PENDLETON, Ore.-Pendleton was the fight capital of the Pacific Norhtwest over the weekend as Pendleton Boxing Classic 3 took over the convention center August 29-30.
Over 130 fighters from around the region made it to the two-day event, and hundreds of fight fans watched boxers representing dozens of clubs throughout the Northwest and beyond battle in the ring.
“The boxing community came together, we had great talent here and it was a good time,” said Rob Brooks, Head Coach at the Pendleton Boxing Club and organizer of the Pendleton Boxing Classic. “It showed that we’re taking care of boxing and serving kids well, so they’re willing to keep putting in the work.”
Pendleton Boxing Classic 3
Now in its third year, the Pendleton Boxing Classic featured nonstop boxing action across two rings in the convention center.
The two-day event has a lot of moving parts and wouldn’t be possible without the support of local sponsors and the dedication of volunteers, according to Brooks.
Hill’s Meat is the main sponsor of the Pendleton Boxing Classic, with other sponsors including Good Shepherd Health Care System, Made To Thrive, and CHI St. Anthony Hospital.
The referees, judges, and ringside doctors are essential for the fights, and all of them are volunteers.
John Bryant, President of the Inland Northwest Boxing Association, which covers all of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho from Riggins to the Canadian border, was in Pendleton serving as a referee and judge over the weekend.
“This is a good tournament, and it looks like we’ve got a great turnout,” said Bryant, who has been a boxing official for 20 years. “From the matches I’ve refereed so far today it looks like kids are really boxing well, too.”
Local fighters
The Pendleton Boxing Club was well represented at its hometown tournament, with seven boxers on the card.
Ashley Bazan, Fateh Puri, Nizhonia Toledo, JR Lopez, Ean Carroll, Shabad Singh, and Andrei Hendershot, all fought out of the Pendleton Boxing Club.
“Our fighters are doing great, I couldn’t be prouder,” said Leo Leon, a Pendleton Boxing Club coach, during a break in the action. “Everything they’ve done in the gym and the work they’ve put in is translating to the ring.”
Several fighters from the Pendleton Boxing Club fought for the first time over the weekend, including Bazan.
Bazan, 12, of Pendleton, has been boxing for about two years and earned her first win in her first fight.
“It was really good,” said Bazan after her fight. “I was able to remember what my coaches said in the ring, and I was moving my head well.”
Nizhonia Toledo, 22, boxed off and on through high school and trained for the past seven months for her first fight at the Pendleton Boxing Classic.
“It was oddly blissful,” said Toledo, of her first fight. “The buildup before the fight was killer, but in the ring nothing else matters.”
Fighting at 143 pounds, Toledo ended up losing by decision but considered the ring experience invaluable.
“It was a good fight for learning,” said Toledo. “I know what to do now and I will have no fear next time.”
Another Pendleton Boxing Club member making their ring debut was JR Lopez.
Lopez exhibited calmness and quickness in the ring, showing the ability to move well and hit with power, knocking his opponent down in the first round, before ultimately taking the loss.
“This was my first fight ever and I learned a lot,” said Lopez. “The biggest thing I’ll take away is that preparation is so important. I was gassed out there. I saw what he was doing, but I couldn’t keep up.”
Ean Carroll, fighting out of the Pendleton Boxing Club at 168 pounds, has nine fights under his belt, but was returning to the ring after a two-year hiatus at the Pendleton Boxing Classic.
Carroll was undeterred when his original opponent backed out of their fight at the last moment and he agreed to box a more experienced fighter with more bouts instead.
While Carroll ended up losing, he too embraced his fight as a learning experience.
“I think it was a really good fight for not being in the ring for two years, I held my own,” said Carroll. “Now it’s just about learning to be confident and trust in my ability.”
After a full weekend of boxing in Pendleton, it’s evident that the fight game is alive and well, and as Pendleton Boxing Club fighters embrace lessons learned in the ring, the future of boxing looks bright.
Pendleton Boxing Classic 4 is set for August 2027.
