Penn Boxing gets into the ring looking to re-establish itself

Thirty minutes before Engineering junior Mike Muscianesi stepped in the ring Saturday night for the first boxing match of his life, he was joking about his epitaph.

Muscianesi fought against professional fighter David Feldman to start Jewish Fight Night at Club Deco on Spring Garden and Front streets.

The fears of the fighters turned into confidence and excitement once they realized that they were not going to get hurt in their fights.

The evening was organized by promoter Damon Feldman (David's brother) and Penn Boxing club coach Ron Aurit, and was sponsored by the Jewish Exponent, a local Jewish newspaper. A quarter of the money raised from ticket sales went to the Jewish Federation of Philadelphia. The rest went to Aurit's Boxing Scholarship Foundation, which aids boxers going through college.

The other Saturday night fights involving Penn students were graduate student Bill Wuest also against Feldman, and Wharton junior Colin McGinnis against Germantown Academy's Grant Silow. Penn Boxing captain and Dental student Ian Lin also took on Phil Cuffey, a 1982 Penn grad and Cane Award winner who serves as Aurit's assistant coach and on the scholarship fund board.

Also fighting were Aurit against Mark Worlinsky, a Philadelphia area native who donated money to fulfill a lifelong dream of participating in a boxing match.

Rounding out the card were local professional Brian Cohen fighting former International Boxing Federation Junior Middleweight champion Buster Drayton, and Damon Feldman against Brad Friedman, who is to make his professional debut in June.

All of the fights were exhibitions, with no injuries or knockout punches, lasting three two-minute rounds each.

The fights were refereed by Steve Smoger, who has officiated many championship bouts on television.

Lin and Cuffey had the best fight of the night, as the student tried to get the best of one of his teachers.

However, the main purpose of the event was not to have a spectacle of blood and violence, but to raise money for charity and give the Penn boxers a chance to have a fight in a ring in front of a crowd.

The professionals were all very pleased to be participating in a charitable event and were impressed with the skills of the Penn students.

Penn Boxing is an informal coeducational club that has existed under Aurit since 1976. Not one of his fighters has ever been seriously hurt, a record that Aurit is proud of more than anything else.

Aurit, a Golden Gloves and college champ, as well as a former professional, fought Sugar Ray Leonard in his 15-fight career. He also teaches boxing to local high school students and teachers who need continuing education credit.

The program has been operating mostly in the basement of the Theta Xi fraternity house since Penn Recreation canceled the club's official status in February 2002.

Aurit is hoping that he can get University recognition back at some point to increase the already impeccable safety of his program.

"We need space where the kids cannot get hurt," he said.

There may be a return soon to intercollegiate boxing, as Aurit is looking to set up informal matches against Navy in the fall.

Aurit hopes he can continue his program that builds up "so much confidence ... and stamina."

Lin agrees wholeheartedly with his coach.

"Boxing is great physically and mentally," he said.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.