Drake's Fight Night

Last night Dayton hosted a neat event, Drake's Fight Night.  Local fighters matched up in a nine-fight card in a ring set up on Fourth Street in downtown Dayton.  Tom Archdeacon reports on the fights, and his and others' efforts to put together the event:

Fight Night was part of the five-week, multi-event Punchers & Painters festival which celebrates boxing, art and downtown Dayton. It’s a grassroots effort begun a year ago by three of us - local artist Mike Elsass, downtown gym owner John Drake and myself - and now joined by some other like-minded supporters like Trotwood gym owner Milt Pearson, whose son Chris is one of the favorites to make the U.S. Olympic boxing team for the 2012 London Games.
This Friday night Punchers & Painters will host “An Evening with Buster Douglas” - the former heavyweight champ (one time Sinclair Community College basketball player) and the first man to dethrone Mike Tyson - at the Color of Energy Gallery in the Oregon District.
All but the Dayton Dragons fight show Aug 12 are free. Although 16 ringside tables were sold for the Drake’s show, the Dayton Daily News donated the medals given the boxers and Price Stores provided Drake’s wardrobe, most of the Punchers & Painters expenses are handled by us without financial help from the city or some community fund.
“You just do what you can to help make our town better,” said Elsass, speaking for all of us.

Last year, I wanted to go down, but didn't make it.  This year, I didn't realize it was going on.  I'll keep my eyes open for it next year.