Westside (Missouri) News
Countdown to Fight Night
LAKE OF THE OZARKS ” Gravois Mills’ own Jesse Shewmaker, a multiple Golden Gloves champion, will square off with Travis Allen Saturday night Jan. 20 in the main event of “Fight Night at the Lake of the Ozarks” at the Country Club Hotel & Spa in Lake Ozark.
Top Gun Promotions, owned by Damon Shewmaker (Jesse’s father) will present six bouts featuring fighters from the lake area beginning at 7 p.m. Jesse Shewmaker, 27, is undefeated in 11 professional fights and, according to his father, won Golden Gloves titles in the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions from 2000 to 2004.
“He’s kinda like Mike Tyson, he can knock you out with either hand,” said Damon Shewmaker, a lifelong Gravois Mills resident. “He knocked Josh Stonebraker out in the first round with his jab. He’s strong…in fact, we’re having trouble finding guys who will agree to fight him.”
A multi-sport star at Versailles High School, Shewmaker was an undefeated prep wrestler and standout football and baseball payer before turning to boxing following his graduation in 1998.
“He’s a gifted athlete and in school he was on the honor roll,” said Damon Shewmaker. “I taught him how to box when he was little. We’ve always had boxing.”
Eight years ago Damon Shewmaker built a boxing gym at his farm west of Gravois Mills to train fighters in the area. Since then dozens of area youths have migrated to the gym to receive boxing instructions from Damon Shewmaker and train.
Inside the metal barn-like structure, a 20’x20′ boxing ring occupies the majority of the room, while speed bags, heavy bags, medicine balls and weightlifting equipment line the walls.
Last Thursday night a half-dozen fighters, including Jesse Shewmaker, worked out at the Shewmaker’s gym. The cavernous room was a whir of activity as the fighters went through their paces.
But when Jesse Shewmaker took the ring to workout, everyone stopped to watch.
Shewmaker, nicknamed “The Outlaw,” put on an impressive display of power and speed during the short exhibition. With Damon holding the targets, Jesse pummelled his gloves with jabs and combinations ” 1-2, 1-2-3, bam, bam, bam ” the leather popped.
Jesse Shewmaker stands 6′-1″ and will fight at about 210 pounds as a heavyweight against Allen, of St. Joseph, Mo., Jan. 20. His father and promoter, Damon, hopes his son’s popularity will sell out the 2,300-seat venue at Country Club.
“I’ve lived here all my life, and we’ve been wanting to do this for a long time,” said Damon Shewmaker, who will turn 63 in March. “This is my first pro fight as promoter, but we had an amateur fight that sold out in Versailles about six years ago.”
Country Club Hotel & Spa’s indoor tennis courts will be the site of the lake’s first big fight in recent memory. Even with a relatively short history as a professional boxer, Jesse Shewmaker is turning heads with his power punches, according to his father.
“From the time he was young, I knew Jesse was going to be something special,” said Shewmaker. “He’s undefeated and hardly anybody will fight him because he punches so hard. Now, he’s making a little money and it’s time to take him to the next level.”
Shewmaker went so far as to say he sees a title fight down the road for his son. “In two more fights he’s going to get a title shot, it just depends on which organization we can get the most money from,” said Damon Shewmaker.
Jesse Shewmaker, a soft-spoken red-head, said he lets his hands do his talking for him. Through nearly a dozen professional fights, he remains unhurt, undefeated and said he plans to move expeditiously against Travis “The Black Stallion” Allen next Saturday night in the six-round main event.
“You can’t let another fighter gain confidence as the fight goes on,” Jesse said. “I won’t fool around with him ” if I can knock him out early, I will.”
Five other fighters from the WestSide of the lake who currently train at Shewmaker’s Top Gun boxing club will be on the undercard, including:
– Justin “The Warrior” Hahn, 28, currently living in Boonville, but who is from Versailles will fight at light heavyweight. He’s had six pro fights and is 3-3
– Michael Spalding, 20, from Versailles, will make his pro debut as a featherweight after success at the Golden Gloves amateur level.
– Kurt Bodenheimer, 27, of Sunrise Beach, makes his light heavyweight pro debut.
– Shannon Drury, 25, of Gravois Mills will fight as a junior middleweight after Golden Gloves experience as an amateur.
– Jeremy Stires, 30, will fight as a welterweight with a 9-6 record entering the ring Jan. 20.
Tickets are available at the WestSide Star for $30 cash, or call 378-8789 for more information on “Fight Night at the Lake of the Ozarks.”
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