Preview: Managers' Event Boxing Gala Event

Perhaps it's a sign of our harsh economic climate that fights are breaking out in banks.

But the organizers of the Managers' Event Boxing (MEB) Gala Evening, which will be held at the Czech National Bank (ČNB) Nov. 10, aren't supporting an overthrow of the banking system, just good clean fun and charity.

MEB is an amateur boxing circuit of businesspeople who box in their free time. Dozens of the participating men and women have been looking forward to the main event, when the heavyweight champion Pavel "Hippo" Zahradník, who weighs in at 103 kilograms, will defend his title against Petr Janek. It's gearing up to be quite a match, as Zahradník's only loss in two years has been to Janek, although that fight wasn't for the belt. The champion tells The Prague Post he has no doubts he will defend his title.

"I'm looking forward to facing all new fighters who come to MEB, but at the moment I am most interested in repaying my only defeat to Janek, but this time it will be for the title. I believe this will be a very nice fight," he says.

Zahradník's rival, weighing in at 130 kilograms, trains at OS BC Pardubice. Janek was unavailable for comment, but his trainer Petr Růžička says Zahradník won't know what hit him.

"We have been training together for the past 20 years, and we still go on full steam," he says. "Nobody else besides Zahradník dares to fight [Janek], but we are sure he can handle Zahradník without a problem. In boxing, it is never 100 percent, but we don't take anything less than victory."

But these ruffians aren't just that; like all participants in MEB, they are also active in business. Zahradník, who trains frequently at both Lanna Gym and Médea sport, is in the business of importing and selling palm oil from Malaysia and rice oil from Thailand, and also works as an independent financial consultant. Zahradník takes his training seriously but says it has to take a backseat to his work.

"Before, I only trained in boxing and Muay Thai for pleasure and to improve my physical condition," Zahradník says. "To train alongside the job is really difficult, especially on a regular basis. So I have already given up thinking about another league."

This link between business and boxing is the reason for this unprecedented event. ČNB Secretary Miloš Hrdy is a contender in MEB who has won three of his last four fights. It was his idea to bring the event into the bank.

"This is the first time the ČNB is hosting the boxing event. It will be exciting and all guests, including my colleagues, will enjoy it," Hrdy says.

Knock-out success

The MEB began in 2009 and was initially organized to provide boxing training to Czech companies as a way of team building. The league soon expanded to include charity competitions to encourage integration and competitiveness among workers. MEB now holds the annual gala evening, where the champion defends his title against contenders. As a result of this higher level of competition, many local gyms have begun to offer training to MEB contenders, giving amateur and older boxers an outlet for their training.

Boxers must complete at least three matches in regional rounds before they can be nominated for national MEB fights and get a shot at the title. Inherent in MEB's mission is a desire to popularize the sport of boxing, says MEB Vice President Jan Saglena, adding this type of business boxing has quickly proved popular, despite his own belief it might be a hard sell.

"So far, we have prodominantly Czech fighters, but it's open to anyone who meets our criteria," Saglena says. "It is open to expats, and I would like to see more foreign fighters apply."

Anyone who has ever wanted to see businessmen duke it out should get to the Czech National Bank for what promises to be a night of amateur boxing from professionals.

- Klára Jiřičná contributed to this report.

Alex Tyler can be reached at
atyler@praguepost.com