The videos are troubling. They\u2019ve made their way online through social media and other postings.<\/p>\n
A club fighter, Jacob Solis, is in the ring with a world-class fighter named Marquis Taylor. Both men are wearing headgear. Solis is under the impression that this is a sparring session. Taylor has been incentivized to treat the encounter as something more.<\/p>\n
Solis is staggered by a roundhouse right to the side of his head. Lurching forward, defenseless, he\u2019s punched hard again; this time by an illegal blow to the back of his head. As he slumps forward, a third roundhouse right \u2013 also to the back of his head \u2013 drives him to the canvas. There\u2019s no referee. No one helps Solis as he struggles to rise and staggers toward a corner.<\/p>\n
The overflow crowd loves it. The blow-by-blow commentator calling the livestream, watched by thousands of viewers, sounds enthralled.<\/p>\n
Welcome to Sparring Club.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Sparring Club is the creation of BoxRaw, a British company that sells men\u2019s and women\u2019s apparel and combat sports equipment. Sparring Club is important branding for BoxRaw. Its website<\/a> features a full-screen video that shows two men in a boxing ring with the superimposed legend: \u201cSPARRING CLUB: THIS IS KILL OR BE KILLED.\u201d<\/p>\n Recently, BoxRaw entered into a partnership with The Ring, which is owned by Turki al-Sheikh<\/a>, the most powerful force in boxing.<\/p>\n On 11 July, BoxRaw and The Ring promoted a Sparring Club event at the Greenpoint Terminal Warehouse in Brooklyn. Posts on social media advertised the date, time and site, promised free entry for fans, and described the event as follows: \u201cLive Pro Sparring from New York\u2019s Top Prospects \u2026 Raw, Handpicked, Dog Eat Dog \u2026 Two fighters competing will be selected to fight on the Canelo vs Crawford undercard.\u201d<\/p>\n An advertisement for the Sparring Club event on 11 July in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn. Photograph: BoxRaw<\/p>\n The social media posts served the dual purpose of attracting fans and recruiting fighters. A post by trainer Eric Kelly (who served as BoxRaw\u2019s point person on the ground on the night of the event) declared, \u201cSlots is slimming up. There\u2019s only a few slots left. I\u2019m only looking for killers! Professional. Who man enough to hop in? You say you can fight right? Let me know!\u201d<\/p>\n New York trainer Eric Kelly served as BoxRaw\u2019s point person on the ground for the Sparring Club event on 11 July. Photograph: Eric Kelly\u2019s Instagram<\/p>\n A New York trainer who was at the event later told the Guardian, \u201cEric Kelly called and told me he was hosting a sparring session that was sponsored by BoxRaw and The Ring and I should tell any pros I have in the gym that it\u2019s a big opportunity. If they look good, maybe they can get a spot on the Canelo-Crawford show. So right there; that tells you it won\u2019t really be sparring. It\u2019s more like a tryout to be on a team. You want to make an impression and leave a mark. And you do that by knocking the other guy out.\u201d<\/p>\n On 14 June, USA Boxing<\/a>, which oversees amateur boxing in the United States, sent a memorandum to its members in the New York metropolitan area. The memo noted that USA Boxing had received reports of \u201can unsanctioned boxing event\u201d titled \u201cSparring Club Presents: Dog City, NYC\u201d and reminded members that:<\/p>\n (1) \u201cSparring as entertainment, which includes sparring events of any capacity, is prohibited as outlined in the USA Boxing Sanction Manual.\u201d<\/p>\n (2) \u201cA USA Boxing athlete member shall not box in any boxing competition that is not sanctioned under USA Boxing.\u201d<\/p>\n (3) \u201cAny boxer, coach or official who participates in an unsanctioned or unregulated combat sport is ineligible to participate in competition as an athlete or non-athlete member of USA Boxing.\u201d<\/p>\n The memorandum closed with the declaration, \u201cUSA Boxing takes the participation in unsanctioned events very seriously, as these events may jeopardize one\u2019s standing with USA Boxing while placing innocent lives at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n A 10 July email to all USA Boxing members titled \u201c<\/strong>Important Notice: Participation in Unsanctioned Dog City Sparring Event\u201d elaborated on that warning and read in part: \u201cIt has come to our attention that an unsanctioned sparring event operating under the name \u2018Dog City\u2019 is circulating within our boxing community. We must strongly advise all USA Boxing members not to participate in this event or any similar activity that is not sanctioned by USA Boxing. Unsanctioned events do not carry the required safety protocols, oversight, or insurance coverage that protect our athletes, coaches, and officials. These events compromise the standards we uphold as the National Governing Body of Olympic-style amateur boxing in the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n Faced with this obstacle, BoxRaw declared that all of the event participants would either be professionals or have the intention to turn pro and would never fight as an amateur again. That solved one regulatory issue but led to another.<\/p>\n All professional boxing activity in the State of New York is subject to regulation by the New York State Athletic Commission. More specifically, the New York General Business Law states, \u201cThe conduct of combative sports outside the supervision of the commission or an authorized sanctioning entity is prohibited.\u201d<\/p>\n The NYSAC Rules and Regulations as they relate to professional fights require:<\/p>\n (1) Pre-fight medical examinations for all combatants.<\/p>\n (2) At least one commission-designated doctor and at least one ambulance with medical personnel consisting of at least one paramedic with appropriate resuscitation equipment to be continuously present at ringside.<\/p>\n (3) A post-fight medical evaluation of each combatant by an on-site commission-designated physician immediately following each match.<\/p>\n Additionally, promoters are required to provide medical insurance for both amateur and professional combat sports events.<\/p>\n Sparring Club took the position that it was not subject to these requirements since its event would consist of \u201csparring\u201d rather than actual fights. But the General Business Law includes \u201csparring\u201d as a regulated combat sport that must be conducted under the supervision of the commission, albeit with fewer requirements. And the law specifically requires that any entity involved in the conduct of professional sparring first procure a license from the commission. For example, gyms where fighters train are required to have a sparring license.<\/p>\n BoxRaw submitted an application for a sparring license to the New York State Athletic Commission well in advance. But some of material necessary to finalize the application wasn\u2019t submitted until the day of the event, adding an element of uncertainty to the proceedings.<\/p>\n The event itself was a huge draw. In addition to the in-ring activity, fans were drawn to the Greenpoint Terminal Warehouse by the promise of free pizza, ice cream, and tickets to the following night\u2019s fights at Louis Armstrong Stadium which would include Edgar Berlanga v Hamzah Sheeraz<\/a> and Shakur Stevenson v William Zepeda. One boxing veteran recounts, \u201cI was shocked when we got to the terminal. There was a line several blocks long of people waiting to get in. And when we got inside, the place was packed.\u201d<\/p>\n Inside the terminal warehouse, the atmosphere was festive. Turki al-Sheikh was there with promoter Eddie Hearn and Ring Magazine CEO Rick Reeno, who is among Sheikh\u2019s most trusted boxing advisors. Hearn left early to attend the fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano<\/a> at Madison Square Garden. His companions stayed a bit longer.<\/p>\n There was a lot of security outside the ring. Inside the ropes, security was lax.<\/p>\n Trainer Andre Rozier looks back on the event and says, \u201cIt was something new and different. They had, I think it was 26 sparring sessions. Guys were supposed to go three two-minute rounds with 16-ounce gloves. I had six guys there.\u201d<\/p>\n