Ryan Clancy Springs Back Into Christmas Without Cancer's Corner

Last year Mount Greenwood’s Ryan Clancy, 18, carried high hopes into the Thursday Night Fights for the Christmas Without Cancer fundraiser – visions of the referee hoisting his arm in a defeat of featured fighter Nico Walsh, the grandson of legendary boxing champion Muhammad Ali.

A year older, and that upset victory behind him, Clancy’s perspective is closer to why 115 Bourbon Street will be packed with people of all ages supporting other fighters well beyond the ring.

“It’s an unbelievable opportunity to fight for such a great cause as Christmas Without Cancer, said Clancy. “At the end of the day, all the families and patients suffering from cancer are in a much bigger fight - a fight for their lives. Those are the real fighters, and it gives me more than enough of a reason to step in that ring and help them.”

The Thursday Night Fights May 23rd at 115 Bourbon Street has its greatest impact beyond the ring because all proceeds help local families.

Gerri Neylon founded Christmas Without Cancer to raise funds to help families fighting cancer, and through the crusade others have devised clever ways to bring their passion in sync with hers.

In all, the Celtic Boxing Club of Chicago will present 10 live boxing bouts Thursday beginning at 7 p.m. at 115 Bourbon Street, 3359 W 115th Street in Merrionette Park. Tickets are $15 for adults; $10 under 21, with all proceeds benefitting Christmas Without Cancer families.

“We’re helping people help people,” said organizer Dan Letz, who with Mike Joyce has expanded the event’s reach to include talent from Celtic Boxing Club Chicago, USA Boxing and Letz Box Chicago.

Last year’s feature fight included a battle in which Clancy beat Walsh and seemingly the aura that comes with being the grandson of legendary boxing champion Muhammad Ali. One of St. Rita’s finest, graduating last Sunday, Clancy arrived at the Celtic Boxing Club serendipitously and came to love the sport, the training and discipline. That he was victorious in an upset was a shock to everyone - except Clancy.

“I sparred with him a couple of times and had gotten better after that,” said Clancy, who clearly had the home crowd in his corner. “It was cool because we got to talking after and he congratulated me.”

Clancy was back in the gym last week preparing for his next bout to improve on his 8-2 record. Clancy is the 2019 Junior Novice Golden Glove Champion. Clancy’s quick rise has made it difficult to book fights but come fall the recent graduate is “off to be a Buckeye at Ohio State University for the next four years where I will continue boxing.”

Honing their skills and becoming better boxers parallels the challenges Neylon faces as more and more families seemingly are facing the monster cancer. Without people like Letz and Joyce investing time and their own resources the Christmas Without Cancer coffers would be empty.

“I was floored last year when they told me boxing would bring crowds,” said Neylon. “I couldn’t believe how many people showed.”

The Sweet Science is a curious sport, and those who choose to enter the ring and exchange punches draw support from their respective inner circle out, which means a Thursday night fight in the neighborhood draws family members, friends and boxing fans.

In addition to Clancy, local boxers on the card include: Danny Ford, 22, of Morgan Park; Ray Delaney, 25, of Mount Greenwood; Nick McNalley, 27, Morgan Park; Colin Murphy, 14 of Mount Greenwood; Tommy McGuire, 15 of Mount Greenwood; Jake Moriarty, 20, of Evergreen Park (2019 165-pound Gold Glove semi-finalist); Elijah Pearson, 18, of Washington Heights (2019 178-poung novice division Gold Glove Champion.

Again this year, Neylon will reprise her role as ring announcer, channeling her best Michael Buffer. After a heart-felt thank you to all those in attendance, the junior featherweight RN, recently retired from Christ Hospital, will grab the ring microphone and bellow: “Let's Get Ready to Rumble for Christmas Without Cancer families.”

“This is the kind of community we live in,” said Letz, “where people come for a good cause and to help others.”

Christmas Without Cancer is a nonprofit charity that identifies need and then provides gifts and basic necessities to Chicagoland families with members stricken with cancer so to allow the beauty of Christmas to shine through while family members find comfort in their devotion to one another.

www.christmaswithoutcancer.org

To sponsor, donate or for more information, contact Dan Letz: 773/443-0624, danletz@yahood.com. Sponsorships are still available.