MADISON, Wis. — Dozens of fighters with almost no experience are going to enter the boxing ring on Nov. 4 for the very first time.
This is all part of the three-month boxing program known as Bucket List Boxing. The training occurs at Ford’s Gym on Madison’s east side.
Clayton Strang first visited the gym after finding out his deteriorating health was could lead to an early grave.
“When I first walked into the gym and took my first boxing class, I was 254 pounds,” said Strang. “I was really overweight, really high cholesterol, pre-diabetic and on the cusp of hypertension.”
Strang is now in the process of turning his life around and has already brought his weight down from 254 to 195 lbs.
“My original goal was to hit 180 pounds,” said Strang. “Now I would like to get down to 165-170 pounds.”
Through rigorous cardio, sparring and a lot of sweating, Strang hopes to reach his goal by Nov. 4, just in time for his first sanctioned fight.
He is not working toward this goal alone. His coach Andrea Nelson has been there with him every step of the way.
“Some people just have this idea they want to try to get in the ring once just to see what it is like because it’s on their bucket list and we are giving them the opportunity to do that,” said Nelson.
As a father, Strang isn’t just fighting for his own health, he’s fighting to inspire his family.
“I want them to see how hard it was for me to fix my health and maybe that’s a warning for them to just stay healthy,” said Strang.
After the three-month training period ends, fighters will head to the Red Mouse Bar and Grill in Cross Plains to take on an opponent of similar weight.
Those interested in purchasing tickets to the event can email boblynchboxing@gmail.com or check the organization’s Facebook page for updates.
All proceeds from this event go to the Bob Lynch Boxing Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization that supports amateur boxing throughout Wisconsin.