The Lakers traveled to Georgia with eight fighters, six men and two women. Rebekah DeBoer was the champion in the 132-pound beginner class and Jason Murray was the champion in the 225-pound novice class. Both DeBoer and Murray brought home two national championship belts. With these wins, GVSU boxing now holds nine belts. Samantha Swafford, sophomore Tanner “TJ” Gardner and Lucas Malloy were runners-up in their classes, securing themselves each a medal. Both DeBoer and Swafford made history for the team, as they were the first Laker women to place in nationals.

Last year, GVSU competed in the USIBA with nine boxers, seven men and two women. The 2024 team won 16 matches, had two champion runner-ups and secured three championship belts. Going into this year’s competition, the Lakers set goals to retain more boxers entering the match, have more women competitors, earn another championship belt and win USIBA team awards. 

Gardner touched on his experience competing at USIBA and the value of his team’s support. 

“All the people here will support you no matter what happens, even if you lose a national championship fight,” said Gardner. “(The team) was ultimately proud of me and it was really nice just getting picked up by everybody. I’ve only been (a part of the team) for five months, and we treat each other like family.” 

Freshman Maxwell Gohsman, junior Ashton Kamps and Kristopher “Diego” Krepps ultimately lost their bouts, but were supported by the team for achieving tournament placement.

Gohsman provided insight into the most important lesson he’s learned through boxing and competing. 

“You cannot fight through emotion,” said Gohsman. “If you are emotional when you are either sparring or hitting the bag or doing anything, it is not going to go well. You actually want to be the calmest when you are fighting.”

Club boxing offers two opportunities for students to become involved in the program: recreational sparring and competitive training. Recreational sparring allows students to work out with the team, but doesn’t offer the opportunity to compete. All members start as recreational players, but can transition to a serious spot on the competitive team. Members of the competitive squad train to represent GVSU in tournaments and shows.  

Kamps pitched the boxing club as a great opportunity to get into shape, make friends and train with coaches.

“The people I’ve met in boxing are some of the best people I’ve met in my entire life,” Kamps said. “The types of coaches and facilities that we have access to, anywhere from coaches that have trained world champions to pros and even Olympians, is amazing.”

UFC is a mixed-martial arts (MMA) fighting league where individuals face each other in a caged octagon until only one fighter stands or time runs out. It has been rising in popularity since its beginning in the 1990s. UFC fighting spiked in popularity in 2016, largely due to Conor McGregor’s rise to fame. Since then, he has become one of the most notorious figures in all of sports.

However, boxing has been trending in the opposite direction for quite some time. In boxing, you watch guys with big pillows on their hands dance around while throwing a single punch every 20 seconds, and practically hugging throughout. Every time a good punch lands and a fighter hits the floor, which isn’t as often as most people would assume, the referee gives them 10 seconds to redeem themselves and continue fighting. This isn’t just boring, but it can also lead to brain injury and repeated head trauma. Until Jake Paul started putting together silly WWE-like promotions, boxing has hardly been talked about outside of Tyson Fury, who I believe has been washed up for years now.

In UFC, on the other hand, fighters compete until one of them is completely knocked out. This leads to more attention-grabbing and electrifying finishes. Throughout the fights, the two fighters land wild combinations on their opponents to knock them out. The Jon Jones victory, for example, ended with a spinning heel kick to the other fighter’s ribs. He went to his knee and Jones socked him a few times in the dome until the referee called the match. In the UFC, it is also less common for fighters to have shy fights, with most fights being action-packed and fast-paced. 

What also helps make the fights more entertaining is the variety of backgrounds each fighter comes from. Fighters collide with their different styles in the octagon, where it’s all about adaptability and versatility. Every match is unique and special due to the variety of styles at play. Jones came from a wrestling background, but has become an impressive striker as well. Brock Lesner and Ben Askren also come from very impressive wrestling backgrounds but lack in their stand-up game, so they often attempt to take opponents to the floor. In my opinion, Anderson Silva is influenced by Muay Thai, and Conor McGregor comes from a boxing background. 

On the other hand, boxing is just two men standing up straight and punching. While some boxers may be quicker and others more powerful, it’s all the same style of fighting. It leads to boring, repetitive matches. 

I also think it takes far more skill to compete in UFC than it does boxing. In UFC, because of the many different techniques, there are many things to learn and practice. There are also far fewer rules restricting your abilities. Boxing isn’t a real fight. In the UFC though, almost anything is allowed. People get kneed in the face, do backflips onto other fighters, put people in arm bars and even use the cage’s wall to get on top of their opponent. UFC fighters are simply a whole different breed, and arguably higher on the food chain than boxers.

The two fighters went eight full rounds, with each round lasting two minutes, and Tyson was defeated by Paul in a unanimous decision by the judges. However, many, including us, are speculating that the fight may have been “fixed.” 

In the lead-up to the highly anticipated match, Paul embarked on a trash-talking press tour, boasting that he was there “to make $40 million and knock out a legend.” However, a video posted to Paul’s own YouTube channel contradicted Paul’s words. In the video, Paul underwent a lie detector test, during which his brother, Logan Paul, asked him whether he believed he could beat Tyson. Paul said that while he did believe he would win the fight, the lie detector test indicated this statement to be false. While lie detector tests aren’t 100% accurate, we believe that Paul was uncertain about the match– not because he thought he’d lose, but because he wasn’t sure if he could win had it not been fixed in his favor.

With so much uncertainty leading up to the fight, speculation that it might have been rigged in Paul’s favor grew. During press conferences, Tyson seemed disengaged, and as if he was just going through the motions for the match. Many fans began to wonder if this was because Tyson was being paid to lose the fight. Despite these doubts, we remained hopeful that the match would be a fair and honest one, due to it being advertised as an important, record-breaking night.

Unfortunately, Tyson, a legendary figure in boxing, appeared to be coasting throughout the fight. He attacked Paul with less fire than was expected, and it was obvious that Paul was not trying to knock Tyson out, despite him stating online that he intended to. 

Following the match, Paul was quoted saying, “I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn’t want to hurt someone that didn’t need to be hurt.” While this is understandable, considering Paul is 27 years old and Tyson is 58, the behavior and demeanor of Paul and Tyson during the match felt strange and out of place. When he was younger, Tyson was known as “Iron Mike” and “The Baddest Man on the Planet,” due to his aggressive fighting style. Although Tyson is older now, the lack of aggression from both boxers is cause for concern.

The rumors of a scripted fight continued to swirl after a heartbreaking interview with Tyson was released afterward. When Tyson was asked about the match, he replied, “I just don’t have this in my heart anymore,” and went on to say that he was “just fighting to take care of his bills.” This is a sad sentiment, but due to the amount of attention and money generated by the fight, we see this as possible evidence that he intentionally threw the match. 

To us, it was disappointing to see such a boxing legend defeated by an internet star, who often behaves in an audacious manner. Not only that, but it was strange to see Paul choosing to fight an opponent almost 30 years older than him, and well past his fighting peak. If the fight occurred when Tyson was 27, like Paul, it is unlikely the outcome would have been the same. The fight dropping Tyson’s record to 50-7 is also a letdown for fans who admire his legacy.

Whether the fight was rigged or not, it is clear to us that Tyson’s loss to Paul will go down as one of the most unfortunate losses in the history of boxing. In the future, if Tyson ever decides to hop back into the ring, hopefully he will be doing it with the same passion he held in his former years.

The athletic activity is taking the stage away from boxers who have trained their whole lives and are far more talented. It shows that just because someone has more talent and skill doesn’t mean they have fans who are willing to watch every fight. Audiences complain about not getting a quality fight out of influencers, but are passing up the opportunity to watch trained professionals with over 15 years of experience.

Many professional boxers spend their lives learning how to fight and in turn, are compensated with just enough to pay their trainers, gym costs and other fees, in addition to living expenses. Influencer boxing includes large payouts for the athletes, just for showing up. Even if they lose the fight in the first round, they are still walking away with millions. Seeing influencers with minimal training get paid much more than what a pro boxer gets paid is infuriating to many in the sport and fans alike.

This has brought about ethical questions regarding influencer boxing and ruined the legitimacy of several fights. With that much money on the table for influencers to fight each other or professionals, many believe the fights are staged. It doesn’t come as a surprise to me, since most publicity stunts leading up to a fight are all for show and to get a larger audience such as the Paul and KSI matchup in 2019. Now, more than ever, people are questioning the authenticity of boxing, which shows that the sport’s recent negativity has been derived from influencer boxing. 

Many of the fights are matched up based on what will get the most views, not size or skill. YouTuber Jake Paul is notorious for boxing retired fighters or people he knows he will win against. On July 20, Paul is scheduled to fight former professional boxer Mike Tyson, who is 57 years old. Personally, this is something that I never thought I would see.

Safety is also of concern because boxing can be very dangerous, especially if one or both fighters aren’t properly trained. During influencer fights, I have seen countless punches to the back of the head or punches while the athlete is down. These are both very illegal moves that can cause serious injury. When fighters don’t have proper training, the sport becomes all the more dangerous.

Whether it be safety concerns, questioning the fights’ legitimacy, or opportunities being taken away from other boxers, it is becoming more prevalent to see influencer boxing as an issue by boxing fans. These fights are focused on publicity and money, and while they bring a spark of media attention to the sport, influencer fights take away from the actual art of boxing. 

Grand Valley State University’s Boxing Club aims to offer a recreational and competitive boxing space for students.  

The club holds practices on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings. The first two practices of the week are led by their coaches Dennis Shimmell and Sarah Rae Batenburg.

Batenburg is a GVSU alum and former club president. She helps support the competitive side of the club. Batenburg was the first female to compete in the boxing club. During her time at GVSU, she won a Michigan Golden Gloves title and three United States Intercollegiate Boxing Association (USIBA) national titles. 

In these coach-led practices the athletes participate in sparring with each other, a live-action simulation of a real fight to prepare athletes for future matches. Then, on Fridays, practices are led by the club’s Eboard members.

The club’s vice president Ryan Landgren described a typical practice.

“(We) will start with warm-ups, which include stretching, push-ups, abdominal exercises, some cardio and shadow boxing. Afterward, we will break up into even groups for heavy bag drills. While doing bag drills, we’ve been having females who want to spar, and then later on it will switch to the males sparring who wish to spar,” Landgren said. 

During the club meetings, sparring is not required, but the club does focus on that competitive aspect of boxing to help prepare members who wish to transition to the competitive side of the sport. 

“People who come to practice can expect a hard workout, but they will be supported by their teammates, as we are all trying to support each other and make it a welcoming and fun environment,” Landgren said. 

The group’s atmosphere aims to be welcoming to all experience levels. Landgren said he was inspired to take a leadership role to shape a positive culture for the club and help the organization transition from a less structured recreational club to one that offered a competitive aspect. 

Landgren said the Eboard used to be short-staffed contributing to burnout. Now with more involvement and dedicated officers, the club is experiencing a turnaround in leadership and member excitement. 

The club competes throughout the year at the MGGA St. Mary’s Boxing Gym downtown, at an annual competition the weekend of the Superbowl called Pre Super Bowl Fight Night and at the USIBA nationals tournament. In the fall of 2022, Alexander Dietrichan, an international student who was with the club for one semester, competed at the USIBA competition. Landgren said it was his favorite memory in the club. 

“It was great because we had close to ten club members at the event to watch him (Dietrichan) fight, and it was a great team bonding experience,” Landgren said.

Landgren said the club has given him a sense of community at GVSU and is a large reason why he stayed at school after finding friends and getting involved. 

“It unlocked opportunities for me in the amateur boxing world as I’ve gotten offered to announce jobs across west Michigan over the summer,” Landgren said.

The Eboard said boxing is an excellent way to relieve stress and stay active. It also helps students keep a balanced lifestyle like maintaining a balanced diet to stay at their match weight and be fueled for practice. Outside of practice, the club members do cardio workouts to increase stamina for fights. 

Landgren said he hopes to see this momentum in competition interest and involvement continue by expanding the organization and maintaining new members.  

“I also hope to see us succeed at competitions this year as we managed to be undefeated in the previous school year. I would like to see more members compete this year,” Landgren said. “Most importantly, I really hope that we keep the happy environment that we have this year.” 

Being out of my comfort zone has helped me in so many ways. I played many different sports throughout my childhood and played baseball through high school. After making the decision to come to Grand Valley State University and choosing not to pursue playing baseball anymore, I knew I would want to find something to join and be a part of to remain active.

Boxing is an individual sport, so you can do everything at your own pace. You get to focus on your own self-improvement and learning new skills. It can be non-competitive or competitive, which allows anyone to participate in boxing and get all the wonderful benefits from it. Competitive boxing typically involves more sparring, practicing the motions of attack and defense in a boxing match, and competing in official fights during matches. Non-competitive fighting has the same training and learning of skills as competitive boxing just without the scheduled fights. 

Boxing has been the best conditioning workout I have done in years. Every week that I box, I am able to push myself a little more without being completely exhausted. After every practice, I feel like the stress of homework and the worries of exams are alleviated, which really helps the week go by faster. I know whatever is stressing me about before sparring or practicing won’t be on my mind at all during or after, which has helped me stay on track with my school priorities. Especially being a senior and getting closer to graduation, I am feeling the effects of senioritis. Finding a way to get rid of that burned-out feeling is crucial to ending college on a positive and successful note. 

Something I noticed from training and sparring so far is that it has improved my mental strength tremendously. Being out of my comfort zone in the first place can be mentally challenging, but in boxing, you can’t just give up. During sparring you have to continue to defend yourself, move around and fight back. Whether you are tired or you just got hit, you have to find a way to keep going. When you feel drained during a fight wanting to stop and take a break is common, but pushing through the rest of the fight is a remarkable feeling. These scenarios have been the best experiences I have had from boxing so far. 

Boxing may seem intimidating at first, but I encourage anyone reading this to give it a chance if anything in this article sounds intriguing to you. I started boxing because there were two free classes on campus last year, and now I box multiple times a week. It’s something I never expected myself to do, and now I plan to stay involved with it post-grad. You will meet many people who are brand new to boxing and others who have so much experience and are willing to help you out. As much as it’s an individual sport, you will make great connections and form strong bonds along the way.