The Jackson – Old Hickory Rotary club is the second annual sponsor of the Hub City Fight Night. We purchase tickets and donate them to a local elementary school for the school
counselors to determine how they get distributed. This allows children to earn these tickets as most are handed out for good behavior and/or a student will write an essay to earn them. It also allows them to experience an event they likely have never attended before and maybe become interested in the sport.

The Jackson Boxing Club reopened in 2021 with tremendous community support as concerns
about the lack of community well-being programs for children are rising. As part of the Jackson Athletic League Initiative — a partnership formed under United Way of West Tennessee with the Jackson Police Department, the Jackson Madison County School System and the Madison County Juvenile Court — the boxing club has gained support from the community to step back into the ring to provide both a steady outlet of activity for children as well as a safe place to grow. Jackson has a rich history of boxing, from Jackie Beard to Rayford Collins. 

“These kids can do anything,” he said. “But they’ve got to know they can do it. They just need someone to believe in them. I want to take some of these kids, and I think we could make more national champions. I want to give them something to hope for.

“These kids are our future. And we need to invest in them. Making their generation better will
make the whole world better.” 

Classes at the Jackson Boxing Club, at 96 O’Neal St, are free to all and are held Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.