Fighting for respect

SEELEY LAKE – When a fighter dropped the fight against Mozi Gerber last minute, Hard Knocks Fight Promoter Jesse Uhde decided to give Seeley Lake's Michael Whitman the chance to box in the ring. Whitman threw on wraps and gloves, borrowed a cup and a mouthpiece said took to the ring for the first time May 6, 2017.

Gerber was 26 years old, weighed 165 pounds and had 14 fights under his belt. Whitman was nine years his junior and weighed 125 pounds, although he told the fight organizers he was 150. They went all three rounds. Whitman lost on decision when the judges awarded Gerber the win.

"For his age, having no experience and no training, he got in there and fought his butt off," said Uhde. "He was easy to work with and very polite. I just liked him as a person."

"I was beat to hell but I felt great," said Whitman. "I was loving life."

Since his debut in the ring, Whitman, now 18, has continued boxing taking seven more bouts across the state. While he loves the adrenaline rush that comes from getting in the ring, boxing has helped him focus his anger and stress in a positive direction, taught him self control and earned him respect he hasn't always felt.

Whitman grew up fighting. He said he spent more time in in-school suspension and suspended from school property than he did in class during his third and fourth grade years because of fighting.

"In the areas we lived [in Washington and Oregon], there was a lot of thug-type kids. When they started picking on my little brother and sister and even my big brother and sister, I had to do something about it."

After moving to Seeley Lake, Whitman was still getting into fights. It wasn't until seventh grade when he weaned himself off medications for attention deficit and hyperactivity that things started to level out.

Whitman said a few people in Seeley Lake believed in him, including David Rhoades who Whitman credits as a huge positive influence. Rhoades first hired him to help do odd jobs around their house. Then Whitman was hired by local businesses to fold pizza boxes, wash dishes and work construction. His work helped support his family and gave him an escape from home.

However, work only helped for part of the day and he started looking for ways to deal with life, including alcohol. Being given the opportunity to box for the first time in the ring gave Whitman the outlet he needed.

"I feel like if I didn't start fighting when I did, my life would be very different right now," said Whitman. "I was in a very rough, downhill spiral."

After his bout with Gerber, Whitman would take any fight he was offered. He realized there was more to life than drinking or partying.

"You keep yourself straight, you go to work and you do what you need to do. When I feel like I'm getting a little out there, I take a fight and I'm good to go for a few months," said Whitman.

Not having the funds to travel to a gym to train, Whitman watches YouTube videos and self-trains with his 100-pound bag. He also lifts weights, rides his bike and does a lot of crunches and calisthenics.

"I might go out there with these guys that train every single day and go two and half three rounds with them, but at least I can say I'm tough enough to stay in the ring and continue doing it," said Whitman.

Boxing has been a way for Whitman to relieve stress and deal with his anger issues. It has also taught him the importance of self-control. He is forced to maintain his calm and focus on his opponent to stay in the fight for the 60-90 second rounds. If he lets his anger control him, he said he would not last until the next round.

While Whitman has yet to win a fight, he has gone all three rounds in three of his fights forcing the judges to decide. The respect he gets from the boxing community keeps him coming back.

"When you walk out there and everyone shakes your hand, they are happy to see you and they are willing to pay you to come out there - it's basically something I never grew up with," said Whitman who earns between $150-$200 per fight and has his lodging and travel covered. "I might lose every time but I keep coming back and I keep putting everything I've got into it."

"Somebody like Whitman could be pulling some [wins] if he had someone working with him," said Uhde who is a trainer and the owner of Hard Knocks in Lakeside, Mont. "The heart is there. The want-to is there, I just wish I could work with him."

Uhde said he has never seen Whitman back down in the ring unless he could no longer fight or the ref told him he was done. Also when Whitman takes a fight, he always shows up, is the weight he said he would be and he is ready to fight.

"Regardless of his skill level, the crowd wants to see someone [like him] putting everything they can into the fight," said Uhde. "His word is a big thing and it makes me respect him."

Whitman's last fight was Saturday Oct. 13 in Townsend. He took on Kamren Wagner of Townsend. Whitman said he didn't have the cardiovascular fitness for the two-minute plus rounds.

"I gassed out in the third and I fainted due to lack of oxygen," said Whitman.

Whitman looks forward to getting back in the ring again soon. "I'm having a blast. There is nothing more fun than going in the ring, beating the heck out of each other and coming out best friends."