A boxer throws a punch towards his opponent inside the ring on Friday, March 31, 2023. The event was held at the National Guard Armory in Lampkin Park. (Photos by Brodie Curtsinger)

Fighting cancer: Sigma Chi hosts “Fight Night”

Sigma Chi fraternity hosted its annual fight night at Lampkin Park to raise money for cancer research on Friday, March 31.

Bowling Green junior Parker Williams is the philanthropy chair of Sigma Chi, and he said that Sigma Chi started planning for the event six months ago.

“We’re glad that this is one of the only events throughout the year that truly brings all fraternities and sororities together because there’s not many like that,” Williams said.

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A boxer into the ropes in the arena at Lampkin Park for Sigma Chi Fight Night on Friday, March 31, 2023. Sigma Chi Fight Night was held from 6:30 p.m. to around 9:30 p.m.

Bowling Green junior Konnor Mason, the president of Sigma Chi, said that the logistics behind such a large event aren’t easy. 

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Williams said Sigma Chi had to get the event certified through USA Boxing and each of the boxers had to sign up through the organization. 

Petersburg, Indiana junior and Delta Tau Delta President Colin Craig said that to prepare, he has trained at BGKY Boxing for a month and has been doing other boxing training since September. He said all the boxers were required to have five practices with BGKY Boxing owner, Zhock Mason.

Ebenezer Griffith wipes away sweat after losing his match against Aaron Waldon at Sigma Chi Fight Night on Friday, March 31, 2023. Griffith’s boxing coach is Zhock Mason, who works at BGKY Boxing.

He said he wants his fraternity to be more well known and said that it is uncommon for fraternity presidents to participate in fight night.

“I want to represent the fraternity, and I want to fight against cancer,” Craig said. “There’s a lot I want to prove to myself, and there’s a lot I want to prove to others.”

Craig said that he has not had much experience with boxing before this fundraiser.

“I’m taking a big leap of faith here: I am relying on my brothers’ support; I am relying on God, and I’m relying on myself,” Craig said.

A “ring girl” walks around outside the ring while holding up a “Round 3” sign at Lampkin Park. Before every round began, two ring girls would get inside the ring to indicate the beginning of the new round.

While Craig lost in his third round against Mikey Odenthal, he expressed pride. 

“I’m proud of myself for what I’ve already done,” Craig said.

Ebenezer “Stuntman” Griffith has boxed all around the country for USA boxing and is currently ranked fifth nationally in his weight class. Griffith trains in Bowling Green at BGKY Boxing with coach Zhock Mason. 

While he attended WKU in 2020 and 2021, he dropped out to pursue boxing.

“I made a really tough decision to choose boxing in a battle myself, and pursue a career that I knew I wanted for my life,” Griffith said. “It was like a real life ‘Creed’ story.”

A boxer throws a punch towards his opponent inside the ring on Friday, March 31, 2023. The event was held at the National Guard Armory in Lampkin Park.

For this fight, Griffith wore a custom pair of green boxing trunks, with the words, “Miracle Child” and “Miracle Maverick.” He said that he wore them to support a 3-year-old child, Maverick, who died of heart failure after a liver transplant.

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“I’m a fighter. I can put down the gloves today and be just fine, you know, never fight again in my life, but for him, he had to fight every day just to live,” Griffith said. “He inspired me more than I could ever inspire anyone.”

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Griffith said that he still gets nervous before fights, but that goes away whenever he gets into the ring.

“The closer you get to the ring, I’m bulletproof, invincible; it’s the most incredible feeling I’ve ever felt,” Griffith said. 

Fans hold out their hands during one of the boxing matches at Sigma Chi Fight Night. Fans gathered around the ring cheering on the boxers.

Griffith lost his fight, which was a rematch against Aaron Walden.

Sigma Chi President Mason said that the fight night was at the end of their “Derby Days,” a week of fundraisers and events hosted by the Sigma Chi fraternity. 

Sigma Chi hosted “Pie a Sigma Chi” where students could pay money to throw a pie at a Sigma Chi member, as well as “paintball a Sigma Chi” in their fraternity house’s backyard. They also held a telethon that raised $6,000, Mason said.

Williams said that Sigma Chi held a “White Rose Night,” where members of Sigma Chi and other Greek organizations across campus dedicated white roses to people they know who have been affected by cancer. Participants placed the roses on a large white cross, a symbol of the fraternity.

“It’s a cool little ritual to get the week started, so we understand the meaning of why we do this,” Williams said.

Fans extend their arms during one of the Sigma Chi Fight Night boxing matches at Lampkin Park on Friday, March 31, 2023. There were two sections of fans split up between those over 21 years old and those under 21 years old.

Mason said the money raised by these fundraisers goes to a Salt Lake City cancer research hospital, the Huntsman Cancer Research Foundation, which was founded by a Sigma Chi alum. He said that Sigma Chi’s donation will be toward Huntsman Cancer Research Foundation’s women’s cancer program.

“He wanted to be the person to end cancer, or at least start the fight to end cancer,” Mason said, “That’s what this whole week’s based on, our slogan is generation to end cancer.”

Williams said that in the future, Sigma Chi would like to host the event at the Sloan Convention Center to get a larger audience.

“At the end of the day, the goal is to make more to send to a charity,” Williams said.