Turning up the heat at Cinder City Days

It's summertime excitement: This year, Altoona's Cinder City Days will feature “Fuego Night” on June 8, featuring amateur boxing (left) and a performance by salsa singer Jimmy Rodriguez (right). (Background photo by Andrea Paulses)

This year's Cinder City Days is about to get exciting! Local boxing gym, Savage FitBox, will be hosting Fuego Night, an amateur boxing tournament, on Saturday, June 8th. Savage FitBox has worked with the Altoona Lions Club, organizers of Cinder City Days, on previous events, so when they were approached about collaborating on the Cinder City Days event, they were excited to get involved.

“We’re really looking forward to bringing something new to Cinder City Days,” said Molly Ammanski, manager of Savage Fit Box. “It’s the first of its kind in the area and will be a unique cultural experience that will bring the community together.” Hector Pucheta opened Savage Fit Box, the area’s only boxing-only gym, in 2017. Since then, it has become a staple on the local fitness scene.

The Fuego Night live boxing show will feature more than 40 fighters from around the state, including adults and kids ages 6 to 17, competing under amateur boxing rules and safety equipment. Eleven of the fighters are from Savage Fitbox classes and will show off what they learned at the gym.

The event will be followed by a salsa concert by musician Jimmy Rodriguez, one of the most famous salsa musicians in the music world, having performed all over the world, transcending borders and cultures.

Fuego Night at Cinder City Days • Saturday, June 8 • Cinder City Park, Altoona • Boxing tournament @ 5 p.m., $25 admission • Jimmy Rodriguez @ 7:30 p.m., $30 admission • Combi admission $50