In Photos: We Can’t Talk About It (Fight Night)
By Mae T. Weir and Grace E. Yoon, Crimson Staff WritersIn late April, the Harvard Boxing Club held their second annual fight night, delivering a series of dynamic exhibition fights to a packed crowd. Club members took to the ring to showcase months of preparation and put on a performance that had the attendees on the edge of their seats.
Harvard Boxing Club, first established in 1857, brings together University affiliates from every school to train and develop their boxing skills twice a week. With open admission, it invites everyone to participate from a beginner to professional level.
Throughout the year, the fighters train under the supervision of Head Coach Joseph F. Lake and Assistant Coach Bob Judge, who are old friends that originally met fighting jiu jitsu. This year of training culminates in eight exhibition matches.
Before the matches began, a steady stream of people entered the Boston Boxing & Fitness gym as fighters stretched, shadow boxed, and carefully laced up their gloves. A DJ played upbeat music and a concession stand offered snacks and drinks as the crowd settled in. Friends and family came out to support the fighters — including Danilo Mandic’s son, Milos, who toddled around the gym floor, playing with an ab roller.
The first match of the night was between former club captain Carrie Hsu ‘24, and current club captain Johanne “Jo” E. H. Donovan. The fast-paced fight set the tone for the rest of the evening, and the other players cheered Hsu and Donovan on, taking a break from their warm ups.
Exhibition matches are meant for boxers to showcase their skills and development without an official winner or fear of injury. The matches are shorter, capped at six minutes total with three two minute rounds. Fighters don casual uniforms with gloves and headgear that have additional padding to avoid severe injuries.
While there are numerous safety precautions in place, the fighters approach each fight with intensity and discipline. Saddat T. Nazir ‘25, the then-President of the club, doesn’t pull punches in his match against Hank Yang, a student at Harvard Divinity School.
Two cornermen stand opposite each other just outside the ring, keeping fighters hydrated and managing any injuries between rounds and during breaks. One corner was manned by Assistant Coach Judge, and the other by former Harvard Boxing Club President Leonel “Leo” Barrera ’24. Barrera led the club from the 2023-2024 school year, and has since graduated — but still returns regularly to support the team.
“I was in the corner tonight, just like, helping out and coaching the players. But beyond that I'm always here whenever Sadat reaches out, or Jay or any of the other captains reach out. I'm always more than willing to help out,” he said.
Coach Lake refereed the matches; his two priorities were to protect his fighters and put on a show. Lake began coaching the boxing club in 2024, and has since worked to prepare his fighters not only for the ring, but to take on life beyond Harvard.
“They learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable. I think that’s going to go a long way in your life,” he said.
The most heated match of the night took place between Max R. Lupoff ’28 and Aram Bagdasarian ’27, the incoming President of the club. Early in the bout, Lupoff landed a punch that bloodied Bagdasarian’s nose. At the break, Barrera, Hsu, and Nazair rushed to Bagdasarian’s corner, wiping the blood from his face and making sure he was fit to continue.
When the buzzer rang for round two, Bagdasarian stepped into the center of the ring with newfound determination. He launched a series of brutal combinations, including an uppercut to the face, forcing Lake to step in and issue a standing count to give Lupoff a moment to breathe.
Fighters Joseph “Joe” P. Rosales and Jayanth “Jay” S. Pratap ’25 were the sixth match of the night. Rosales is a former captain of the club and Pratap emceed the first half of the night before preparing for his fight. Pratap and Omar M. Sotelo ’26, the two emcees for the night, kept the crowd entertained and roaring with laughter as they introduced each fight.
The final match of the night was between two Matherites, Ejike Ike ‘25 and Joseph P. Fadule ‘26, a club captain. There was a brutal back and forth, which had Fadule lifting Ike off the ground. Unable to catch his breath, Ike conceded the rest of the match after a brief check in with Lake.
“But that's boxing, that tells you a lot about yourself,” Lake said.
The Harvard Boxing Club had only five members in Barrera's freshman year. Now, the club has nearly 50 members and the success of the fight night reflects a rising interest and enthusiasm for the club.
“It's been really awesome just to see the engagement, even if you're not stepping into the ring people are coming to practices, and coming out here and supporting,” Barrera said.
Lake has high expectations for the future of the club that once counted former presidents John F. Kennedy and Theodore Roosevelt among its members.
“I'm trying to get it to be back where it used to be,” he said.