Winning a fight by knockout, running a play for Ravens Coach John Harbaugh, and saving a puppy.
All notches in Baltimore Native Walter Sanders belt.
Ten months ago he started boxing—on Wednesday he was taping up his hands for his third fight at the 10th Annual Thanksgiving Eve Bash.
His opponent Baltimore Boxing’s Sam Acuff from New Jersey came in 1-1 and ready to fight in front of Walter’s home crowd.
Sports have been Sander’s life—but his success was inside the pylons not between the ropes.
The Mervo High School Runningback made it as far as the Ravens Practice squad.
“When the bell rings it’s like the kickoff,”. Sanders said. “You get the juices and everything ready to rock and roll. When that ball gets kicked off everything gets to be quiet. The next thing you know it’s time to go to work.”
For ten years Jake Smith has promoted the Turkey Day Eve Bash.
A chance for fight fans to get some much-needed aggression out before the holidays.
“I think it’s going to be a war, I really think it’s going to be a knock down drag out fight,” Smith said.
Smith wasn’t wrong the fight went to a judges decision and had the crowd roaring throughout.
Sanders first two wins were by knockout.
As soon as his opponents hit the canvas his day job senses kick in.
He’s a career firefighter and EMT for the Baltimore County Fire Department.
Coach John Harbaugh wrote his letter of recommendation for that job.
“He emailed back and went sure.”
The common factor in saving lives, throwing punches, and breaking off touchdown runs—honing in through the silence.
“When it comes to a fire and it’s dark pitch black the only thing you can hear is cracking. You get closer to that crackle and pop you know you’re getting closer to the fire and you see that glow and you know you’re at the base of the fire. You know what you gotta do is open the holes up. When it comes to Dave and he says throw that hammer you gotta make that happen.”
The most important that he wears is that of a role model.
“Baltimore is a tough tough City to grow up in with the poverty and the highest murder rate and things like that. I think seeing someone who’s lived the same thing you’ve lived and seen them climb their way out it’s always a good example for them ya know.”
Sanders said he’s just beginning his boxing career and looks forward to many more fights.
With his the win he improves to 3-0.
