Fight Night
by Angelomikl

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I was working ringside as an EMT medic in a local gym.

It was fight night and I watched as the owner cranks up the volume of the music pulsing through his Gladiator Mixed Martial Arts gym, setting off a flurry of activity. The town’s homegrown hero, 23, begins to pound a large tire with a sledgehammer in one corner.

In the middle of the room, Will "The Wolverine" Howard and Carl "The K.O. Kid" Wolfe wrestled on mats--trading fake punches and counter-moves. He was barefoot. Three young men ride training cycles. Others punch heavy bags hanging from the ceiling. All were barefoot.

I bear witness as a 1999 High School graduate who now lives in town, steps into the cage at the back of the gym to spar with friend Rusty. He was barefoot. Later, Matt "Ice Cold" Blesser, a Greco-Roman wrestling national champion from a nearby county, rolls a massive tire around the room to prepare for his upcoming championship fight weeks later. He too was barefoot.

On this particular fight night I happened to notice four MMA fighters training. The youngest fighter was 23 6'1, blonde hair most alluring gray eyes olive tanned kissed skin and a marine type buzzed haircut.

They were all fighting this night and his fight was up first. He was an ex-marine who was making extra money as a cage fighter. This guy was making his debut against an opponent who had a previous knockout under his 1 and 0 belt.

As the four team members trained I noticed they were all barefooted except the novice ex marine … he was wearing no show sox and black wrestling shoes.