Fighting for the Community, by the Community

By Michael Dobuski 

The overhead lights are harsh, beating down on the two men as they eyed each other from across the ring. Their exact location is a secret. The only indication as to their location is a huge banner on the back wall emblazoned with the words “BX Fight Club.” Indecipherable music thumps in the background, almost completely obscured by the shouts and whoops of the crowd. Without a word, the referee, wearing a black snapback hat and a black t-shirt to match, makes eye-contact with both of the fighters, points to each of them in turn and then points to the center of the ring. The scene is traditional: three judges, three two-minute rounds, one referee and no headgear, just a pair of sixteen-ounce boxing gloves. The first punch misses its mark. The second gets closer and causes its target to hop back, remaining in constant, controlled movement. The first man then rushes his opponent onto the ropes, striking quickly and letting his forward momentum carry most of the power. He receives an onslaught of blows around his head and neck but keeps his gloves around his face, deflecting much of the retaliation. The crowd goes wild.

The BX Fight Club was founded in 2014 by two men who prefer to go by BX Hova and Will. Full names are not used in the context of the organization because fight clubs are illegal in the state of New York, even if this one is a bit different from the Chuck Palahniuk-fueled fever dream. Attendance costs $20 and all audience members are patted down before entering in order to make sure no one sneaks in any illicit substances. Last season, 32 fighters competed in a March Madness-style tournament, each in pursuit of the club’s grand prize: a $10,000 diamond-studded Rolex. This year it is a Mercedes.

What started in the parking lot of P.S. 152 on the corner of Colgate and Bruckner Boulevard quickly broke the first rule of Fight Club, as everyone involved could not seem to stop talking about it. The BX Fight Club has been covered by major news organizations such as Vice and The New York Times, and has also experienced profound popularity on Facebook, Instagram and especially YouTube. The club has also garnered support from stars such as Shaquille O’Neal and 50 Cent, the latter of whom actually performed recently at one of the fights.

The creators of the BX Fight Club cite the club’s purpose as one of a charitable organization designed to give young men and women from the Bronx a chance to channel their negative feelings and emotions into something that builds community rather than tears it down. “Put your stress into something positive and not into something negative,” said BX Hova in an interview with Vice. “Don’t shoot him— punch him in his face. He’ll live, you’ll live, y’all both can hug afterwards and be alright.” Both BX Hova, who books the club’s entertainment acts and handles marketing, and Will, who deals with the logistics of the tournaments and the fighters themselves, have served time in prison for drug-related offenses. The BX Fight Club is a product of their effort to turn not only their own lives around after prison, but also the lives of underprivileged Bronx community members. The fighters have names like Wild Nigerian, Odee and Pacman, the last of whom is named because of his striking resemblance to another Filipino boxer, Manny Paquiao.

Unlicensed boxing matches are considered misdemeanor offenses in the state of New York, with everyone from the club owners, the fighters and the ring girls facing charges. Other unsanctioned fight clubs in New York, such as Brooklyn’s Friday Night Throwdown, have been making the move to official status in recent years. This not only legalizes the activity, but also necessitates the added expense of insurance for the boxers, ringside doctors and medical equipment. Currently, the BX Fight Club remains illegal, which means that fight times and locations tend to remain undisclosed until the last minute, and even then, the specifics are variable. In spite of this, the gyms that host the fights have gotten nicer as crowds have grown. Equipment has gotten more professional and safety precautions have gotten more stringent.

The crowd cheers and slaps their hands on the ring as the fight draws to a close. Both fighters are now sweat-drenched and breathing hard, but both have huge grins on their faces. The referee ends the match. One of the fighters, the shorter one, momentarily looks like he is going for another attack, but instead embraces his opponent. In boxing, it is traditional for the referee to raise the glove of the winning boxer above their heads as a sign of victory. Here, the fighters raise their gloves together.