Tomo Matsumura just wants his opponent to show up and be his best, he said during a July 10 practice while resting between drills as fight music blared in the background.

Matsumura, an international student at Northwest College, is also a member of the Post 26 Big Horn Basin Boxing Club, and a fighter people can expect to see when the club returns to the Park County Fairgrounds on Tuesday. 

Matsumura has been boxing for roughly four months, he said, after being introduced to the club by a friend who shared an interest in martial arts. Ahead of the fight, Matsumura has increased his practice days and while he’s not too familiar with his opponent’s strengths in the ring, “he’s a great guy,” Matsumura said. He’ll do his best to win, he added, but amended his statement soon after.

“Of course I will win,” he said, with some conjured bravado and a smile. 

Across the gym, Terry Marshall is working with his sister who has come to the gym for the first time. The energy is playful as jabs, physical and verbal, are thrown. Marshall is also scheduled to be one of the night’s main events. 

“I’m definitely going to be training until I feel 100% ready,” he said of his fight prep.

He works nearly every day and spars on Wednesday; it’s the most important part of training for boxing, he said. 

“I always try to make time for boxing, because I love it,” Marshall said.

As Marshall and Matsumura train, Jeremy Harms is still learning the ropes. Harms, whose brother has boxed in some club events, will be competing as part of the gym’s “tough guy” portion where amateur fighters, who have received some training from the club, compete in a short exhibition bout with one of the club’s athletes. 

“It’s a good way to stay in shape,” Harms said. “I do track in college and it’s hard to get good cardio around here.”

He also enjoys martial arts, and wrestled in high school. While he loves track, it’s not the same.

“I love the competitiveness of martial arts in general,” Harms said. 

He doesn’t know who his opponent is just yet, and when asked whether or not he’ll pull an upset he kept it close to the vest.

“I mean this is like my second day,” Harms said, “So I’m fresh, I got a lot to do in a short amount of time.”

Those interested in seeing what the athletes of the Post 26 Big Horn Basin Boxing Club are made of can catch them in the ring beginning at 5 p.m. on Tuesday near the fair office. The night will start with the younger age groups and progress up until about 6:30 or 7 p.m., coach David Holland said.