Minnesota’s Alissa Boltz is set to make her professional boxing debut this weekend, but it’s not your typical first fight in the pro ranks. The 32-year-old featherweight from Buffalo, now training out of Jungle Gym Boxing Academy in Duluth, will be suiting up for the Atlanta Attack in the third season of Team Combat League (TCL), a fast-growing team-based fight promotion gaining national attention.
Boltz has been active in the Minnesota amateur boxing scene since she first stepped into the ring in 2017. Over the course of her amateur career, she racked up 40 bouts and earned a national ranking of #6 at 119 pounds in 2018.
Her road to TCL took an unexpected turn—literally. While in Atlanta to run a marathon (she’s on a mission to complete one in every U.S. state), Boltz saw that TCL’s Atlanta Attack was holding tryouts the same weekend. She gave it a shot, and days later, earned a roster spot with the team.
Now, she’s diving headfirst into a unique pro boxing format. Unlike traditional bouts, TCL fights are structured around team competition. Each match features 24 rounds with fighters competing in one- or two-round bursts. Points accumulate for each round to determine the overall team winner. It’s high-paced, all-action boxing that gives athletes exposure and experience without affecting their individual pro records.
Jungle Gym Boxing Academy owner and former pro Zach Walters sees TCL as a strong platform for fighters like Boltz who are making the transition from amateur to professional. “You get a lot of activity, a lot of exposure,” Walters said in an interview with WDIO. “These rounds are really intense. You get three minutes to establish a case and a 24-round chunk for your team.”
Boltz’s debut with the Atlanta Attack is scheduled for Sunday, April 6, when they face the Nashville Smash. It marks a new chapter in her boxing journey into the pro ranks getting paid for her craft although these bouts will not be on her official record moving forward.
Fans can catch the action live for free at 2 p.m. (CT) on Sunday by streaming it through MeritTV, the official broadcaster for Team Combat League events.
You must be logged in to post a comment.