Ready for a fight? How boxing is being used to end gang beefs in ring, not in SC streets
Jeramiah “Jumbo” Ledesma slides on his boxing gloves, preparing to step into the makeshift ring for the last fight of the day.
It’s not Ledesma’s first fight, and it won’t be his last.
Boxing has been the 18-year-old’s refuge – a rescue from a series of decisions that started when he was kicked out of school for fighting when he was 15.
But things changed when he met Nate Jenkins.
After seeing gang members and others he knew settle their disputes using weapons, Jenkins started the Carolina Fight Club, a place where people could settle their disputes with gloves, not guns.
Ledesma became involved and for the last three years he has participated in Jenkins’ “Guns Down, Gloves Up” fights that usually take place once or twice a month.
“(I was) tired of everybody beefing and using guns,” Jenkins said of his reason for started the club. His goal is to instead have them “do it like men,” taking their anger out in the ring.
“It’s a bigger picture,” he said, “fight by fight, little by little.”
Fighting in the ring, not on the street
Ledesma credits the fight club and boxing for helping him become more “mature” and grow.
Ledesma was in middle school when he left school. He had anger issues and found himself frequently in fights with others, he said.
Once he began boxing, Ledesma became focused, he said, eventually getting his GED. He now works with Jenkins and trains at the same gym.
Jenkins is a mixed martial arts fighter, known as Natè Thà Grèat, working out of a gym in Aynor, where he lives.
The matches take place at various spots, such as backyards or parks, which is where the most recent fight took place on Nov. 23, 2024, at Bayboro Park in Galivants Ferry.
Since the club began in 2019, it has gained a following, bringing in crowds and fighters from all different places and walks of life.
Those who want to box can just show up and are matched according to their weight, but there is an opportunity for others to call out certain people and challenge them to a fight. But everyone must follow the rules and that means a fair fight.
Jenkins is intentionally trying to get people to come fight in the ring, instead of in the street, he said.
Many but not all of those have been gang members, the 26-year-old said.
Gangs have become an increasing problem in Horry County. Police officials have contributed a number of shootings and other crimes to gangs and gang activity.
The bottom line is that Jenkins began tapping into such communities because “nobody else would do it,” he said.
Bringing people together through boxing
This is the first fight for Hayden Causey. He heard about the club on social media and has seen the videos of the fights that Jenkins posts on YouTube.
The 27-year-old is using fighting to burn off stress.
Tony Green has fought before.
The 31-year-old from Conway said he wants to support the community and believes the fight club is bringing more people together.
Green stepped in the ring against Amari Ball, 29, who drove two hours from Florence to participate in the boxing matches.
He saw the advertisement for the upcoming boxing match online.
Each match is three, two-minute rounds. A referee, usually Jenkins, makes sure the fighters are adhering to the rules, which is similar to a competitive boxing match.
Crowds stand around the ring, which has wooden, portable posts that are surrounded by ropes, and can be heard shouting to the fighters.
At the end of each match, a winner is declared. But there are no awards given.
Instead, it’s more about having fun and showing off their skills
Leaving it in the ring
Ledesma’s fight was the last of the day.
Ledesma was matched with Alex Bowman, a 19-year-old boxer from Myrtle Beach.
The match was intense, with both boxers landing blow after blow.
Jenkins is coaching from the sidelines.
Eventually, the fight is called, and Ledesma is declared the winner.
The crowd claps for both fighters, and both fighters hugged before they left the ring.
That’s what Guns Down, Gloves Up is about at the end of the day, Jenkins tells the crowd – making a difference in the community and leaving it all in the ring.
This story was originally published January 8, 2025 at 12:00 AM.
