Vegas nightclub hosts hit boxing ring for charity

By Melissa Arseniuk

Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008 | 6:27 p.m.

They’ve trained, they’ve campaigned and now they’re ready to rumble: More than a dozen of the city’s nightclub hosts and promoters are facing off tonight in the first Fight Club Charity Boxing Tournament.

Nightclub hosts are among the most powerful men on the city’s club circuit. They are the ones, after all, who decide who gets inside and who has to stand in line for hours.

More than a dozen of these gatekeepers face off in a battle of the titans tonight at The Joint. There is a lot on the line: ego, pride and priceless bragging rights.

“It’s not a tough man contest where it’s just going out and knocking guys’ heads out,” organizer Greg Costello said. “All these guys are trained. All the fighters needed to get their amateur boxing licenses.”

Fighters representing Body English, Wasted Space and other Hard Rock Hotel interests will battle boxers from Tao, Lavo, Blush and Privé during the event.

The main event of the evening, however, doesn’t involve a nightclub insider. Instead, 35-year-old professional skateboarder and Sirius Radio host Jason Ellis will face Las Vegas local Brett Cooke in the last fight of the evening.

The event will benefit Smile Train and Barry’s Boxing Center. Smile Train provides corrective surgery for poor and disfigured children in developing countries who were born with cleft lips and palates. Barry’s Boxing Center is a local nonprofit organization that encourages healthy lifestyles and athleticism in local young people.

Costello said the night will be a lot of fun and will support two causes, explaining that Smile Train is especially close to his heart.

“It’s the charity that I’ve been supporting for years,” he said. “I think it’s good, especially in a town that revolves so much around looks, to give back to (disfigured) kids around the world.”

Costello, who works at the Hard Rock, will face off against Sergio Santana of Blush in the ninth fight of the night.

He said it wasn’t hard to get people to sign up to lace up the gloves.

“Everybody in this industry is pretty self-confident, I guess you could say,” he said with a laugh. “It didn’t take much convincing. Everybody was on board when we started talking about it.”

Each fight will feature three two-minute rounds and will be scored using amateur boxing regulations by three judges. All of the fighters will wear headgear and standard 16-ounce gloves.

As he prepared for his weigh-in Wednesday afternoon, Costello had his fingers crossed for a good turnout.

“I’m hopeful that there’ll be 800 people that show up tonight,” he said. If his prediction is correct, the event could stand to raise $20,000, if not more.

“We’re hoping to get some big donations,” Costello said, noting a handful of big names are likely to attend.

Among those expected are skateboard legend Tony Hawk and fellow skater Bob Burnquest, local motocross rider (and Hard Rock Hotel resident nightclub, Wasted Space, founder) Carey Hart, and Major League Baseball free agent and former New York Yankee Jason Giambi.

Palms czar George Maloof, Sands Corp. senior vice president Kevin Kelley and Hard Rock Hotel president Randy Kwasniewski are also expected to attend.

The action got underway at 6 p.m. and admission is a suggested donation of $25. All proceeds go to support Smile Train and Barry’s Boxing Center.