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Preacher in limbo after fight canceled
By TIM GRANT, Times Staff Writer
CARROLLWOOD -- A preacher who is training for the Toughman Contest regional championship in Indiana has learned his fight was canceled because of injuries and deaths at the amateur boxing events. Scott Collins, pastor of Northwest Community Church on Hutchison Road, is still waiting for a new date and location for his Toughman fight. Meanwhile, Collins said he's still training, preaching and praying for a victory. "I feel like the Lord is behind me and will definitely give me the grace and strength to take it all the way," Collins said. Collins, 39, won the light-heavyweight division in the Toughman Contest on Aug. 22 and Aug. 23 at the St. Pete Times Forum. That victory earned him a spot in the regional Toughman Contest, which was set for Feb. 2 in Indiana. While that date and location have changed, the winners of the event will still go to Las Vegas and compete for a $50,000 grand prize. "My whole motivation is to get the $50,000," Collins said. "I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't believe I could go all the way." The problem is that several cities in Indiana have canceled the Toughman events amid concerns over serious injuries. Now Toughman event organizers are scrambling to find new venues for the boxing matches in which fighters are allowed to enter off the streets. At least eight deaths have been linked to Toughman Contests since 1979. The most recent death occurred in Texas in September, when a 26-year-old man died from head injuries he suffered in a Toughman match. Another Texas man who competed in a Toughman boxing contest in Michigan recently was hospitalized in critical condition. Indiana is a popular venue for the events, but they are not sanctioned by the Indiana Boxing Commission. The Commission has asked the Indiana state Legislature to adopt a statewide ban this year against Toughman Competitions. Toughman public relations spokeswoman Joelle English said no Toughman events have been canceled in Florida. Four Toughman events are scheduled this year in the state. "They're popular because this isn't a professional fight," English said. "These are guys you know from your home town." English said the fighters are responsible for their own transportation to the events and must have their own insurance. But the event organizers take several safety precautions to reduce the risk of injuries. She said the fighters undergo physical examinations before they fight. They are outfitted with groin protection, kidney guards, headgear and a mouth piece. A referee is in the ring to stop the match if need be and the fighters use 16-ounce gloves to soften the blows. (Professional boxers use 12-ounce gloves.) The contests are fought in three one-minute rounds. The winner is determined by three judges who award points for style, technique and the number of punches landed. English could not say why fighters have been injured or killed in the events, but pointed out that injuries and deaths occur in all types of sports, from high school football to auto racing. Still, Collins is not detered by fear, nor by those who question whether boxing is appropriate for a preacher. "To me it's a sport. It's a competition," Collins said. "I've been fighting and boxing all my life." One of the four fistfights Collins won at the St. Pete Times Forum lasted only 6 seconds. Collins knocked that opponent to the mat with only one punch. "I think there are a lot of people who get in the ring thinking they're tough and don't know much about fighting and they get hurt," he said. "I have a hard time believing the people who got badly injured were in good shape when they stepped in the ring." -- Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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