If you asked to guess what teacher was a boxer in college, who would you guess? Maybe Mr. Carroll? Maybe Mr. Zureick? Well, it’s actually Mr. Conor Thomas.
Thomas started boxing at age 19 during his freshman year at the University of Kentucky. But his love of boxing came from his youth where he would watch the biggest fights at the time and famous fights from old boxers. One day, he saw a flyer for the University of Kentucky boxing team, so he tried out and made the team.
The practices took place in the evenings of every weekday and consisted of jumping ropes, working on footwork, hitting the bags, and sparring with another teammate. Can you take a guess as to what Thomas said the hardest part about boxing was? You probably can. Thomas said that the hardest part about boxing is getting hit in the face. But he also said that after a while, you get used to it.
In his college years, his boxing record was 18-12, which is pretty good for a college boxer. Thomas’ favorite fight from his career was with an opponent from the Naval Academy. He was the top seed in their regional tournament, the favorite to win. But Thomas managed to come from behind and in a total upset, beat his opponent.
According to Thomas, from a discussion before the idea of writing this article occurred, he could take every single US President in a fight. Even Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Washington. His reasoning is that he is 6,6” and the presidents all know the 1800s form of boxing, martial arts, and wrestling – not the modern-day forms and styles.
Next time you’re sitting in AP Human Geography or AP World History, think to yourself: “The guy teaching me beat a boxer from the Naval Academy.”
