Lance Cpl. Johnathan Steele, fighting for the Marine Corps Boxing Team, faced off against boxer Spc. Sidney Williams at the widely acclaimed “Armed Forces Boxing Championships” held in Camp Pendleton, California. The match was anything but routine and, as Lance Cpl. Steele explained, “Fresh off the Van, he’s talking smack. Go to the weigh-ins, talking smack. Then we get inside the ring, and he’s laying on me!”
Army vs Marines boxing match (YouTube)
But the weigh-ins leading up to the fight were not the only place the smack talk occurred. It even boiled over on social media.
“You’re going to a social network to talk trash about somebody, they don’t even know me, you don’t know me,” Steele said. “But you’re saying you’re going to destroy the Marines, kill Marines. That’s the wrong thing to say right there!”
Army vs Marines boxing match (YouTube)
The Marine dropped bomb after bomb on the unsuspecting pugilist, and in the end, it was too much for the soldier to handle.
“You don’t disrespect the Corps. I don’t care if you’re Army, I don’t care if you’re Navy, I don’t care if you’re Air Force. We’re all brothers in the end, and we all fight the good fight,” he said.
The Army and Marines have a long history of being friendly rivals, but stand together to fulfill their duty of keeping Americans safe. While these military boxers might not be at the level of a superstar like Floyd Mayweather, they still can put on an entertaining show.
Watch the video below:
The U.S. Department of Defense actively supports the Armed Forces Sports, with the goal of combining the best qualities of each individual sport to promote physical fitness and teamwork skills. While participating in sports is fun to do, it also ties in well with the other activities that soldiers must go through to prepare themselves to serve.
Some of the other sports that members of the Army, Marines, and other branches play include basketball, football, golf, cycling, sailing, track and field, bowling, cross country, and handball.
The Armed Forces Sports division allows the public to watch many of the military sports matches and has an updated schedule on their website. They believe that engagement from the public encourages their athletes to train harder, to be as competitive as possible.
What do you think of this Army vs Marines boxing match? Whose side are you on?
