Gloves, not pucks at the Civic Center

There will be no more hockey pucks smacking the boards in the Civic Center. Soon fists will be doing all of the work. Recently the management of the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center decided to replace hockey from their list of sporting events and add boxing.

The switch of sporting events is due to the hockey management leasing the team to a Georgia promoter because of his lack of interest in managing the team in Tallahassee.

In February 2002, professional boxing will make it’s debut in the Civic Center. Boxing is a sport recognized all over the world for it’s large crowds and famous match-ups.

The boxing matches coming to Tallahassee aren’t going to start off with matches from world-renowned boxers such as Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya. A promoter out of California coordinates the matches that will be coming to Tallahassee.

The concept is boxers from California, as well as local boxers, competing against each other in the Civic Center,” said Director of the Civic Center Ron Spencer.

The boxing matches are scheduled for Thursday nights every other month. Students are urged to take advantage of this opportunity to see professional boxing live.

“I don’t see how hockey lasted 7 years in the first place.” said Tashai Shell, 19, an agri-business student from Miami. “Nobody goes out to play hockey, but boxing, on the other hand, you can do that in your backyard so I can see that doing well in a college town.”

Although some students favor boxing, others, like Florida State student Paula Mohamed, have a different view.

“Although I watched boxing with my dad when I was younger, I don’t agree with the whole sport because it’s too physical,” said the 19-year-old Childhood Development student from Miami.

Boxing tickets range from $5 for lower level seats and up to $100 for mat seats, which are tables right outside of the ring.

Students have mixed emotions. Boxing has a chance to make or break students viewpoints about the popular sport.