At five years old, Agency Wars hasn’t lost a step. The annual fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House and the National Advertising Benevolence Society once again saw hundreds of screaming supporters file into Toronto’s Arcadian Court to cheer for amateur boxers from around the industry.
Twenty four boxers touched gloves at Wednesday night’s event, having trained intensely for three months as two teams – Red and Blue – under the guidance of some of the best boxers in the country: former Canadian heavyweight champion Mark Simmons, Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Mandy Bujold, and 30-year coaching veteran Rico Mancini.
Melanie Chiriboga-Gomez, an account executive from Anomaly and a light flyweight who won the night’s opening match, said the long training regimen and intensity of the fight showed her how much she can put into something “that I’m motivated and love to do.” It’s something she says she’s taking away from the experience. “Advertising is not an easy job. It’s long hours, but at the end of the day it’s all worthwhile.”
It was perhaps inevitable that Chiriboga-Gomez would take part in Agency Wars. “My grandfather was a boxer back in Ecuador, a real champion.” When it came time to pick her nickname for the ring, she went with her grandfather’s – “Tanquesito” or tank. “It’s in my blood. I love boxing. I’ve watched it since I was little with my brothers.”
Conceived in 2010 by Michael Clancy, the one-time executive creative director of Toronto agency BrandWorks and now owner of Clancy’s Boxing Academy, Agency Wars has trained more than 100 creatives, media executives and business owners of both genders to survive the rigours of the ring.
This year’s teams seemed evenly matched with six wins apiece. But as is typical of the event, the win/loss record didn’t matter after the final bell, when all the competitors met in the ring to congratulate each other. It all boiled down to appreciation for a shared experience.
The community that grows around Agency Wars is a strong one. Former competitors can be seen working ringside, checking tickets, helping promote the event with public relations, and even carrying signs as ring girls between the rounds. Alumni also dot the crowd, cheering on co-workers they’ve introduced to the event.
“It’s a sold-out show,” said Clancy in his opening remarks, “and it’s a show that celebrates the courage in the human spirit, as embodied by our charities and by our fighters tonight.”
Fight Card – Results
• Amanda Dyke (Starcom MediaVest) vs. Ashley Chu (Mosaic Sales Solutions) – Ashley Chu
• Anthony Luciano (The Blue Hive) vs. Bradley Howard (Starcom MediaVest) – Anthony Luciano
• Benjamin Nadler (Klick Health) vs. Alex Papadimitropoulos (Telus) – Alex Papadimitropoulos
• Cailyn Farquhar (Rogers Digital Media) vs. Jessica Biagioni (MEC Global) – Cailyn Farquhar
• Cindy Romero (Avid Life Media) vs. Jaime Lipowitz (Ideon Media) – Cindy Romero
• Ford Shirriff (Pattison One Stop) vs. Mike Smith (BBC) – Mike Smith
• Luke Southern (L’Équipe L’Oréal) vs. Derek Silveira (JWT) – Derek Silveira
• Melanie Chiriboga-Gomez (Anomaly) vs. Joanna Catalfo (Leo Burnett) – Melanie Chiriboga-Gomez
• Nadia Bergeron (Phosphorous Media) vs. Dannielle Carrier (PHD Media) – Dannielle Carrier
• Sonya Furdyk (Juice Mobile) vs. Sabrina Hashmi (Olson Canada) – Sabrina Hashmi
• Vidas Kubilius (Zulu Alpha Kilo) vs. Sotero Bernardo (Ideon Media) – Vidas Kubilius
• Elana Safonova (Ireland & Hall Communications) vs. Erika Casupanan (Media Profile) – Elana Safonova
While the final donation total was still being tallied during the event, it broke the $20,000 mark before the opening bell.
