SPORTS
Bowie’s Dominion Boxing brings combat sports to the county
Dominion Boxing is hosting its 11th Smoker Fight night starting at 5:30 p.m. on June 19.
Next month will mark a year since the combat focused workout gym/emerging fighting team started hosting Smoker Fights which was key to its explosive growth.
Smoker Fights are unsanctioned exhibitions fighters use to get ready for a sanctioned fight, or the smoke before the fire so to say. Winning and losing isn’t important, its about getting live rounds against an opponent.
They are generally hosted at gyms and are not well publicized or have much flare to them.
Owner and operator of Dominion Boxing Eric Villarreal has been apart of his far share after his recent entry into the fighting world. He wanted his Smoker Fights to be different.
“We travelled all over Texas and saw sanctioned real fights,” Villarreal said. “Those would be productions, they would be shows. There would be lighting, ticket sales, alcohol sales. We took a little bit of that world, the showmanship and we transferred it the Smoker Fights.”
While the production quality is there, it was also the timing of it all that attracted fighters from all over.
“During COVID every gym was closed and there was nowhere to go,” Villarreal said. “We kind of cashed in on that because we were still holding fights in Bowie because the restrictions were a little less here.”
As more and more people have come on and started making the gym in Bowie their home base of operations, more and more opportunities are sprouting up for Dominion Boxing.
“We have both the cardio fitness model and the now organically, we just fell into having this competitive fighting model, both streamlining out of the same facility,” Villarreal said. “I don’t know how we got here because if I could understand it I could undo it. It just organically happened with me letting go of control and letting the people build the gym.”
Mixed martial arts and grappling coaches have come to the gym to help the growing stable of local fighters train for bouts all across the southern part of the country on weekends. The fight team at the gym is called Dominion Training Camp.
Villarreal is in the process of getting his license so they can start hosting sanctioned fights. He hopes to be approved by this fall.
Once he is licensed the city of Bowie has already approved he can move the show to the community center to host MMA fight nights since the gym can hold only so much of the crowds coming to the Smoker Fights every month.
To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.
In its first match since last year’s state semifinal appearance, Saint Jo hosted Bryson Aug. 11 and took a 25-13, 25-12, 25-21 win over the Cowgirls.
The Lady Panthers lost some talent to graduation but have five seniors ready to have a successful season. Savannah Hil, one of the five, got Saint Jo rolling offensively with a four-point serving string, including a pair of aces. Abby Carter’s kill and Kamron Skidmore’s block helped put the Lady Panthers up 5-2 in game one.
Hadleigh Moore added a four-point string of her own to extend the lead to 10-3. Tatum Morman’s pair, helped by a Hill kill, gave Saint Jo a 14-5 lead. Bryson got within five before a Hill 3-pointer, with help by a Carter kill, put the lead back at 18-10.
After an Olivia Johnson kill broke serve, Jordyn O’Neal served up the final five points, with Johnson providing a kill to move things along.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
Despite being the smallest school in the Brock varsity classic volleyball tournament, the Lady Indians finished 4th out of the eight teams there.
After losing to the host team in its first pool play match Aug. 14 18-25, 14-25 and also to Class 3A Wall 12-25, 8-25, Nocona rebounded to close out pool play with a 20-25, 25-23, 25-20 win over Christoval. Sy Parker had 16 kills and 7 blocks in the three matches. Raylea Bowles had 12 kills, 17 digs and served up three aces. Maddyn Bowles had seven kills and 14 digs while Paige Davis had seven kills and 15 digs. Baylee Thomas added 11 digs.
From the setter spot, Kasi Castro had 20 assists, served up five aces and contributed 14 digs. Leah Meekins added 18 assists and six digs during the three matches.
To open Saturday’s bracket play, the Lady Indians posted a 25-18, 18-25, 26-24, 25-19 win over Fort Worth Christian. Castro staked Nocona to a 2-0 lead in game one. Kills by Parker set up pairs of points from Raylea Bowles and Leah Meekins helped Nocona negate an early deficit and take a 10-9 lead.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
County football teams had their first scrimmage of the season Aug. 14 with mixed results.
Forestburg hosted Azle Christian and Victory Christian. Under a new system with new head coach Cori Hayes, the Longhorns looked pretty good in the coach’s eye.
“The first team looked good,” Hayes explained. “Overall we need to work on our pace and blocking assignments and blocking assignments. Overall we looked good for the new regime.”
Forestburg hits the road to scrimmage Newcastle Aug. 21.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
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