Josh Harvey (left) spars with Young’s MMA teammate, Aaron Lacey (right), at the All American Kickboxing event at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer Saturday night.
BREWER, Maine – Over 350 people were at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer on Saturday night to watch local athletes take part in the All American Kickboxing event.
Josh Harvey, the former New England Fights amateur lightweight champion and a two-time wrestling state champion at Dexter Regional High School, and MaineNightOut.com organized the event, with sponsorships from Mainely Glass, BB’s Tattoo Company and the Sea Dog Brewing Company. Admission to the event was $10, with all proceeds benefiting the Maine Veteran’s Project; an organization dedicated to reducing veteran suicide rates through retreats in the Maine wilderness.
Harvey, who won his professional Mixed Martial Arts debut at NEF 22 on April 23, served as the matchmaker for the event, which featured 14 bouts with athletes from six different gyms around Maine.
“I’ve sparred with every person in the ring,” said Harvey. “I wanted to put guys against each other who I knew were evenly matched.”
Shawn “Doc” Goodwin, president of the Maine Veteran’s Project, stepped into the ring against professional MMA fighter, Bruce Boyington, to fight for his cause.
“I expected a good turnout for the event,” said Goodwin. “But I also expected to get rocked pretty hard, which I did.”
Shawn “Doc” Goodwin (left), president of the Maine Veteran’s Project, and Bruce Boyington (right) after their bout Saturday night.
The event is the second of its kind in the area. The first took place at the Factory One nightclub in Dexter on April 1. The event drew over 200 people and featured eight matches.
These events are not staged under the Maine Combat Sports Authority, meaning they have no winners or losers.
The matches offer a chance for new fighters to get in the ring in front of smaller crowds, instead of the larger crowds at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee, the main venue for MMA events in the state.
“A lot of these guys and girls are just stepping into it, and it’s their first time in front of a crowd,” said Harvey.
For more experienced fighters, these bouts serve as a tune up before going into the events that they have been training for, and a chance for them to spar with fighters from different gyms.
“It fits right into our fight camps,” said Harvey. “So this is our training.”
One of these fighters is Boyington, who will be facing Saul Almeida at World Series of Fighting 31 on June 17 at Foxwoods Resort & Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. Boyington is 13-8-0 in his professional career, and is entering the nationally televised event with four straight victories.
These showcases also mean more exposure for combat sports in Northern Maine, since the majority of MMA events take place in the southern portion of the state. It gives a chance for those interested in the sport, including women and kids, to learn about how they can get involved themselves. Saturday’s card featured two female bouts and one youth bout.
All American Kickboxing plans on returning to Dexter for another showcase in July, according to Harvey. The date has yet to be determined, but is likely to take place three weeks before NEF 25.
