Boxing card features Westman presence

Six Westman fighters will be part of a 15-fight boxing card in Brandon on Saturday.

Fight organizer Ryker Batson said The Spring Showdown will be a good opportunity for the six, who all train out of the Brandon Fitness Combat Academy.

“Their friends and family are going to show up, a lot of Brandonites will be there,” Batson said. “That’s their goal, and they’ve been training hard for it. We’ve known they had these fights for at least three months, so for 90 days or longer that was the goal.

“Everyone is going to showcase on May 9.”

The card is at the Victoria Inn’s Imperial Ballroom. The doors open at 5 p.m., and the fights start at 6 o’clock, with the card likely wrapping up by 9 or 9:30.

Tickets are available at Peak Performance and Athletics at 863 10th St., or at the door if any are left. They are $30 each in advance or $35 at the door.

One of the local fighters is 43-year-old Ken Kreutzer of Oak Lake.

He has previously had two exhibition matches and one amateur bout, which he lost by decision. He said it’s nice to have his teammates from the gym by his side.

“It’s awesome when you get going,” Kreutzer said. “If it’s your first or not, when you get in with the people you’re fighting you have your little clique on fight day. It’s something else, and a lot of other people don’t experience it. “It’s still a team sport in a way, so we try and help each other out as best we can.”

The Combat Academy, where Batson helps train fighters with his father Roddy, is an off-shoot of Peak Performance and Athletics, which Batson founded.

Kreutzer said it’s a welcoming place.

“It’s awesome, man,” Kreutzer said. “These guys are awesome, the whole Batson crew. That’s half of why I stay here. They’re super tight knit and everybody who comes here gets along great. It’s an awesome atmosphere to be in. “Even if you don’t want to come, you always leave in a good mood.”

The academy’s last card was on Oct. 25. Unfortunately, Kreutzer’s bout had one important change due to the age gap with his opponent.

“The fight went good,” Kreutzer said. “It didn’t get judged because it was an exhibition but it went good.”

Prior to that, the Peak Boxing Event on June 24, 2024 was held under a massive tent pitched east of the Riverbank Discovery Centre near the walking path by the Assiniboine River. The five-hour show featured 25 amateur bouts and exhibitions.

Before that, Common Ground 1 was held at the Imperial Ballroom in September 2023.

The Batsons are planning another card in late September, and there is also an event in Winnipeg in June.

Saturday’s plan is to have 15 fights, although scheduling combat sports can be fraught with uncertainty due to last-minute training injuries, bad weight cuts or illness.

While the sport isn’t where it was decades ago when major bouts between established stars were fought on network television, Batson said he is sensing its on the rebound.

Part of that comes from an unlikely source, influencer Jake Paul, who has fought in a number of high-profile events, usually against aging MMA fighters and even a 58-year-old Mike Tyson.

“I used to not really like Jake Paul because he was an influencer but it seems like he’s walked the walk,” Batson said. “He’s bringing a lot of eyes to boxing, which is great to see, and a younger audience and it seems like he’s bringing more female boxers.”

And ultimately, that’s what the Batsons are looking for, because they see how it can help.

“I think it’s very important for the community,” Batson said. “It’s a great outlet. Some youth need it, individuals need it. It’s a great stress reliever and gives people a goal.”

» pbergson@brandonsun.com