Fighter

Fighter is a short documentary series about small-town amateur boxers who dream of turning pro. Each film focuses on one young man and their life in and out of the ring. 

About the Series:

This series is more about people than about boxing and I hope you connect with these young men and maybe even see a part of yourself in them as you find the courage to fight for your dream.

September 2015, I was frustrated that I didn’t have an actual project in the works. One night I was driving around, shooting random b-roll footage and I drove past a boxing gym called Joey’s.  It was dusk and a fluorescent glow was spilling out of this hole-in-the-wall gym as a dozen guys pounded away at punching bags.  I  said to myself, “there has to be a story in there.”

I walked in, introduced myself to the head trainer, told him that I was a documentary filmmaker (something I had never done before) and asked him if it would be okay for me to start filming them from time to time. He was extremely generous and warm and introduced me to Josh, an amateur fighter that was turning pro within the next couple of months.  I knew that would be a good place to start. 

And so it began. Each week I spent time filming Josh while also getting to know some of the other guys. After a month or so I met Tony who was quiet and reserved until the camera landed on him and then all of a sudden he would open up and be so vulnerable. I knew he had a story to tell and so I began filming him at the gym and following him home after practice. And then 3 days before the Golden Gloves tournament, Xavier got hit by a car and broke his neck. It wasn’t clear if he’d ever box again and so I showed up at the hospital and started shooting his story. 

During the filming of this series I became friends with each guy and began to see myself in them: all of us chasing a dream...them professional boxing, me documentary filmmaking.  I was inspired by their dedication and fearlessness in the ring and their vulnerability and gentleness outside of it.