5 things you may have missed at the inaugural Brawl at the Hall of Fame Village

Steven M. Grazier, The Independent
·3 min read
Khaine Charles, 9, of Canton, is presented the Peewee division title belt Saturday night by referee Tom Miller following his bout with Marvis Spencer, of Columbus, at Brawl at Hall of Fame Village.
Khaine Charles, 9, of Canton, is presented the Peewee division title belt Saturday night by referee Tom Miller following his bout with Marvis Spencer, of Columbus, at Brawl at Hall of Fame Village.

CANTON – The first punches landed Saturday evening for what aims to be an annual boxing bonanza.

Hall of Fame Village hosted its first amateur Brawl at the Hall of Fame Village, which also honored special guests Ronnie Harris and relatives of Marion Conner.

In the ring:9-year-old Canton boxer fights for slain father

Passing of a legend:Local boxing great Marion Conner dies

The event showcased 14 amateur fights, all of which were three rounds. All boxers – youths and adults – wore protective headgear and were checked out by a doctor after each match.

The United Boxing Club in Canton presented the event, as Mark Bigsbee of the Bigsbee Group organized the bouts, along with Keith E. Green, of KEG Group.

Legendary local boxer Ronnie Harris is accompanied by his wife, Elaine, Saturday night during an intermission ceremony at the Brawl at the Hall of Fame Village. Harris is a Canton native and 1968 lightweight Olympic boxing gold medalist.
Legendary local boxer Ronnie Harris is accompanied by his wife, Elaine, Saturday night during an intermission ceremony at the Brawl at the Hall of Fame Village. Harris is a Canton native and 1968 lightweight Olympic boxing gold medalist.

Around 1,500 attendees – many standing as most seating was full – filled a section of the Center for Performance (the sports dome) at 1901 Champions Gateway, which is on the campus of the HOF Village and adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Raising awareness for mental health was the event's theme.

Tahlia Watkins, media representative for the Brawl, said organizers hope to make the fights an annual event.

Here are five interesting things from at Brawl at the Hall if you didn't attend:

1. Let the (Peewee) punches, sweat fly

In the first bout Saturday, 75-pound fighter Kah'Shawn Lanier topped his opponent, Bruno Shulik, also 75 pounds, in the Peewee division.

Lanier landed multiple blows to the body and head in all three rounds.

2. Local boxing legends Ronnie Harris, Marion Conner honored

Boxing greats Ronnie Harris and Marion Conner were recognized in the ring and given portraits during the Brawl's intermission.

Conner was an 11-time Golden Gloves champion boxer and world-ranked professional fighter. He died in January 2022.

Rhonda Conner, daughter of the late boxer Marion Conner, a Canton native, receives a portrait Saturday night of her father during a ceremony at the Brawl at the Hall of Fame Village.
Rhonda Conner, daughter of the late boxer Marion Conner, a Canton native, receives a portrait Saturday night of her father during a ceremony at the Brawl at the Hall of Fame Village.

His daughter, Rhonda Conner, accepted his portrait.

Born in Canton in 1940, Conner was Stark County's first Golden Gloves champion.

Harris, a Canton native and 1968 lightweight Olympic boxing gold medalist, was honored for his achievements in the ring. He was accompanied by his wife, Elaine Harris.

3. 'King' Khaine Charles jumps into the ring, wins Pewee title

Khaine Charles, 9, weighing 70 pounds and less than 5 feet tall, jumped into the ring to showcase his boxing talents in a Peewee title bout against Marvis Spencer, of Columbus.

Both young boxers landed multiple punches in what was a close decision win for Khaine, of Canton.

Khaine Charles (left), of Canton, lands a punch on his opponent, Marvin Spencer, during Brawl at the Hall of Fame Village on Saturday night. Charles won the bout by the judges' decision.
Khaine Charles (left), of Canton, lands a punch on his opponent, Marvin Spencer, during Brawl at the Hall of Fame Village on Saturday night. Charles won the bout by the judges' decision.

Khaine trains and fights to honor of his father, Travis L. Charles, who was fatally shot in October. Charles was the boy's biggest fan and helped train him.

4. Female fighters go the distance

A three-round, Popeye division bout between young female, 112-pound fighters Lana Haines and Shireh Abbas was a pretty close Intermediate division title match.

Lana Haines lands a punch on Shireh Abbas in the Intermediate title bout at the Brawl at the Hall of Fame Village on Saturday night.
Lana Haines lands a punch on Shireh Abbas in the Intermediate title bout at the Brawl at the Hall of Fame Village on Saturday night.

Haines was the victor and nabbed the title belt just prior to intermission.

5. Professional boxers from Northeast Ohio make the rounds

Two professional boxers with Northeast Ohio ties were introduced at the Brawl's intermission.

Ryizeemmion Ford, of Alliance, a lightweight boxer, and Victor Toney, of Youngstown, a super welterweight champion, both received a steady round of applause from the audience.

Reach Steven at steven.grazier@indeonline.com. On Twitter: @sgrazierINDE

This article originally appeared on The Independent: Brawl at the Hall of Fame Village Canton inaugural fight night