When I first met Bryan Woods, it was at a boxing fitness class at a boxing gym in Bridgehampton. This was three years ago, and it was clear Bryan was obsessed with boxing. Pushing 40 years old, Bryan doesn’t like to box to stay in shape, he likes to box because he absolutely loves it. “It’s unlike any other sport, I’m totally in love with it,” Bryan says.
You wouldn’t think that a young father who founded a tech company would be interested in actually stepping into the ring in a sanctioned boxing match, but you’d be wrong. Bryan has been accepted into and will be fighting in this year’s “Haymakers For Hope“ a charity boxing match in New York City that takes place at the Hammerstein Ballroom on November 6 and nearly every day, you can find him in a boxing gym training.
Haymakers For Hope is the real deal, with thousands of people watching it live in person and online. The bouts raise money for cancer research that is expected to raise nearly $1 million dollars.
“Like a lot of people, I’ve lost loved ones to this disease,“ Woods says. “Grandparents. Extended family. And a dear friend who went through hell with breast cancer. She made it through — but not everyone does. So I’m fighting to raise money for research, for treatments, and for the people still in the ring.”
Bryan’s goal is to raise $10,000 for the event through his ticket sales and donations. This will be his first ever real fight and at 40 years old, he’s taking it very seriously. He’s had a tough year going through a divorce, and the fight has given him a way to take his mind off it. Outside of training at Gotham gym in Bridgehampton, he’s also training for the fight in NYC under the legendary Leon “Cat“ Taylor at the world-famous Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn, where he’s living his own Rocky movie.
Bryan has been fighting for several years now. “Fighting’s easy,“ Woods says. “Training’s hard. Balancing training as a single dad and cofounder of a tech startup is grueling. But I’ve learned a lot about myself in this process — about balance, power, hard work, and how much more we’re all capable of than we think.”
The event, Hope NYC XIII, will take place on November 6 and feature a full night of sanctioned amateur bouts in front of a packed house. Fighters’ donations, 100%, go directly to cancer-focused organizations. Woods’ campaign is live now at haymakersforhope.org.
Donate to Bryan’s fight today and if you can, go see an East Hampton local participate in the fight of his life!
