It’s been a pretty difficult last 12 months or so for the Covington Boxing Club.
COVID shut things down last year. Then, two months ago, coach Jimmy Glover, who founded the club nearly 50 years ago, died.
The boxers began working out again last September, but the pandemic was preventing clubs from hosting boxing shows.
Finally, last Saturday night in Pine Bluff, Ark., Covington’s boxers had a chance to take part in a competition.
“These kids have been in the gym since last September, working hard,” said Jimmy Humphrey, Glover’s longtime coaching partner who is now leading the program. “It was nice to get back at it.”
Four Covington boxers made the trip to the show, which was hosted by the Pine Bluff Boxing Club. Only one of them had an opponent in his weight class, but he represented Covington well.
Eight-year-old southpaw Braylen Rudd, fighting in the 65-pound class, scored a third-round technical knockout to bring home the first Covington boxing trophy in more than a year.
It was Rudd’s first competitive boxing match. The decisive punch was a right hook.
“I didn’t know he had that kind of power,” Humphrey said. “He’s really going to be a good one.”
Humphrey said as many as 15 boxers have been in the gym on a regular basis. Chris Rudd and Anthony Campbell, who won many titles during their fighting days with the Covington Boxing Club, are helping Humphrey train.
The next scheduled event for the club is next month’s Silver Gloves Tournament in Jackson, Tenn.
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