The Bengal Bouts, a tradition unlike any other

by Jimmy , Chitown, Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 11:52 (6252 days ago)

Let Jim Nantz' voice echo in your head. It's almost time for Augusta. But this is a boxing post.

For all the Irish alums on this forum, I'm sure you have fond memories of friends and guys from your dorm (or you, yourself) boxing in the Bengal Bouts. They (you) may have joined as a lark one year and gotten pasted in the first round. Or they (you) may have taken to the sport, learned the sweet science, and basked in the basketball arena's lights on Finals night. Domers know how cool and one-of-a-kind the tournament is, while the subway alum network can't believe something like this exists, an outlet that truly exemplifies amateur boxing. I've had the privilege and pleasure of serving as coach/administrator for the boxing team the last three years and the rewards from the experience are immeasurable. I'd call it the spring semester equivalent to the grand tradition of the football gameday experience.

If it weren't for Rockne, the boxing program wouldn't have started in the early 1920s. He considered boxing the best way for his players to stay in shape and make them mentally tough. Rock would be impressed at how the program has grown over the years, though probably a bit miffed that football players aren't allowed to compete anymore. Gone are the days of legendary heavyweight battles, like 1976 when Ross Browner and Ken MacAfee went toe-to-toe in front of a screaming crowd of 10,000.

The 2009 Bouts started this past Sunday. Of the 185 boxers in the tournament who trained four months for their moment in the ring, three minutes and forty-five seconds later, the dream was over for half of them. Quite the sacrifice for such a short moment, but the journey is much more rewarding than the destination. The quarterfinals are tonight. For those that want to track the Bouts or read up on the boxing team a little, check out: http://bengalbouts.nd.edu/mainhome.html

The last couple years, und.com has streamed the Finals live, which will be Feb. 28th at 7pm EST. If you live in town, you should be at the Joyce Fieldhouse supporting the boxers and the Holy Cross Missions in Bangladesh, to which all proceeds are donated. It's pretty remarkable how far a $50-$100K donation goes in helping these impoverished people.

There's even current work being done on a feature documentary film that follows the first Irish boxers who made the trip to Bangladesh last summer, along with plenty of boxing footage and other stuff. Check out strongbodiesfight.org for more information.

I'd love to hear any and all personal accounts on boxing stories from your days under the Dome. Fire away.