By Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class William Selby
April 21, 2010 - Senior Airman Mathew McCoy gets in a few jabs before stepping into the ring. The war at Warfield gym is about to get underway with members of the military set to go toe to toe in the Armed Forces Boxing Championship from April 20 to April 23 at Naval Base Ventura County in California.
Today on the naval base I decided to travel over to the “Bee Hive,” a gym where each team is training. As soon as I walked in the door, I couldn’t see the fighters, but I knew exactly where they were thanks to the grunts and sounds of punching bags being abused by the fighters. After they finished, one of the smaller fighters bounced gracefully toward me, as if he was dancing around the ring.
The fighter’s name is Senior Airman Mathew McCoy, and he is fighting at 141 pounds.
McCoy joined the boxing team shortly after joining the Air Force in 2007. Originally, he said he wanted to become part of Special Forces but he was injured and is now assigned to supply.
After his first AFBC, McCoy was deployed to Belad, Iraq for four months. He went right back to boxing after he returned. But now, McCoy said this will be his third – and final- championship fight, and he is motivated to win it.
To do that, McCoy will have to beat last year’s 141 pounds champ, and Navy team captain, Justin Diaz, but that doesn’t bother him.
“I’m giddy,” he said. “I feel good and ready to go. It’s my time,” he added.
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