Hilliard Suburban Newspaper
Published: Tuesday, August 24, 2010
By Kevin Corvo

A pair of Hilliard Davidson High School graduates are training at a local fitness club to prepare for competitive fighting.

Evan Allen, 22, a 2007 graduate, and Mikayla Nebel, 18, a 2009 graduate, are both training at Sweet Science Boxing and Fitness, 4749 Northwest Parkway, to achieve their goal of competitive fighting.

The studio, tucked along an industrial road, expanded several months ago and boasts a custom-made elevated ring, kitchen, and a “stable,” or living quarters for visiting fighters to train.

Those who have visited the site include Columbus boxing royalty: Buster Douglas, who famously KO’d Mike Tyson; and Jerry Page, who won the gold medal in boxing at the 1984 Olympic games.

“They’ve all said it’s one of the best facilities they’ve seen,” said Russ Niggemyer, adding the property owner, Jim Kerbler, made the expansion possible.

Niggemyer is the founder of Sweet Science Boxing and Fitness and the trainer for Allen and Nebel. He also is a professional boxer, with a 2-0 record, having last won a match by knockout in August 2009 in Pennsylvania.

Allen is a kickboxer and aspires to compete in K 1, the highest level of kickboxing, in the muay Thai style of kickboxing.

While some experts opine that muay Thai is distinct from kickboxing, there is general agreement that both forms of martial art are nearly identical, except that in muay Thai, elbows and knees are also used to deliver blows.

“It’s probably the most devastating form of martial arts,” Allen said.

Niggemyer describes it as a “war of attrition,” and while injuries such as broken bones do occur, muay Thai fighters are conditioned to absorb such blows that would be decimating to a non-practicing fighter.

“I’ve been practicing martial arts since I was 13, and muay Thai since I was 16,” Allen said. “It’s a lot of hard work but I am taken with the competitiveness and the realness (of muay Thai).”

Allen and Niggemyer traveled to Thailand in January where Allen was slated to compete in his first sanctioned match, but Allen was forced to withdraw when he contracted food poisoning.

While there, Allen met and trained with Baukaw Por Pramuk, a two-time K 1 champion and elite figure on the international combat sports scene.

“We were there with other fighters from around the world,” said Niggemyer, whose trip also served as an opportunity to establish international business relationships.

“(Baukaw) was impressed with (Allen),” Niggemyer said.

And he apparently was impressed with Niggemyer, too. Niggemeyer will be returning in two months to the gym outside Bangkok, to train Baukaw’s stable of fighters.

Allen said he hopes to use the lessons from the Thailand trip when he earns his first sanctioned match, which could come later this year in New York City.

Allen is working with Take-On Productions in New York City. The promoter is looking for a match-up for Allen. If he is accepted, his match would appear as an “under card” fight, one of a series of fights held before a championship, marquee pairing.

“I’m proud of him. It makes me nervous, but he is being trained by the best,” said Cheryl McCool, Allen’s mother.

While Allen is training in muay Thai, Nebel is training and conditioning to compete in a sanctioned boxing match.

Nebel played soccer in high school and said boxing is a means to stay in shape. She’s also been working with Niggemyer for the last three years, and as a reward for her hard work, he said, was rewarded with a share in the ownership of Sweet Science Boxing this year.

She said she’s looking forward to launching her boxing career.

“There are fewer females in boxing, of course, but I’m working with a promoter and hope to be in a ring by the end of the year,” Nebel said.

That match would likely occur somewhere in Ohio where Nebel would be paired with another woman of her weight class and experience.