Boxing Promoter Fights Through Trauma
HALIFAX — On March 18, the third boxing event put off my Real Deal Promotions takes place at the Light House Arts Centre in Halifax. A near-sellout crowd is expected. But the fact it’s taking place at all is a testament to the fortitude of the boxing promoter Kyle McNeil.
Three months ago, McNeil was with his fiancé, Colleen Pace, in Cape Breton to watch a boxing event. After, the couple was offered a ride by two people. According to McNeil, they were driven to an unfamiliar location where he was brutally assaulted with a steel shovel, causing severe head injuries. Pace witnessed the ordeal and carried McNeil to a nearby house to get help.
“I had a support system,” said McNeil, when asked how he got through those darker days. “Colleen is my rock and I had good friends support me. I have a good friend … who came down with my mother and they looked after me. And it was just a few of us in Cape Breton for a few extra days while I healed up.”
Incredibly, McNeil said he got back into his training routine just days after the assault, despite the pain and discomfort.
”I just got right back at it, man. I still had all the stitches and headaches. It was really hard to go back to running because my head hurt so much. But within that first week I was already back on the treadmill and lifting weights.”
“I don’t exaggerate when I say it was the hardest thing I think I’ve ever gone through in my life; the prospect of dying, the prospect of my wife dying. I’ve had some traumatic stuff happen over the years but nothing quite that traumatic. It’s made me stronger for it. I rose above it. And I said I’m going to use this. This is going to be fuel.”
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Now, not only is McNeil promoting his Redemption ‘Luck of The Irish’ boxing event, but he is also fighting in it. He is even going for a belt. If McNeil wins, he will become the new C.P.B.C North American champion.
The boxing card will also feature Arthur Biyarslanov, a Canadian Olympian who won a gold medal at the 2015 Pan American Games. He is undefeated so far in his pro career.
McNeil says it takes a lot of cooperation to get such big-ticket fighters into Halifax. He has a goal to make Halifax, once again, a centre for boxing like it was decades ago.
“There’s a lot of networking. I’ve been working very well with local Promotions. I’m making it a point to try to change the dynamic so promoters can start helping other promoters. We’re all in the same business.”
“My vision is to bring boxing back to Halifax in a way that it was in the 90s. I want to see these young guys and the guys that I watched grow up get opportunities and I want to bring local businesses together so that can help them network.”
On top of needing a lot of organizational skills, it also costs a lot of money to put off these events. McNeil says the first boxing event, held back in July at the Halifax Forum, cost $70,000 and the second cost $50,000.
The second event, held at the Light House Arts Centre was a success, with 1,200 people — technically over capacity. And it earned a slight profit for McNeil.
“I turned a profit on my last event. Did I make a ton of money? Absolutely not. But I didn’t lose money. My first event, I barely broke even, but I was very fortunate to even do that. My first event from the Halifax forum was a lot of work.”
Redemption “Luck of The Irish” starts at 5:30 PM, March 18th.
Derek Montague is a Huddle reporter in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].