Raging bulls

The basement of Clark Hall contains a world that many have only experienced on the silver screen. A place of left hooks, speed bags, sweat and blood, this is home to an entirely unique kind of athlete: the boxer.

Participating in the UB Boxing Club is a perfect opportunity for students to enter this world, but for most, a chance to get into better shape.

For its more active participants, however, boxing is more than a novelty. It is a point of personal, and school, pride. Three UB fighters will don blue and white trunks, hoping to make their presence felt in local amateur boxing circles in Hamburg on Saturday.

Oumar Sy and Wendy Casey will both make their amateur debut, and former boxing club president Heanyi Bob-Nwachukwu -- more commonly known as Bobby or "The Nigerian Fox" -- will step into the ring for his sixth fight.

Sy, a sophomore civil engineering major, has trained with the club for two years. At 6-foot-3-inches and 178 pounds, Sy looks to capitalize on his lengthy reach by working his jab.

"I talked to Oumar a couple of days ago and he said he is definitely going to stick his jab," said club vice president Andy Universal. "He has the reach advantage against pretty much anybody -- (people who spar) with him know that he is going to try to keep you away from him and keep you off."

Joining Sy in making a debut appearance on Saturday is Casey, who will not shy away from her opponents in the ring.

Casey, a sophomore math major, is one of the club's most serious female fighters. At 138 pounds, Casey earned the respect of her male counterparts around the gym. Known for both her mental and physical toughness, Universal said she could handle herself in the ring against anyone.

"Wendy is a good fighter. She just pushes herself harder," said Universal. "She spars with girls or guys, she spars with anybody. She's really strong and she's going to take whoever she gets in there with."

Like Universal, club president Mike Brewster is also confident in Casey's abilities.

"Wendy is crazy," said Brewster. "She used to wrestle in high school and she loves to hurt people."

In addition to Sy and Casey, Nwachukwu will also represent UB in the ring. Although "The Fox" graduated from UB this January and is currently working as an electrical engineer, he still trains with the club regularly. The Nigerian-born Nwachukwu has been associated with the club since its inception in 2002 and served as its president during the '03-'04 school year.

"Bobby is the best fighter the club has ever had. Everybody spars with Bobby because of his control," said Universal.

With an amateur record of 3-2, "The Fox" will be fighting in the 142-pound light welterweight division against George Sanchez of Jamestown. As a fighter with good head and body movement, Nwachukwu will be looking to capitalize on his quickness and conditioning in Saturday's bout.

"Bobby just doesn't quit. He just keeps coming and coming," said Brewster. "You can smack him in the face as hard as you can and he just doesn't stop. With his head movement and body movement he'll just slip in and hit you with body shots."

With a roster of about 50 active members in the club, a few more fighters are seriously preparing for their own amateur debuts, according to Brewster.

"We just got a ring last summer and it has been instrumental in getting these fighters ready," said Brewster. "There are five or six other people who are very close to being ready to fight. If we can't find a fight for them this semester, we definitely will next semester."

The club's pugilists who are on the verge of being ready for competition could soon find themselves fighting at the collegiate level rather than at the amateur level.

"One of our biggest goals for next year is to compete in the NCBA, the National Collegiate Boxing Association. We want to become a force in that and travel to cities throughout the country and make a name for ourselves," said Brewster. "We would be fighting against teams like Army, Navy, schools from out west -- schools from everywhere."

As for this weekend, the Boxing Club will be putting its full support behind Sy, Casey and Nwachukwu.

Saturday's amateur bouts will be held at Michael's Banquet Facility in Hamburg at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $15.