in 2012. He said jiu-jitsu is appealing because it allows intelligence and leverage to beat size and speed.
“I grew up loving boxing, but it’s so one dimensional, it’s boring,” McIntosh said. “Times have changed.”
McIntosh said about 20 kids, ages 5 to 13, train with No Limit. They have teenagers and good participation from MSU students, as well. The gym is a carry-over from McIntosh’s time as jiu-jitsu club president at MSU. He said jiu-jitsu is not a trend, but rather has been steadily experiencing growth in the U.S. for years. It is a close knit community, he said, one where fighters can trace their lineage in the sport through renowned trainers. The sport is one of knowledge, leverage and experience. McIntosh, who played football at MSU and has an extensive martial arts background, said he has been beaten by a woman and 62-year-old man.
Jessica Dobbs is an instructor at No Limit. She said their students range from 5 to 54 years old, and that the gym has good participation from female trainees. She sees the demand for jiu-jitsu rising.
“With the popularity of the UFC, the fact that it is very much real and you see the results 100 percent I think people will continue to train,” Dobbs said.
She said parents are positive about kids practicing jiu-jitsu, and that their children benefit from being in the discipline.
Boxing takes time
In his boxing and Taekwondo gym, Miller has realized the inevitable rise of jiu-jitsu. He recently began offering jiu-jitsu training at his gym.
Still, Miller said it is best to start young children with basic boxing and karate. He starts training children as young as 4. The problem with bringing teenagers into boxing, he said, is it lacks the immediate excitement teens anticipate.
“When they come into the gym, they think they’re going to fight right away, but they are so far from fighting,” Miller said.
He is hopeful the demonstration his fighters will put on Thursday combined with the excitement of a heavyweight champ in Columbus will lead to more kids putting on the gloves.
Golden Gloves seeing uptick
Miller won the Mississippi Golden Gloves competition in 1978. The competition is still held, but the numbers and popularity had been in decline.
Keith Hughes, owner and head trainer of Ocean Springs Boxing Club on the coast, has been changing that. Hughes took over the state Golden Gloves competition in 2010, and it has been growing ever since.
“It’s been a decline over the years, but we’ve had a bit of a comeback in the last few years,” Hughes said.
In 2010, there were 14 fights at the state Golden Gloves competition. This month, the 2015 contest had 50 bouts. Hughes said he is going to need more than one night in the coming years to fit in all the fights.
“It’s getting bigger and bigger, and we’ll probably have to have a two- or three-day tournament next year,” he said.
Hughes has been a professional fighter, referee, trainer and judge. Hughes has refereed Wilder, he has judged Floyd Mayweather. He trains four professionals and 20-25 amateurs from the Biloxi area. Between the coaching eras of Hughes and his father, Ocean Springs has trained four national champions.
Hughes said Wilder is a good role model, and a good fighter to help bring boxing back into the minds of mainstream America. With an 85 inch reach and knockout power, Wilder should be around for a while.
Hughes said kids still come out to box, but it requires both talent and heart.
“If five kids come out to boxing class, one will stay to box and compete,” Hughes said.
For trainers, especially with children, the primary concern is safety.
“If I stop a fight too early, I don’t care,” Hughes said.
He would rather somebody be upset with him than hurt.
Hughes said the UFC has hit boxing hard, but he believes the sport has plateaued. He thinks the upcoming fight between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, the fight with the highest payday in history, and emergence of American stars such as Wilder can help keep boxing in the fight.
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