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SPORTS
APRIL 8, 2015 | 69
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Jesse Uhde and Phillip Moore, two fighters from different backgrounds with the same passion for boxing, want- ed to train the younger generation how to spar in the ring. In 2007 they found- ed the amateur club Flathead Boxing. Within two years, over a dozen boys were trading punches and knocking speed bags like everyday pugilists inside another rugged site, an old barn-like gym in Evergreen.
During this time, Kenny Guzman was regularly dropping off his nephew at boxing practice when Uhde and Moore convinced the young man to step into the ring and give it a try.
He did, and he was a natural. Aggres- sive and strong but wise with his swings, he could more than hold his own in the ring despite no training. He could also take a punch and deliver a memorable response.
After one year, Guzman was 3-0 in amateur bouts and knocked out a for- mer Junior Olympic National Champion with over 100 fights on his resume. After three years, the 24-year-old was a rising star in Montana with a 14-7 record and a Golden Glove championship.
Now 28, with a regional champion- ship belt from a year ago and a 29-11 re- cord, Guzman will begin a new chapter in his fighting career this weekend. The 132-pounder from Kalispell is moving up the ranks and going pro. He will make his professional debut as the main event at Fight Night 3 on April 11. The boxing event, hosted by Uhde’s Hard Knocks Fight Promotions at the Flathead Coun- ty Fairgrounds, will feature eight bouts, including two professional fights.
Besides Guzman’s showdown, Uhde will step into the ring and fight Glen Cislo, a veteran fighter from Great Falls. Both pro bouts will feature four, three- minute rounds.
Kenny Guzman is preparing for his upcoming pro boxing debut. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
Guzman went 29-11 as an amateur boxer. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
Fans will recognize an exciting fight card full of local boxers. Kalispell’s Rusty “Nails” Taylor will appear in the heavyweight match against Eric Hemp- stead of Anaconda. Other locals slated to fight include Brandon Scholz, Greg Dae- nzer, Tony Nordahl, Dave Christianson, Kayla Dittmer and Karli Volkmann.
Volkmann made a memorable ap- pearance at the last Fight Night in Feb- ruary after one of the female competi- tors failed to show up. The organizers announced to the crowd they needed a last-minute fill-in. Volkmann emerged
from the seats and stepped into the ring. She won by TKO and brought the crowd to its feet.
Doors open on Saturday at 6 p.m. and fights begin at 7 p.m. Pre-sale tickets are available at Fatt Boys and Access Fitness for a $5 discount. General admission is $20 and VIP is $25. Ringside is $55.
It’s natural and fitting for Uhde to be the promoter of this latest boxing event. For the last decade he’s been one of the sport’s true promoters and advocates in the valley, alongside Moore.
Uhde, born and raised in Lakeside, had a successful amateur career before going pro in 2012. Today he’s the fifth- ranked super middleweight fighter in the Pacific Northwest. At the Flathead County Fairgrounds in February, Uhde claimed the Montana State Super-Mid- dle Weight title in a fierce battle with Daniel Gonzalez. He won by unanimous decision after eight wild rounds and im- proved his pro record to 6-4 with two TKOs. He’s 4-1 in the last five matches and among the best fighters in Montana, alongside Helena’s Duran Caffero, a for- mer national champion amateur fighter who is 12-1 since going pro as a middle- weight.
But at 37, Uhde doesn’t know how much more boxing he has left in him. Instead, he’s focusing more energy and attention on expanding the sport as one of the only official professional promot- ers in the state. A year ago he founded Hard Knocks Fight Promotions and this weekend’s event will be his third pro-am show.
“Nobody has a place to fight. I’ve been coaching amateurs and the kids, and I can take them to amateur fights but they’re all out of state,” Uhde says. “There’s plenty of people who don’t want to travel. They want to compete here.”
He adds, “I don’t want to just bring a pro venue to Kalispell. I want to get local fighters. People here want to come sup- port our local athletes.”
Athletes like Kenny Guzman.
The valley’s boxing community has watched Guzman grow from an un- known to its proud son in the ring. He hasn’t even had a true ring to practice in these recent years since the amateur club has somewhat disbanded and lost its training ground. Instead, Guzman spends four days a week at The Summit, charging through Parisi Speed School workouts and throwing on the gloves to spar with Moore, a former professional and Guzman’s longtime coach who is now also a close friend.
The two men are familiar regulars at The Summit, turning a portion of the workout area into a makeshift ring with cones.
“It does take a little bit out of it not being in a true ring to work out. But when I was in the ring a couple weeks ago (fighting in Hamilton), I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all,” he says.
There is still plenty of room to grow, he says, and he’s anxious to see how far he can take himself in the sport. But at the same time, his motivation isn’t mon- ey or fame.
“I’m not doing it to become a world champion or anything or become a mil- lionaire. I’m just doing it because it’s fun and I enjoy it a lot,” he says.
“I can definitely get better. I keep get- ting better. And I feel like that’s what’s keeping me going right now. As long as I keep enjoying it and having fun and not treat it like a job, I should get better.”
For more information about Fight Night 3, visit the Hard Knocks Fight Promotions Facebook page.
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