WIESBADEN, Germany - Wiesbaden boxers jabbed, pummeled and upper-cutted their way to repeat as the winning team at the Installation Management Command-Europe Boxing Championships June 7.
Eight bouts, featuring the winners of preliminary fights that took place June 4-5, pitted boxers from U.S. Army Garrisons Bavaria, Hohenfels, Rheinland-Pfalz, Vicenza, Italy, and Wiesbaden. The Wiesbaden Fitness Center was transformed into a Las Vegas-style exhibition with flashy entrances with music and smoke, tuxedoed announcers and VIP ringside seating.
Highlights included middleweight Bradley Thomas' upset over Wiesbaden teammate Matthew Scott, who had a height advantage, and a win by Rheinland-Pfalz middleweight Romeo Ingresso who ousted Marcus Green after the referee stopped the contest.
Wiesbaden heavyweights Phillip Terry and Nate Barnd treated the crowd to a particularly contentious bout, but left all aggression in the ring.?
"He threw out some moves I've never seen before," said Terry, who has only been training for one month. "I've always been a fan of boxing and I figured I'd take the opportunity."
"This was a great event with a lot of talent," despite fewer competitors due to deployment, said Tony Lee, IMCOM-Europe chief of garrison support elements.
The final bout matched Adam Martinez, head coach of the boxing team, against Dwan West, who narrowly edged out Martinez. It was Martinez's last fight -- and first defeat -- before he moves stateside for his next duty assignment.
Martinez trained at McCulley Barracks as a young private 15 years ago when he was first stationed in Wiesbaden.?Due to deployments and job requirements, he never had the chance to fight All-Army, but wanted other Soldiers to be granted the opportunity. Now he's built the Combat Sports Program into a community cornerstone, including boxing, combatives and martial arts.
"When I think about it, there's a lot of emotion and passion of how important it is to me inside," he said. "I want the program to stand as an example of Soldiers with good values and people who are representative of their word."
Staff Sgt. Joe Lewis will take over as head coach. Vincent Carlucci will serve as the martial arts coach. For more information, contact Lewis at joseph.e.lewis24.mil@mail.mil or visit the "USAG Wiesbaden Combat Sports Program" Facebook page.
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