Mitchell Nguyen, of Sigma Chi, is weighed in before the 36th Ace Miller Memorial Fraternity Boxing Tournament. In the weeks leading up to the championship, boxers often eat light and dehydrate themselves in efforts to cut weight and give them an advantage in lower weight classes. Nguyen went from 150 to 125 lbs. in just two weeks, destroying much of his muscle mass, doctors said.
Sigma Chi’s Drew Dickson, at front, undergoes a physical examination ahead of the Ace Miller Memorial Fraternity Boxing Tournament. Dickson is one of 65 fraternity members competing for a weight class title this year. He fights in the featherweight division, 125-127 lbs.
Most of the year Golden Gloves Boxing Arena serves mostly inner city kids, but for about six week each winter the training facility also hosts dozens of fraternity brothers training for Boxing Weekend, an annual fundraiser.
A young boxer in training hits the mark at Golden Gloves Boxing Arena as college students spar in a ring nearby on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2016. Over the previous weeks the gym has played host to dozens of fraternity brothers as they train for the 36th Ace Miller Memorial Fraternity Boxing Tournament.
The annual Ace Miller Memorial Fraternity Boxing Tournament, also known as Boxing Weekend, marks its 36th year in 2016. The three-day event serves as a major fundraiser for Golden Gloves Boxing Arena, an East Knoxville gym serving mainly inner city youth.
Thousands of people will pour into the Knoxville Expo Center over the course of three days to watch fraternities battle for bragging rights, but for the fraternity brothers turned boxers, training and other preparations start months in advance.
As the tournament draws near, boxers scramble to cut weigh and fit in training sesions. Here, Mitchell Sexton, at right, and fellow Sigma Alpha Epsilon boxers Rhett Waldron, center, and Bud Harris warm up during a training session at Golden Gloves Boxing Arena on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016.
