Summary: Combat sports took over Raymond Vineyards on July 25 as about 400 fans gathered for Napa Knockout, a fundraiser benefiting the California State Athletic Commission Fighter Pension Fund. Organizers said the event raised about $500,000 through ticket sales and sponsorships while bringing amateur and professional fighters to a Napa Valley winery setting. The evening also highlighted California’s unusual role as the only state with a pension fund for retired fighters. With organizers and supporters signaling interest in a return, the event may be back next year.
“We are really proud that we are the only state in the country that provides these types of benefits for retired boxers.” — Chris Gruwell, California State Athletic commissioner
Napa Knockout Brings Combat Sports to Wine Country
by Kerana Todorov
NAPA VALLEY, Calif. — About 400 spectators gathered on the crush pad at Raymond Vineyards on July 25 for Napa Knockout, an evening of mixed martial arts, kickboxing and Muay Thai benefiting retired fighters.
Organizers said ticket sales and sponsorships raised about $500,000 for the California State Athletic Commission Fighter Pension Fund. California is the only state with a pension program for professional fighters.
The event featured 20 amateur and professional competitors, ranging from 16-year-old San Francisco boxer Marley “Baby Bug” McNealy to veteran fighters Matt “The Butcher” Baker and Mason Hartshorn, who each won their bouts.
McNealy, a Junior Olympian and the youngest participant, said she wants to go to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Her father, also named Marly McNealy, said his daughter has been boxing her entire life.
“I know she’ll be in the Olympics,” said Gilbert Melendez, whose son – also named Gilbert – worked on the event as a promoter.
The event began late in the afternoon with Raymond owner and host Jean-Charles Boisset sabering two bottles of sparkling wines as guests took photos with their cell phones before taking their seats in the covered production area away from the sun on a day when afternoon temperatures hovered in the mid-90s. The event required his obtaining a temporary license from Napa County’s zoning administrator. Guests parked at The Ranch Winery, Gallo’s recently shuttered production facility on Zinfandel Lane, and rode a shuttle to nearby Raymond.
The fans — most from the fighting world — sat on folded chairs set up around the square ring, hollering and cheering on the fighters under the bright lights. Guests sipped on wine, water and sodas and ate munchies served from food trucks and stations set up nearby in the courtyard. Ice cream was popular on this hot day, but so were sliders, tacos, empanadas and fried chicken.
“Isn’t it fun?” asked Boisset a longtime fan of combat sports who trains in kickboxing at his home on Wappo Hill and has a gym set up in Burgundy. “I’m a big fan of it. I’m not as good as those guys, so I don’t do fighting, but I love to be able to invite that world into our world and be able to do something that is very different from opera singing or classical music or even BottleRock.”
Combat sports came to Raymond thanks in part to one of Boisset’s friends, Ronald Fiore, a San Francisco entrepreneur and a member of the California State Athletic Commission. Fiore praised Boisset’s generosity, noting Boisset was presented the first belt the California State Athletic Commission has awarded to a non-fighter.
“We are grateful for everything he did,” he said. “Napa is one of the most beautiful places on earth, so we’re honored to be up here.”
Joe “Kwando” Graydon, 22, of Antioch, a last-minute addition, lost his bout but said he enjoyed the event and the Wine Country venue.
Assemblyman Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, who authored California’s MMA Fighters Fund in 2023, thanked the guests for their support. The bill allowed the California State Athletic Commission to establish retirement benefits for mixed martial arts fighters.
Chris Gruwell, a California State Athletic commissioner, called to thank everyone who had worked on the proposal.
“We are really proud that we are the only state in the country that provides these types of benefits for retired boxers,” he said.
There didn’t seem to be any opposition to the event, and another one could take place next year.
“If everybody wants to do it, why not? Boisset said.
—
Kerana Todorov is a freelance reporter based in Napa. She can be reached at kerana.todorov@gmail.com.
Today’s Puzzler:
Five words walk into a fight. Only one has boxing in its linguistic bloodline. Pick your contender, then check the answer at the bottom of the page.
Poem of the Day:
“Jack Dempsey”
By Robert E. Howard
Through the California mountains And many a wooded vale The wind from seaward whispers The name of the Nonpareil O'er many a peak snow covered O'er many a woodland fair The sea-breeze murmurs the wonderful tale Of the lad from County Clare. But never the wind from seaward And never the brooks of the vale Can speak the half of the glory, The due of the Nonpareil. Champion of all Champions, Greatest in all times' bound, The lad who held Fitzsimmons For thirteen gory rounds. But the ring's red history passes To a swiftly roving tale, And there's few who now remember The name of the Nonpareil. But here's to the greatest of fighters, To a name that never shall fail, To the name of the first Jack Dempsey The wonderful Nonpareil.
About the author: Robert E. Howard (1906-1936) was an American writer and poet best known for creating Conan the Cimmerian and for helping establish the sword-and-sorcery tradition in popular fiction. Born and raised in Texas, Howard wrote fantasy, horror, westerns, historical adventure and boxing fiction for the pulp magazines of the 1920s and ’30s. His work appeared in publications that included “Weird Tales” and “Fight Stories.” His fiction, particularly the Conan stories, had a lasting influence on fantasy literature, comics, illustration and film.
Howard was deeply interested in boxing, both as a participant and as a subject for fiction and poetry. “Jack Dempsey,” published in 1925, predates the Conan stories and already shows his characteristic interest in combat, physical courage, fame and the erosion of reputation over time. The poem uses regular rhyme, repetition and a ballad-like narrative voice to memorialize Jack “Nonpareil” Dempsey, the 19th-century middleweight champion. One historical detail in the poem is inaccurate: Howard calls Dempsey “the lad from County Clare,” although the boxer was born in County Kildare, Ireland. The error is Howard’s and is retained here as part of the original text.
Are you a poet, or do you have a favorite piece of verse you’d like to share? Napa Valley Features invites you to submit your poems for consideration in this series. Email your submissions to napavalleyfeatures@gmail.com with the subject line: “Poem of the Day Submission.” Selected poets will receive a one-year paid subscription to Napa Valley Features (a $60 value). We can’t wait to hear from you.
Today’s Polls:
Today’s Caption Contest:
Pick your favorite caption or add your own in the comments below.
“I used to box-box, but now I mostly network.”
“My therapist says I should stop leading with the breed.”
“Apparently, ‘Who’s a good boy?’ was rhetorical.”
“I’m between owners at the moment.”
“I stopped barking at strangers. Now I offer unsolicited advice.”
Last Week’s Contest Results:
In “Tinned Fish Comes Back to the Table,” the winning caption was “I am starting to understand humans,” with 36% of the votes.
Caption Options:
“I’m suddenly curious about the paperwork.”
“More of a catch-and-release guy, myself.”
“Technically, I did catch them.”
“Are we sure these are free-range?”
“I am starting to understand humans.”
Today’s Puzzler: Answer + Explanation:
Answer: B. Pugnacious
Pugnacious comes from the Latin pugnare, meaning “to fight,” which is related to pugnus, meaning “fist.” That same linguistic family gave English pugilist, an old-fashioned word for a boxer.
The other choices can all describe difficult, combative or persistent behavior, but none shares that fist-and-fighting etymology.
—
Explore These Related Articles:
Browse All Napa Valley Features Stories
Browse All Sonoma County Features Stories
Browse All Lake County Features Stories
Browse All Calistoga Currents Stories
—
The views, opinions and data presented in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position or perspective of Napa Valley Features or its editorial team. Any content provided by our authors is their own and is not intended to malign any group, organization, company or individual.
Our illustrations are produced through a multistep process of generative tools, digital sketching and photo editing, often starting from our own images or sketches.
Wine and blood go so well together...