Yusef is one of the few competitors with no previous fight training, but jokingly refers to a childhood in Hackney, East London as his combat experience. Having attended EFN II as a spectator, he explains it was the event’s support of Refugees International Japan that inspired him to participate. “As a former refugee, I felt privileged to be able to help other people who were facing the same challenges my family had to endure in the ’70s.” He failed to make the cut for EFN III, but vowed to keep trying until he was selected to participate.

Elizabeth Taylor, a retired in-flight service manager and mother of three young boys, will fight in the women’s bout. Although her eldest child Jaden, aged 6, told her early on that “girls don’t do boxing,” she later overheard him proudly telling his school friends about it. As a karate black-belt-holder and two-time marathon runner, Taylor is used to the physical demands of training for competition, and has recently been rising at 5am five days a week to go on a run before the rest of the family wakes up.

Expectations are high for Nobbi Tanaka, one of the two Japanese nationals fighting. He’s been boxing for 13 years with three amateur matches under his belt. He also has kickboxing and karate experience, so his confidence is high. “I’ve won every boxing fight—all inside the distance. I don’t see how this fight will be any different.” Known as the jokester of the group, Tanaka once appeared on the Australian version of Big Brother. He says, “It was a great experience, but looking back now it’s pretty embarrassing. Please don’t judge me.”

May 23. For more information, visit www.executivefightnight.com. Ticketing: ticketing@ginjaninjas.com (Please note tickets may have sold out before this article is published)

A Dog in the Fight

Canines combating cancer

Proceeds from Executive Fight Night IV will go towards Shine On! Kids’ facility dog program, helping them improve the treatment process for children with cancer through animal-assisted therapy. Their two dogs, Bailey and Yogi, provide love and companionship throughout difficult and frightening procedures. As Yuka Kato, a nurse at Shizuoka Hospital, explains, “Bailey doesn’t tell the kids what to do or how to feel. He’s just there for them. The kids say, ‘If Bailey’s with me, I’ll do it,’ or ‘I’ll be OK as long as Bailey’s at my side.’”

The dogs’ presence can also benefit parents, who feel they need to remain strong in front of their children. “When they’re with us, they feel they have to talk, but sometimes they go into another room with Bailey and just have a good cry,” Kato says.

The Ginja Ninjas say they chose Shine On! Kids because, as organizer Dave Thomas says, “It supports children who are fighting for their lives every day, and so we truly felt this was an amazing cause that was worth us fighting for, too.” Their facility dog program is the first of its kind in Japan, and the only one in the world that employs nurse-handlers whose sole focus is working with the dogs.

For more information on the Facility Dog Program, visit: www.sokids.org/programs/facility-dog/