Danny Kisner has been on the outside of a boxing ring for years serving as a trainer for promising fighters in the Baltimore area, but he?ll get a different perspective tonight.
The 41-year-old Glen Burnie resident will participate in his second professional fight at Michael?s Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie at 6:30 p.m. He will take on Ohio heavyweight Roy Furlow to open the 14th season of Ballroom Boxing.
“I?ve always encouraged fighters to follow their dreams and this has always been one of mine,” Kisner said. “I?m not sure where this will take me, but I?m going to try to find out.”
Kisner said the motivation behind stepping into the ring came from training his 16-year-old son, Nick. The junior at Old Mill High School is 7-22 as an amateur, including winning the super-heavyweight title in the 15-16-year-old division at the Junior Olympic National Championships in Marquette, Mich. in July.
“Usually it?s the son trying to emulate the father,” Danny Kisner said. “Now, I?m trying to keep up with him. Watching Nick fight really encouraged me to see what I can do in the ring. He was my inspiration for this.”
Nick Kisner?s ultimate goal is making the 2012 Olympic team. He will also be fighting an amateur bout tonight at Michael?s, which the Kisners believe is the first time a father and son have fought on the same card in Maryland.
“I think it?s pretty cool what my dad is doing and I hope we both win,” Nick Kisner said. “I told him to go for it and if that?s what he wants to do, I?ll help him.”
The elder Kisner won his professional debut in March, earning a second-round technical knockout over Derrick Martin at Michael?s Eighth Avenue. However, his boxing dream ended quickly when his wife, Dawn, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Kisner spent the next few months taking care of his wife and three children: Nick, Dylan, 11 and Destiny, 3. Dawn has completed chemotherapy treatment and encouraged her husband to get back in the ring.
Ballroom Boxing promoter Scott Wagner said he knows Danny Kisner will never be heavyweight champion of the world, but believes will be competitive against younger opponents.
“He?s going after his dream, and that?s what Ballroom Boxing is all about,” Wagner said. “Danny?s talented and Nick could be a professional if he wants to even before going after the Olympics. It would have been interesting to see how good Danny would have been if he started at Nick?s age.”
BALLROOM CARD
» Where: Michael?s Eighth Avenue, Glen Burnie
» When: Tonight, 6:30
» Tickets: $35 general admission; $40 at the door
Scheduled fights
» Heavyweight Ernest “Zeus” Mazyck (6-0) vs. Rob Bell (3-3)
» Light heavyweight Willie Williams (6-1) vs. Willis Lockett (8-4-4)
» Heavyweight Ray Grant (7-1) vs. Jonathan Felton (5-8)
» Heavyweight Danny Kisner (1-0) vs. Roy Furlow (0-0)
» Light heavyweight Alexander Johnson (1-0) vs. James Jenkins (0-0)
» Light heavyweight Chris Edmonds (2-3) vs. John Douglas (0-0)
» Heavyweight Henry Fuentes (0-0) vs. James Carey (0-0)
