The FDNY Bravest boxing team will step into Madison Square Garden on Friday to host the International Battle of the Badges III, bringing first responders from across the United States and the United Kingdom together for an annual night of charity boxing.
The team, established in 1982, consists of active FDNY firefighters from across New York City who train outside their department schedules while balancing the demands of their jobs, according to team officials. What began as a small department team has grown into an international event and a significant charitable arm of the FDNY.
Capt. Jack Kirrane, a former boxer and current vice president of the team, joined the department in October 2001, just weeks after 9/11. He discovered the boxing team shortly after joining when colleagues posted a recruitment flyer on his locker with “put up or shut up” written on it.
“I was like, wow, I didn’t even know they had a boxing team. This is great,” Kirrane said.
The team faced significant challenges in its early days following the September 11 attacks. “It was right after 9/11, and the team had lost some members in the tragedy,” Kirrane said. When he first visited the team’s gym in Starrett City, Brooklyn, only four fighters remained on the roster.
From those four original fighters, the team has steadily expanded. Today, 25 to 30 firefighters make up the roster, according to Kirrane. This growth has helped elevate the event into one that now draws departments from across the country and overseas.
“It’s the International Battle of the Badges, where we can bring in friends we fight from different departments across the United States and across the pond,” Kirrane said.
The event serves as a significant fundraiser for multiple charities tied to first responders and veterans, including the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, the Michael J. Fox Parkinson’s Foundation, the FDNY Foundation, the New York Firefighters Foundation, and the FDNY Fire Family Transport Foundation.
“We’ve become quite a big charity, we’re a charitable nonprofit. Just last year, we raised $120,000 for charity,” Kirrane said. “I’m excited because this year, I feel like we’re gonna get the win. At the same time, I am just hoping we raise more money than we did at the last event. That’s what it’s about for us, growing as a charity.”
The team has intensified training over recent weeks in preparation for Friday’s event, working around firefighters’ schedules and practicing at the Victory Boxing Gym in Manhattan during off hours.
Firefighter Sam Kelly, preparing for his first International Battle of the Badges appearance, said the training regimen has prepared him well. “This is the best I have felt physically in a long time,” Kelly said. “I’ve had plenty of time to train. I’ve had time to, somehow, even with everything, relax my mind, relax my body, and I feel incredible. I can’t wait to put on a show, for charity, on the biggest stage in sports.”
Nicole Malpeso, an FDNY firefighter and former EMT, said the team’s demanding schedule creates a unique dynamic. “It’s what separates us from a lot of other boxing teams. We work such a strenuous schedule and then we make the time to train hard as well. We’re constantly pushing ourselves. I think that shows when we’re in the ring,” Malpeso said.
For FDNY Firefighter Rich Weinstein, also competing in his first Battle of the Badges event, fighting at Madison Square Garden holds special significance as a Brooklyn native. “I grew up in Brooklyn, and went to watch the Knicks play, see concerts, and other sporting events at MSG growing up. It’s one of the most famous arenas in the world, so it’s really exciting,” Weinstein said.
The International Battle of the Badges III takes place Friday at Madison Square Garden.
