TWIN FALLS, Idaho — The annual Boxing Smoker is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the CSI Rodeo team. Cowboys, Cowgirls, and the general public had a chance to sign up earlier this week for matches taking place on Saturday, Jan 27 at the Eldon Expo Center on the CSI Campus.
- Doors open at 5:30, event starts at 7.
- Tickets are $12-$30
- General Admission tickets will be sold at the door. All reserved seating will be done through the CSI Rodeo webpage
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
Saturday night the lights will go down at the Expo Center for one of the biggest events of the winter.
CSI Cowboy Darien Johnson rides bareback broncs.
Darien Johnson says, “For me, I'll look at the bareback event is kind of a boxing match because you're getting hit by the horse. You gotta hit it back like it's a fistfight. Because it's high-intensity you don't really get to think, right?"
Now in its 45th year, legend has it the boxing smoker got its start when a promoter had fights scheduled in Twin Falls, but bad weather kept the fighters from making it.
CSI Rodeo Coach Steve Birnie explains, "He called Sean Davis the coach at the time, and said hey, do you have any Cowboys that can fight? And he said well they probably can't box very well but they can fight, so that's kind of how it started the first year."
From there on, the event grew and grew, becoming the biggest fundraiser for the CSI Rodeo team.
Steve Birnie says, "The Smoker's our biggest fundraiser by far. It is extremely important, it is vital for the success of our program so we can do what we need to do."
The event is open to anyone who wants to fight.
At a weigh-in on Thursday night, hopefuls from around the Magic Valley came up to see if they would make the cut.
Cameron Beazer hopes to be in the ring for a third time on Saturday, having fought the two years before.
Cameron Beazer said, "I enjoy you getting to do it once a year, you know. Just getting in the ring, test yourself. It's a lot of fun and you know it's definitely something you can say I went and did this. I've done some other combat sports like jujitsu primarily, so yeah just gives me that. Tickles that itch that I have to do combat sports.
