{"id":486957,"date":"2025-06-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-20T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=486957"},"modified":"2025-06-20T17:12:51","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T17:12:51","slug":"fighting-for-glory-soldiers-prepare-for-fort-hood-fight-night","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=486957","title":{"rendered":"Fighting for glory: Soldiers prepare for Fort Hood Fight Night"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Pfc. Hailey Dilbeck, 36th Engineer Brigade, practices boxing with Sgt. 1st Class Roman Davis, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, June 11, 2025, at Warrior Way Fitness Center at then-Fort Cavazos, Texas. (U.S. Army photo by Ayumi Davis, Fort Hood Public Affairs)
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\n Staff Sgt. Broderick Spear, 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, throws a punch at Sgt. 1st Class Charles Blackwell, 120th Infantry Brigade, during sparring while practicing for Fight Night June 11, 2025, at Warrior Way Fitness Center at then-Fort Cavazos, Texas. (U.S. Army photo by Ayumi Davis, Fort Hood Public Affairs)
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\n Spc. Darius Miller, 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, spars with Sgt. 1st Class Roman Davis, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st ABCT, 1st Cav. Div., June 11, 2025, at Warrior Way Fitness Center at then-Fort Cavazos, Texas. (U.S. Army photo by Ayumi Davis, Fort Hood Public Affairs)
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FORT HOOD, Texas \u2014 The smack of boxing gloves, the tap of feet and quick breaths break the silence in an open room June 11 at Warrior Way Fitness Center as several Soldiers trained for Fight Night.<\/p>\n

Fight Night is being held 6 p.m. June 27 at Abrams Physical Fitness Center. With 14 fighters and 7 bouts with two-minute rounds, there will be plenty to see for those who wish to attend. It serves as an opportunity for service members to pursue something greater than themselves, said Command Sgt. Maj. Loyd Rhoades, U.S. Army Garrison-Fort Hood command sergeant major.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese events are more than just competitions; they embody the spirit of resilience, camaraderie and dedication that define military life at Fort Hood, affectionately known as \u2018The Great Place,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cBy engaging in these bouts, participants not only hone their physical skills but also strengthen the bonds that unite them in service to our nation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith each punch and cheer, we honor the tradition of excellence that has been built over generations,\u201d Rhoades added.<\/p>\n

Soldiers participating have been practicing three times a week at Warrior Way. For some, they are refining skills. For others, they are learning a new sport entirely.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned a lot since I\u2019ve been doing it \u2014 started like a month ago,\u201d said Spc. Darius Miller, 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, who is a first-time boxer. \u201cI feel like I got way better conditioning actually, learning technique (and) knowing exactly what to do. I still got a lot to go, but I\u2019m getting better, so it\u2019s not too bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boxing is harder than it looks, Miller said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to say I thought it was easy, but it\u2019s way harder than it looks,\u201d he expressed. \u201cLike, cornered in the ring, even if it\u2019s for one minute, it\u2019s way harder than what it seems like.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spc. Javier Cordova, 1st Battalion, 62nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, has boxed previously, but said this would be his first time competing.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince the Army\u2019s running it, and since I\u2019m more confident in how I\u2019ve been training, I just feel like I\u2019m ready to compete, especially for the Army, which is even better,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201c(I have been) learning more defense, been learning more head movements,\u201d Cordova added. \u201cI\u2019ve been going the extra mile, especially not even at practice after practice, running two miles or so, actually still weightlifting after practice. So, I\u2019m here at Warrior Way three times a day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sgt. 1st Class Roman Davis, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st ABCT, 1st Cav. Div., has been mentoring and helping the competing Soldiers and said they have shown much progress.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of these guys didn\u2019t know much about (boxing), but once they started training here, they\u2019re really developing and getting much, much, much better,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir technique has improved overall,\u201d Davis said. \u201cSome of them, when they first got here, just (threw) punches, but now they\u2019re getting more technical about it, understanding the fundamentals of boxing and also their defense is getting much better as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boxing has several benefits, he noted.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great for your mental health,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s great for your physical health. Keeps you in shape, keeps your mind right and I encourage it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those considering boxing should try, Cordova said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNoone knows if they\u2019re a good boxer until they come out and practice, and don\u2019t judge it by the first day of practice because you\u2019re going to be a beginner at most,\u201d he said. \u201cYou probably won\u2019t know how to do \u2026 the footwork, how to throw an actual punch or how to defend yourself, but the coaches here will actually teach you and actually work and build your way up. So I say, do it; don\u2019t get cold feet. Don\u2019t let the first practice leave a mark on you because everyone\u2019s first days aren\u2019t the best, but at least showing up matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leading into Fight Night, Cordova hopes for a win.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to stay humble,\u201d he expressed. \u201cI don\u2019t expect to win, I don\u2019t expect to lose, I just expect to be my best.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miller expects nothing less than victory.<\/p>\n

\u201cI expect for myself to perform and win,\u201d he said. \u201cNothing against my opponent \u2014 the best to him \u2014 but I want to win. I want to compete.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhoades expressed he is excited to see the camaraderie around Fight Night.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m thrilled to witness the unwavering support of our Soldiers\u2019 units as they rally behind their teammates during this event,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s inspiring to see such dedication and camaraderie in action.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, this event is poised to grow beyond the garrison\u2019s scope,\u201d he continued. \u201cBy this time next year, we anticipate the competition expanding to the III Armored Corps level, with boxers from all divisions converging at Fort Hood to vie for the prestigious Phantom Fight Night Trophy. This evolution underscores the event\u2019s significance and the collective spirit of excellence within our ranks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fight Night is free and open to anyone. Those without access to the installation but wish to attend must obtain a visitor\u2019s pass.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1 \/ 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption \u2013 Pfc. Hailey Dilbeck, 36th Engineer Brigade, practices boxing with Sgt. 1st Class Roman Davis, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, June 11, 2025, at Warrior Way Fitness Center at then-Fort Cavazos, Texas. (U.S. Army photo by Ayumi Davis, Fort […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":486959,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-486957","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/486957","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=486957"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/486957\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":486963,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/486957\/revisions\/486963"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/486959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=486957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=486957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=486957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}