‘I want to grow the sport’: Brick West Brewing’s second boxing card a hit with fans, fighters alike

The sweltering July heat did not stop Rick Welliver’s Brick West Boxing matches from drawing a large crowd, nor did it stop the boxers from putting on a good show.

An hour before the event started, people filed into Brick West Brewery’s courtyard and took their spot in the white plastic folding chairs set out for the event.

Shade was sparse, so people got creative in how they stayed cool. Some spectators stood in the shade of the building the entire time, others brought umbrellas and one spectator even brought a collapsible tent for her family to escape the heat.

In addition to the creative ways to create shade, the crowd took advantage of the brewery’s beers and other beverages to cool down while they watched the matches.

The card featured 10 bouts from gyms throughout Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon. The event was originally slated for 15 matches, though several were canceled due to no-shows.

Welliver mentioned a contributing factor to the canceled matches could be the lower economic standing of some of the athletes.

“This is a socioeconomic sport,” Welliver said. “Kids that are on the bottom side of advantage maybe didn’t have enough money to get here. Maybe they didn’t have enough money to spend the night.”

Despite the shortened card, each fight was watched with excitement. Youths from 11-years-old to adults in their mid-twenties fought in the ring surrounded by the cheering crowd.

Aside from the main event, there was one match that riled the crowd up: Giovanni Christian from Coeur d’Alene Boxing versus Liam Argaw from Spokane’s Legacy Boxing Club.

A crowd favorite, Argaw has been training with Legacy since he was fifteen.

“It’s the first (gym) and last (gym) I joined,” Argaw said. “Legacy is perfect.”

Argaw started boxing because his mother said he needed a pastime that would “tire out” his energy.

“The first time stepping into that gym–hitting that bag–I just loved it,” Argaw said. “I wanted to beat some other people up too.”

“Beat” them up, he did.

Argaw dominated all three rounds against Christian, though he never put his opponent away. Argaw slipped and rolled with the punches, always coming back to fire shots of his own. During the breaks, he held his head high and listened to his corner’s advice.

Argaw’s persistence paid off with his hand raised the winner via decision. Once the medal was placed around his neck, it was proudly displayed on his chest for the remainder of the event.

The other matches that bolstered the card showed excellent sportsmanship with each opponent treating the other and their corner with respect.

The main event of the night was no exception.

Musheer Foree from Spokane Boxing fought Luis Castillo from Legacy.

The three rounds were intense. Foree and Castillo both attacked each other relentlessly – often covering the distance of the ring with their back-and-forth combinations.

Off to the side, a group of children chanted “Let’s go, King!” in support of Foree.

In the end, Castillo proved too much for Foree. Castillo outboxed the crowd favorite and ended the event with his arm held in the air.

Despite the loss, Foree graciously accepted the decision and bestowed the winner’s medal to his opponent.

The camaraderie between opponents was not limited to the boxers.

After the event, all the local coaches made their way to Welliver to thank him for putting on the event.

“All of our local coaches are like a team,” Welliver said. “Team Spokane.”

There are changes Welliver expects to make for next year’s Brick West Boxing event – namely making it more equitable for lower-income competitors from across the Pacific Northwest to compete.

“I want our town to become the epicenter of boxing in the Inland Northwest,” Welliver said. “I want to grow the sport.”