Boxers who take part in the weekly Thursday Night at the Fights bouts at the Egan Cener come from a wide range of backgrounds and skill levels. Some have trained for years, working out in local gyms and honing their crafts over dozens of amateur bouts. Others are first-timers who simply want to see what they're made of.
Trainer Jerry Miller said he encourages anyone with a genuine desire to step into the ring to give the fights a shot. Anyone over 18 is welcome, although he strongly recommends that those with no boxing experience take a couple of training sessions, which Miller offers three times a week at the Anchorage Athletic Club. Everyone from men in their 50s to 19-year-olds just out of high school to women have fought this season.
Fighters get paired each Wednesday during weigh-ins at Gallo's Mexican restaurant, where Miller sets the card for the following night's event. He usually has a pretty good idea how someone will carry themselves in the ring without even seeing them throw a punch.
"You can tell right away when someone holds their guard up," he said.
Miller said he does his best to make matchups that will be both entertaining and competitive.
"You've been around it for so long and you have an idea of how tough these guys are," he said.
Some fighters fight once and never come back. Others become regulars, using the sport as a way to prove themselves or simply lose weight or because it's genuinely fun. One frequent fighter, Andy "Panda Bear" Morgan, recently posted pictures to his Facebook page showing off his weight loss -- as well as a black eye -- that were the result of boxing.
Miller said anyone interested in fighting can come to weigh-ins or contact him through the Thursday Night at the Fights Facebook page or by visiting thursdaynightfights.com