Over 100 area rough men and women from Southeast Tennessee, Northwest Georgia and Northeast Alabama are ready to lace up the gloves, step in the ring and put their hometown pride on the line.
The area's 1st Annual Rough N' Rowdy Brawl boxing contest kicks off Friday and Saturday nights April 16 and 17 at the 4,500 seat Camp Jordan Arena in East Ridge. Bell time is set for 7:30 p.m. both nights.
Rough N' Rowdy Brawl is a single-elimination boxing tournament featuring local contestants at least 18 years of age with very little or no previous boxing experience. Bouts consist of three one-minute rounds with a minute rest period between rounds. Prize money of $5,000 will be shared among two weight classes for the men's division and two weight classes for the women's divisions.
There will be about 50 fights each night averaging 12 fights an hour. Each contestant fights once on Friday night. The winners will return Saturday night. After three or four series of eliminations, there will be a champion in each weight class.
All contestants are outfitted with protective headgear, a groin protector and heavily padded 16-ounce gloves. Also contestants undergo pre-fight and post-fight physicals.
The Tennessee Boxing Commission sanctions all bouts and licenses all boxing officials including the doctors, referees, judges and timekeeper.
Bradley County Commissioner Jeff Yarber will be the event's chief referee. Yarber is considered by many the State's top referee. Veteran fight doctor, Dr. David Florence of Manchester, is the chief ringside physician during the bouts. Life Force will have an ambulance, paramedics and EMT'S at the event during the bouts both nights.
Rough N' Rowdy founder and promoter Chris Smith says the response for the show in East Ridge has been overwhelming. "Our phones are ringing off the hook with people either calling to sign-up or asking about tickets. Based on the large number of fighters registered and advanced tickets sold, Camp Jordan Arena should reach near capacity crowds both nights."
"Toot Toot" Wesley Tudors of Signal Mountain has signed up to compete for the light heavy weight title. The 24-year-old, 5'11" tall, 165 pound Coca-Cola employee says he is ready to take his street fighting skills to the ring. "If any of you boys from Northeast Alabama or Northwest Georgia step into the ring with me you will have an extra strike against you. If you're from Ringgold, then it will cost you the title because you can't win it when you're laying flat on your back looking up at the lights," says Tudors as he flexes his biceps.
A super bout has been setup between Chattanooga's own Steven Crowe versus "Mac Daddy" Sean Meeks of Newport, Tenn. Twenty-four-year-old, 6'1" tall, 172 pound Crowe who is an employee of Budweiser is a two-time World Toughman runner-up champion. Twenty-seven-year-old, 6'3" tall, 174 pound Meeks is the 2001 World Toughman champion.
Since both fighters are ineligible to fight in the regular tournament, Smith has put together the explosive grudge match. "Crowe and Meeks are two very exciting fighters who have never faced each other in the ring until now. The fans have always asked which champion would be the better man, so we are going to give the fans what they want, a super bout," says Smith.
Beyond the fighting is the fan favorite ring girl contest. Ring girl contest preliminary rounds are being held every Wednesdays at Governors in Chattanooga. Twelve local ladies will qualify to compete in high heels and bikinis at Camp Jordan Arena for their share of $2,000 in cash prizes. "The fans choose the winner by crowd applause so the ring girls have to get out there and strut their stuff and convince the crowd to cheer for them the loudest," says Smith.
Soldiers from the US Army with present the colors and help assist the ring girls in and out of the ring between rounds. The famous Rocky theme songs will take over the airways during close bouts. "There is never a dull moment. We have a great show planned for everyone," says Smith. "The adrenalin from each fight will invade each and every spectator."
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the fights will start at 7:30 p.m. both nights. Preliminary bouts will be on Friday night and the finals will be on Saturday night.
Rough N' Rowdy Brawl tickets are on sale now at Cat's Music, 5659-Brainerd Road in Chattanooga or can be purchased online at boxingcontest.com. Tickets can be charged by phone at 1-800-597-8624. Tickets will also be available at the box office both nights of the event.
General Admission is $12 if purchased before April 16 and $14 the day of show. VIP ringside reserved seats are $18. For more details, listen to Rock 105, Kiss 98.1, US 101 and Thunder 101.9.
Fighters registered as of April 4:
Men's Light Heavy Weights (155-175 lbs.): Aaron Aho, Apison; Jeremiah Barnes, East Ridge; Travis Beard, Rossville; Stacey Beason, Ringgold; Robert Bolton, Rossville; Wes Bowling, Chattanooga; Jake Brown, Rossville; Tim Cagle, Chickamauga; Bobby Cape, Ooltelwah; Bobby Cavitt, Soddy Daisy; Daniel Cholota, Birchwood; Thomas Collazo, Ringgold; Travis Copen, Signal Mountain; William Dotson, Chattanooga; Justin Dunn, Chattanooga; Billy Gann, Ringgold; Chris Gann, Lafayette; Thomas Gilveath, Henagar; Jeff Greek, Rossville; Joe Grubbs, Cleveland; Ken Gulfan, Collegedale; Terry Harris, Ringgold; Jeremy Hedden, Rocky Face; Thomas Hollingsworth, Dalton; Darryl Hyer, Dalton; Michael James, Soddy Daisy; Joel Jordan, Collegedale; Don Lynch, Rossville; Spencer Manning, East Ridge; Basil Marceaux, Chattanooga; Curtis Martin, Bridgeport; Austin Mason, Chattanooga; Billy Massengale, Chattanooga; John McMahan, Cleveland; Phillip Moreland, Cleveland; Chad Morgan, McDonald; Jesus Novoa, Dalton; Robby O'Dell, Chattanooga; Tim Peters, East Ridge; Kevin Phillips, Rossville; Jeff Powell, Stevenson; Jason Sanders, Flintstone; Tom Sell, Signal Mountain; CJ Shoemaker, Dalton; Phillip Smith, Chattanooga; Chip Stephenson, Flintstone; Kevin Talbott; Lafayette; Deston Toop, Hixon; Wesley Tuders, Signal Mountain; David Wade, Ringgold; Shane Whitefield; Rossville; Ted Wilson, Hixson; John Winters, Englewood; Eric Wright, Ringgold.
Men's Heavy Weights (176-400 lbs.): Michael Arnold, Ringgold; Justin Bellamy, Chattanooga; Billy Bradley, Ft. Oglethorpe; Cleo Brannon, Dunlap; Phillip Brown, Chattanooga; Lamar Burrell, Trenton; Jay Cavur, Cleveland; Nate Chambers, Calhoun; Fred Clark, Chattanooga; James Culver, Chattanooga; Donald Curtis, Chattanooga; Anthony Deal, Copper Hill; Brian Dover, Trion; Gabe Doyle, Ringgold; Chris Dunn, Chattanooga; Anthony Dupree, Apison; Timothy Gamble, Ringgold; Jason Gibson, Rossville; Jeremy Goodman, Cleveland; Todd Gray, Dalton; Mathew Green, Cohutta; Brian Gueff, Jasper; Brownie Hamilton, Ringgold; Thomas Harris, Lafayette; Bobby Henderson, Hixson; Thomas Herrell, Soddy Daisy; Jim Higdon, Chattanooga; Junior Hixson, Chattanooga; Donnie Hughes, East Ridge; Michael Johnson, Dalton; Jeremy Jones, Old Fort; James Jones, Cartersville; John Lassetter, Rossville; Michael Long, Ringgold; Bob Marthinsen, Chattanooga; Brian Metzer, Ringgold; Mike Moore, Chattanooga; Nathan Morgan; Rossville; Daniel Murphy, Rossville; Jack Nelms, Rossville; John Norman, Chattanooga; Wes Obenlander, Lafayette; Keith Pripp, Trenton; Travis Queen, Calhoun; Trinity Quin, Varnell; Julian Rimirez, Cleveland; Brandon Revis, Chattanooga; Ricky Ricardo, Dunlap; Robert Rowells, Trion; Robert Rude, Dunlap; Mike Rush, Chattanooga; Josh Stanley, Hixson; Todd Strickland, Rocky Face; JL Watson, Ft. Oglethorpe; Ted Wilson, Hixson; Jason Wise, Chattanooga; Sam Young, Chattanooga; Gary Youther, Evansville.
Women's Light Weights (100-160 lbs.): Nikki Armour, Chattanooga; Lindsey Barnes, Soddy Daisy; Michelle Cagle, Chattanooga; Christy Campbell, Rossville; Misty Campbell, Winchester; Kyra Cannon, Lafayette; Barbara Frayer, Cleveland; Holly Hannah, Chattanooga; Mandy Hollingsworth, Dalton; Amber Jackson, Rossville; Sonya Maddox, Rising Fawn; Andrenia Storey, Chattanooga; Stephanie Wooten, Hixson.
Women's Heavy Weights (161-400 lbs.): Ashley Cheaves, Jasper; Charleen Morrow, Lafayette; Tammy Prince, Hixson; Callie Sandell, Pikeville; Candace Stoker, Rossville.