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Dayton History is giving boxing and history fans alike an opportunity to travel back to the Roaring 1920’s and watch as 14 Dayton-area boxers and community figures engage in an evening of raucous era-specific fighting during the 2017 Dayton History “Fight Night” on Feb. 25, 2017. The exhibition takes place from 7:00pm–12:00am in Dayton’s historic Memorial Hall. The event is presented by Steve R. Rauch Inc.

Holly Brennan is the Development Manager at Dayton History and she helped plan the 1920’s Fight Night. She is also a Clark County native and 2003 graduate of North High School. She and her husband, Kevin Brennan, recently returned to the area after living in Japan for nearly two years for her husband’s job.

Brennan explains how Fight Night was started in 2016.

“Dayton has a long history of boxing, and the idea to present a 1920’s boxing exhibition in historic Memorial Hall was a great way to showcase what Dayton History does best, bringing the past to life and inspiring the future by collecting, preserving, interpreting, presenting, and promoting the region’s past. Fight Night is a great opportunity to showcase Memorial Hall and invite the community to join us for an exciting evening of entertaining fights.”

The exhibition boxers have trained with Jeff Brown, Larry Drake, and Joe Jackson at the Brown Institute of Martial Arts for nearly three months. Most of the fighters train two to three times a week.

The Fight Night boxers include: Clinnel Jones, Christopher Kemp, Nathan Mathis, Dave Raynor, Roy Skidmore, Nathan Speelman, Steve Springston, Brandon Storer, Tyler Visagie, Jen Henry, Sarah Kingston, Christine Spaulding, Meryl Westerheide, and Patrick Stumpf.

Presenting Fight Night at Memorial Hall was a natural choice says Brennan.

“Historic Memorial Hall, established in 1910, hosted boxing legends, Muhammad Ali, Jack Dempsey, and many other boxing greats who once went toe-to-toe at Memorial Hall. When Dayton History took over the operations of Memorial Hall, it seemed like a natural fit to host a boxing exhibition in the same location that once hosted these famous boxing legends.”

Brennan is excited about Fight Night and encourages Clark County residents to dress in their best Roaring 20’s style-clothes and make the short journey to Dayton for Dayton History’s second annual 1920’s Fight Night.

“Attendees can expect to see great fights, I am confident our fighters are going to put on a great exhibition. I encourage (everyone) to watch our fighters go toe to toe in the ring. I am so impressed with our fighters, and I truly admire them for training hard and dedicating themselves to this event,” says Brennan.

After the fighting ends, a Speakeasy After-Party will kick off in Memorial Hall’s lower level. Featuring live music and a full-service bar, party-goers will get to mingle with the evening’s fighters and dance the night away.

Brennan says Fight Night is one of several fundraisers that support Dayton History. All proceeds from Fight Night help sustain the educational programming and conservation efforts at Carillon Park and Dayton History’s other area campuses.

For ticket information, visit www.daytonhistory.org.