Kelly entering ring to combat homelessness

Local radio personality Jim Kelly, of the Taz and Jim Show (FM96), will swap his emcee microphone for boxing gloves this year at the Fight to End Homelessness — all in support of Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU).

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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In this corner, standing 5 feet 10 inches tall, fighting out of the FM96 studios. You know him as co-host of the Taz & Jim morning radio show. He’s quick with a joke and hopefully even quicker with his jab …  Jim ‘The Irish Goodbye’ Kelly.

On Nov. 8, Kelly puts the jokes aside and steps into the ring at RBC Place as one of 32 community members-turned-amateur boxers taking part in the Fight to End Homelessness, a charitable event supporting Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU).

On the card are 16 bouts, featuring Londoners fighting from all walks of life – lawyers and teachers, developers and tech dudes, professors and property managers, retailers and, yes, radio personalities.

Sure, Kelly will enter the ring to the tune ‘Boom Shack-A-Lak,’ the 1993 ‘hit’ by reggae DJ Apache Indian (maybe best known from the movie ‘Dumb and Dumber’). But don’t let the music fool you; he’ll be serious about winning – and about the cause.

The fighters have been training for months. Most are in the best shape of their adult lives. They’ve received boxing lessons from the best at Boomerz Boxing on Dundas Street downtown, been put through the ringer to boost their cardio, and they’ve done plenty of sparring.

“Believe it or not, I’d been punched in the face many times beforehand, so it wasn’t that much of a shock,” said Kelly, who grew up on the ‘mean streets’ of, um, Mitchell, Ont.

“I mean, I haven’t gotten into a fight since college, and I’ve never been knocked out or anything. Actually, the weird feeling was when I was put to the canvas with a body blow. I’ve never been hit with a body shot like that before. He got me right in, I don’t know, the kidney? Liver? One shot. I went right to my knees. It was a crazy feeling. I couldn’t stand for like 20 seconds. So, I’m hoping the adrenaline will keep me going the night of the fight if that happens again.”

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Started by Londoners Brett Lucier and Adam Malamis, the Fight to End Homelessness event looks to raise money to support youth experiencing homelessness, and to show youth that the community cares about them – and their futures.

“They approached us and said, ‘We’d like to do a fundraiser for YOU.’ I’d never attended a boxing match myself until (‘Fight to End’) came along. We would never think of planning a boxing event ourselves,” said Steve Cordes, CEO of YOU, with a laugh. “But to participate in a third-party event? Absolutely. And the amount of money they’ve raised has gone way beyond. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

After a successful debut in 2019, the Fight to End was paused for two years due to COVID.

“Even at the first event, I remember looking around and saying, ‘Is this Vegas or is this London, Ontario?’” said Kelly, who served as emcee for the first two events. “I was blown away with how impressive the setup was, and it was one of the most well-run events in London that I could remember.”

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

Cordes agrees: “Attending last year, the biggest takeaway from me was that the alignment with the cause was so strong. People knew what they were supporting. There was a beautiful video that the organizers had put together. There was lots of signage and announcements about the cause. You knew you were there, not just for a fun night, but for an important cause. I loved that.”

Sold out again in 2023, the money this year (expected to surpass the $300,000 raised in 2022) will go towards the Youth Wellness Hub in the new Joan’s Place. It will provide youth and young adults (12 to 24) with supports to help them engage more fully in the community.

“Basically, youth can walk in and find their way into a social network and find their way to resources in the community, whether it’s housing, employment or educational support,” Cordes said. “The organizers loved the concept of creating a low-barrier safe space for young people, and to be able to help fit it out and furnish it. A space for young people who are feeling isolated and at-risk or experiencing homelessness.”

A boxing event is certainly a unique way to raise money for such a cause. But it’s been a hit.

“It’s on a lot of people’s minds these days, and (youth) is where you want to nip the situation in the bud,” Kelly said. “I’m heading to work on some of these streets where there are homeless people sleeping. I’m running by them while training in the morning, and it’s like, ‘Wow, I guess this is why I’m doing this.’ There just seems to be more than ever. I think everybody involved in this event is a community-minded person, and we’re really joining forces for the Fight to End.”

Cordes has met all the fighters who will enter the ring. He’s been impressed by everyone’s commitment to the cause and their determination.

“I basically ask, ‘Why are you doing this?’ People jump in with some amazing answers. Such a big part of it is there’s just such tragedy when you see young people experiencing homelessness. People will say, ‘I can’t think that my community can thrive when I know there are so many people who can’t. I want to do my part.’”

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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After last year’s event, Kelly decided to trade the microphone for the Everlast gloves. In 2022, FM96, who sponsors the event, was represented in the ring by ‘Boss Brad,’ Brad Gibb, who experienced a physical transformation from his training in the months leading up to the fight.

“He loved it. He didn’t win his fight, but he really enjoyed the experience,” Kelly said. “I kind of realized, ‘Hey, I could fight in this, too!’ I’ve always loved sports, and I was an athlete growing up. I thought this is something I would love to try, especially to raise money for a good cause.”

Like every other fighter, Kelly applied in the spring. Would-be fighters were required to ‘sell themselves’ as community contributors and supporters of the cause. ‘Take some time and think about WHY you want to join,’ the Fight to End participant package said, noting that far more applications are received than fighters ultimately chosen.

Kelly was accepted. Shortly after, he began the group’s 18-week Fight Camp at Boomerz. Training sessions have taken place twice a week since, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 7-8 p.m., under the instruction of Marc Pagcaliwangan, Tanner Kimbark, and Abdul Jouda.

“It’s been great. I wouldn’t say I’m surprised at the generosity of folks, but I’ve very much enjoyed the camaraderie of the people who do boxing or MMA,” Kelly said. “You’d think if you’re sitting there punching each other in the face all the time, you’d end up hating the people you’re sparring with. But you end up kind of loving them. You become really close.”

After multiple months of training and assessment from the coaches, organizers matched up fighters with similar skills, sizes, and ages. Kelly was matched against Mike ‘The Architect of Destruction’ Fishback, a design manager at Doug Tarry Homes.

As of Nov. 1, Kelly’s opponent has beaten him out of the ring on the fundraising front. Fishback has raised nearly $7,000 in donations from family and friends. Kelly is at about $1,400 (of a $2,000 goal), but he’s still got time.

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

Donors can either support the fighter of their choice by going to the ‘Matchup’ tab on the website and choosing their fighter, or can stay neutral and donate to the overall cause.

In addition to the twice-weekly sessions, Kelly has been going to Adrenaline MMA for kickboxing classes for his fitness. He’s tried to train at least four or five times a week. Ironically, besides nicks and bruises, his most significant injury came outside of training late in the summer – in his back yard.

He couldn’t don boxing gloves for two weeks, sidelined by the gardening injury. But he used the time to do some one-handed boxing classes – and think about other aspects like “how to play better defense.” The good news? “That hand is basically numb, so I can throw any punches I want and not feel a thing.”

There will be pride on the line heading into the fight, and he feels some pressure to perform.

“I just don’t want to make a fool of myself and, like, get knocked out right away,” he said. “I just want to make it three rounds and put in a good effort and have some people in the crowd say, ‘Hey, that guy looks like he can box.’”

Also on the line will be his historical record as an amateur boxer. Each of the 32 fighters will have a legitimate boxing record in Ontario once the night is over.

“We’re either going to be 0-1 or 1-0 for the rest of our lives,” Kelly said. “And I’d rather be 1-0.”

And then retire undefeated? “Exactly.”