“Send him back to Atlanta!”

FDNY Boxing Club President Bobby McGuire and other FDNY members present a $50,000 donation to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Photo courtesy of the FDNY Boxing Club.

Fists were flying for a good cause in the St. Camillus parking lot at 185 Beach 99th Street on Friday, June 28, as the FDNY Boxing Club hosted the eighth annual “Thrilla in Camilla.”

FDNY boxers took on the Atlanta and Yonkers police departments, with special appearances from Woodside Boxing Club, Sacred Heart College, Victory Boxing and Westbury BC, in 11 heated twilight bouts.

At 7:00 p.m., Ayden Espinoza of Woodside Boxing Club took on Jermill Daniels of Westbury BC, kicking off the “Battle of the Badges.” The bout ended in a unanimous decision in favor of Daniels.

As the night wore on, the 1,800 fans in attendance grew louder and louder. In the fourth bout, John Marrero of FDNY Engine 271 took on Brandon Collins of the Atlanta-Dekalb County Police Department as fans shouted, “Send him back to Atlanta!” Collins ultimately won the round by split decision.

The eighth bout ended in just 26 seconds when Sacred Heart College’s Jerimiah Ryan suffered a shoulder injury, leaving Profit Boxing’s Billy Novak the winner by forfeit.

The FDNY Boxing Club celebrated their victories throughout the evening. Photo by Paige Merz

The FDNY Boxing Club fought in honor of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which has provided mortgage-free homes to families of fallen first responders since 9/11 in honor of Stephen Gerard Siller, an FDNY member who lost his life inside the Twin Towers.

“It’s truly an incredible night of boxing,” Trevor Tamsen, Tunnel to Towers’ associate director of media relations and events, told The Wave. “It has an atmosphere and a vibe that’s unlike any other event.”

During intermission, FDNY Boxing Club President Bobby McGuire and other FDNY members presented a $50,000 donation to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, bringing the total donation to $200,000 over the past two years.

Following this, on July 1, Tunnel to Towers paid off the mortgages of FDNY Firefighter William Moon II and NYPD Detective Dillon Stewart, and provided a new mortgage-free home to the family of NYPD Officer Adeed Fayaz.

“Our goal is really to help first responders and injured service members live more independent lives for themselves and their families,” Tamsen added.

The FDNY Boxing Club has donated over $1 million to various charities over the years, including the Building Homes for Heroes Organization and the New York Firefighters Burn Center Foundation.

In addition to some friendly fights, food trucks, cold drinks and cigars were also given away, with proceeds also benefiting Tunnel to Towers. VICE Donuts and Coffee and Caribbean Choices Catering Services were also in attendance, and Forged Irish Stout was the event’s sponsor.

“I think all the businesses in Rockaway benefited from having almost 2,000 people come to Rockaway, and it was good for the whole neighborhood,” McGuire told The Wave. The event took place after the official party at Whit’s End, a few blocks away at 97-02 Rockaway Beach Blvd.

The FDNY Emerald Society Pipe Band opens the event. Photo by Paige Merz

Danny Quinn of FDNY Ladder Company 9 faced Shaun Johnson of the Atlanta Police Department in the ninth bout of the night, with Quinn taking home the trophy.

“It’s so rewarding to win,” Quinn told The Wave. “It’s the ultimate reward for all the hard work in training. I can’t say enough good things about Tunnel to Towers and what they do for our first responders and veteran families.”

Quinn said he started boxing in high school, but began competing when he got involved with the FDNY five years ago.

“I love the competitive aspect of boxing,” Quinn added. “But we live by our motto: ‘We’ll fight anyone, anywhere, anytime – for a good cause.’”