Kingdom City Boxing hosted the Battle of the Midwest boxing tournament at the Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal on Sunday.
Owner of Kingdom City Boxing Sid Edwards said this is the first time a boxing event of this size has been held in Bloomington-Normal, and the planning was not easy.
“The process is tough. You got to get the Illinois commissioners, you got to get the approvals. You got to make sure all the coaches and licenses and everything is good,” Edwards said.
However, the decision to have the tournament at the Boys and Girls Club was easy for Edwards.
“This is the original community center,” Edwards said. “So why not? Why not bring the community right here at the Boys and Girls Club?”
The tournament brought together about 400 people to watch 15 bouts.
The competitors
Bloomington Junior High School student Makai Baker has been training at Kingdom City Boxing for about a year, and competed in Sunday’s tournament.
Baker said if anyone in Bloomington-Normal is looking to get into boxing, he recommends Kingdom City Boxing.
“They're gonna change your life for the better, help you get closer to God and everything,” Baker said.
During the tournament Baker showed off his jabs and one-two combination. A jab is a straight punch thrown with the front hand, and a one-two combination is a jab followed by a cross punch.
“Sometimes the basic things wins you the fight,” Baker said.
Another competing boxer was Rolling Acres Middle School student Chance Peterson, who trains at K.O.K. Boxing in Peoria.
Peterson said some people think boxers just have to go up and fight people, but there is a lot of work that needs to be put in before a fight.
“You have to do strength training to get stronger before you do anything,” Peterson said.
Peterson added that he was ready to show off his footwork and jabs.
Both Peterson and Baker said that they felt good and were ready for their fights prior to the tournament. Peterson did not win his bout, and Baker won his.
Bring the community together
Edwards, Baker’s coach, said that bringing the community to see these kids box saves lives.
“Boxing can bring the community together,” Edwards said. “Even though it's a lot of blood, guts and glory in there with them punching each other in the face, but at the end of day, it's respect. It teaches you humility, and it brings everybody together.”
During the tournament Kingdom City Boxing gave donations to the Boys and Girls Club and to K.O.K. Boxing, one of the competing gyms.
Bloomington was crowned the overall winner of the tournament.
Edwards said he plans to do more events like this in the future and wants to partner with churches, community centers, gyms, high schools and junior high schools.
