Fight Night Under the Manhattan Bridge in DUMBO

(Katie Sokoler/Gothamist )

« PREVIOUS

On the first non-rainy night in what seemed like centuries, DUMBO Fight Night made its outdoor debut under the recently-reopened Manhattan Bridge Archway. Fighters from DUMBO’s Gleason’s Gym and other corners of the Tri-State area hopped into the red, white, and blue ring for 16 bouts of amateur boxing to raise money for the DUMBO Improvement District.

The scene was a mix of Brooklyn's smoky On the Waterfront past with its gentrified present—in the red corner, classic sports and historic architecture, and in the blue corner, modern beats provided by neighboring music shop Halcyon. Among those in attendance was Junior Jones, world boxing champion and Brooklyn native, who took his seat next to the stockpile of trophies behind the ring.

Those in the ringside seats up front sat relatively quiet, but the standing room section behind them erupted with outside-of-ring action. Friends and fans (with a whole lot of love from the Gleason’s contingent) filled the Archway-cum-arena with an enthusiastic roar, with the greatest cheering coming from trainers in the crowd: "Move right! Move right! He’d have him if he’d move right!" —Meredith Turits