Mary Langenfeld
Briana Hendricks Che spars with Marcus Johnson, while coach Andrea Nelson observes in the background.
In one corner is 28-year-old Olympic hopeful Briana Hendricks Che, weighing 165 pounds; in the other, 28-year-old Marcus Johnson, weighing 155 pounds.
It’s one of the last training sessions for these amateur boxers before the Golden Gloves tournament later this month in Middleton. Former professional boxer Andrea Nelson leads the class at Ford’s Gym on Winnebago Street. While other athletes wrap their hands and take turns punching bags, Hendricks Che and Johnson spar in the ring, throwing and dodging strikes. The fight is fairly even, although Johnson lands a few more blows.
After a three-minute round, the boxers return to their corners. Nelson squirts water into Hendricks Che’s mouth and then leans in and looks straight into her eyes. “Keep holding your ground,” Nelson says. The bell rings and the fighters jump back into the center of the ring, gloves up, eyes on the prize.
The Golden Gloves is an amateur boxing tournament, with regional bouts and a national championship. Although Madison has never hosted a Golden Gloves tournament, the event used to be wildly popular in Wisconsin, with state tournaments in Kenosha or Racine drawing thousands of fans.
Nelson co-founded the Bob Lynch Boxing Foundation to honor her mentor, 86-year-old Bob Lynch. The foundation supports amateur boxers in the Madison area. Lynch moved to Madison in 1958, working with UW’s boxing program until its abrupt end in 1960 following the death of UW boxer Charlie Mohr after an NCAA bout. In the 1970s Lynch founded a boxing program at Muscles and Fitness, now Ford’s Gym. In 2003, Lynch invited Nelson to help him with the program; in 2014, he handed leadership over to Nelson.
The foundation was recently awarded Wisconsin’s Golden Gloves franchise and the Middleton fights will be the first time the state tournament has been held in the Madison area.
Jennifer Smith, a foundation board member, hopes the tournament will help revive the sport in Madison. The goal of Golden Gloves is to teach young people life skills. “We’ve seen time and again how the sport has helped to foster self-discipline, confidence, respect and perseverance,” Smith says.
Johnson attests to the results. Before he started boxing at 17, Johnson says he often skipped school and was unmotivated. “I had nothing to do,” Johnson says. “And what do idle people do? They cause trouble.”
He found that there was no tolerance for mischief at Ford’s Gym — Lynch once kicked him out of the ring for goofing off. “If you’re being lazy, Bob calls you out on it,” he says. “Boxing taught me to stay cool. It happens so fast and puts you in the most stressful situation, but if you can’t relax then you’re going to get hit.”
In 2009, Johnson became the first boy on his dad’s side of the family to graduate from high school. Two years ago, he won the state Golden Gloves competition.
Hendricks Che, who is the strength and conditioning director of the UW men’s and women’s soccer and rowing teams, won’t likely box at the Middleton tournament because there probably won’t be another woman to fight.
“Sometimes it’s lonely being a female boxer,” Hendricks Che says. “But it’s reassuring to have a female coach. Andrea gets me.”
Hendricks Che started boxing two years ago but has dreamed of becoming a boxer since watching Mike Tyson fights while she was growing up in Iowa.
Later in March, Hendricks Che and Nelson will head to Reno, Nevada where Hendricks Che will compete in a qualifying event for the 2020 Olympics. Hendricks Che will also represent the Ford’s boxing team at the national Golden Gloves tournament in Chattanooga, Tennessee in May.
Johnson would love to win his division and represent Ford’s Gym in Tennessee. But he’s also thrilled to fight in front of a hometown crowd: “I’ve made many mistakes in my life but there are so many people who wouldn’t let me quit on myself.”
19: Golden Gloves national champions from Wisconsin.
1928: First national Golden Gloves tournament, held in New York City between boxers from Chicago and New York.
Arch Ward: Chicago Tribune sports editor who created the Golden Gloves
2012: Women’s boxing event first included in the Olympics, held in London that year.
Madison tournament: March 15-16 at the Madison Marriott West, 1313 John Q Hammons Drive, Middleton. Event starts at 6 p.m. both days. Tickets $20-40.
