Boise State boxing club returns to the ring

Boise State’s boxing club stepped back in the ring on Oct. 16 in Quincy, Washington, to face off against the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). This will be the Broncos’ first match as an official team. The tournament will consist of three, three-minute rounds with headgear and 12-ounce gloves.

For many Broncos on the team, this was their first fight, as the team formed in 2020 when the pandemic was at its peak.

“UCLA fighters are monsters,” said sophomore mechanical engineering major Micah Franklin.

Micah Franklin just joined the team but feels like he’s been a part of it for years. Micah had no prior experience in boxing but has always wanted to try it, and now, the Boise State boxing club has let this goal come true.

“I’ve learned a new skill through self-defense and I’m also learning self-discipline and self-motivation,” Franklin said. “Also learning how to get hit and not quit.”

Sophomore finance major Nick Radabaugh said that he learned the basics of boxing, footwork and how to defend himself properly all through the boxing club.

“Boxing is about technique because we enter the match with the same stats, so it comes down to who trained harder and who has the better technique,” Radabaugh said.

The boxing club is not just for those who want a future in boxing, but for anyone and everyone who wants to learn self-defense or just get a good workout in. Practice is held Monday through Thursday from 6-8 p.m. in a backroom in the Kinesiology building where there’s no ring to spar in. 

During practice, the team first starts out with jumping rope for 15 minutes, shadow boxing for 20 minutes, teaching new moves and techniques, then shadowboxing again with those new skills. They then work on new combinations of punches and finish practice with intense cardio.

“The beginning of practice is tense but as soon as guys start hitting each other it actually gets more fun,” Franklin said.

Head coach Mark Martello used to box when he was in the army. He’s interested to see how well the Boise State club boxing team shapes up against schools like West Point and Air Force.

“It will be exciting to see this thing grow from the ground up,” Martello said. 

To become a boxer at Boise State, you must be a full-time student, have at least a 2.0 GPA and have a USA boxing card to compete. Required equipment includes hand wraps, boxing gloves, mouthguard and headgear. 

Many students on the team have big dreams they want to accomplish. Not everyone in the boxing club wants to keep fighting after college, but for Franklin, his goal is to fight Jake Paul.

“Canelo. He’s my favorite. He’s an animal” is what Franklin said about who his favorite fighter is and who he aspires to be like.