'GUTS AND FORTITUDE'
Taylor Reed, 20, falls to the mat in exhaustion after an eight-round sparring session with his coach and professional boxer Jesse Uhde at Hard Knocks Boxing and Fitness in Evergreen. More photos on page C2.
Reed takes notes while watching videos of other boxers at his Kalispell home. Reed spends one to two hours each day watching fights as part of his training.
Taylor Reed, 20, uses an altitude mask when running to simulate the effects of running at elevation at Lone Pine State Park. (Mackenzie Reiss/Daily Inter Lake)
Reed prepares meals for the week at his Kalispell residence. Reed eats between 4,500 and 5,000 calories per day when he’s training for a fight.
Pro boxer Jesse Uhde, 39, and amateur boxer Taylor Reed, 20, train with punching mitts at Fuel Fitness on Oct. 21. (Mackenzie Reiss/Daily Inter Lake)
Taylor Reed, center, slams into opponent Marshall Sutherland during their Oct. 28 fight at Fight Night 6 in Kalispell. Reed was victorious, bringing him to a seven-fight winning streak. (Mackenzie Reiss/Daily Inter Lake)
Taylor Reed wraps his hands prior to an Oct. 28 fight against Marshall Sutherland in Kalispell.
Taylor Reed weighs in at 179 pounds during the official weigh-in at Fuel Fitness in Kalispell the night before Fight Night 6. To make weight, most fighters cut their water weight in the days leading up to weigh-in, and then rehydrate before their fight. (Mackenzie Reiss/Daily Inter Lake)
Taylor Reed, left, applies Vaseline to Jesse Uhde’s face between rounds during Fight Night 6 at the Majestic Valley Arena in Kalispell. The Oct. 28 fight was Reed’s first time cornering his coach. (Mackenzie Reiss/Daily Inter Lake)
Pro boxer Jesse Uhde, of Evergreen, makes his way to the ring where he faced off against Jacbo Ruffin, with Taylor Reed following close behind. Uhde won the match unanimously. (Mackenzie Reiss/Daily Inter Lake)
Taylor Reed isn’t your average amateur boxer.
He’s been training in taekwondo since he was 5 years old and hasn’t had an off-season since.
When he signed up for professional boxer Jesse Uhde’s introductory boxing class in January, his world changed.
“I started doing that to round out my game and then I just fell in love with it,” Reed said.
And he fell hard.
He spends at least four hours honing his craft each day, some of which are under the guidance of Uhde, 39, who’s been boxing for more than two decades. Reed’s life revolves around the sport. If he’s not physically preparing for a fight, he’s studying videos of fights or focusing on positivity.
Reed, 20, has also reignited Uhde’s passion for the sport.
“Seeing his drive and how much he wanted it — he was bringing things to me that really made me think… [and] challenging me, even though the experience wasn’t there,” Uhde said.
Both fighters keep up rigorous training schedules that begin at 4 a.m., and often end with an evening sparring session at Uhde’s gym, Hard Knocks Boxing and Fitness in Evergreen.
Last weekend, both fighters’ hard work paid off: Reed and Uhde walked away with unanimous victories in their respective bouts.
“I have an incredible amount of respect for anybody that steps in the ring because it takes a huge amount of guts and mental fortitude to step in there knowing the other person’s trying to knock you out,” Reed said. “I think a lot of times, people don’t understand how strong they are, how mentally tough they are because they never put themselves in a position to succeed like that.”