Linden — If you want to spot the Spencer brothers (Joey and Mikel) these days, the best place to do so is in the boxing ring in Linden's garage.
The garage door is open because there isn't much else that can fit in it, and people driving down Ripley Road have a good chance of seeing the pro-boxing brothers as they go along at about 25 miles per hour.
There's another big reason they've been there so often lately: They're both training for their upcoming bouts. And when that bout takes place, it'll be the perfect opportunity for anyone in the tri-county area who hasn't seen them compete in person yet, because the two brothers will be featured in the main and co-main events of a Spencer Productions bout on Aug. 17 at Linden High School.
A dream Joey Spencer has been talking about since his first pro fight will come true when the brothers face off on the Linden High School football field. Spencer will face Janelle Gonzalez in the main event and final bout of the night. Mikel (Kel) Spencer will be in the co-main and face an opponent to be determined in the first six-round bout of his pro career. Both fighters are excited to compete in front of their hometown fans, and the anticipation was further heightened on Thursday when it was announced that the bout will be for the United States Boxing Association Intercontinental Championship.
“This is truly a dream come true,” Joey said. “I've always had this idea since I was a little kid and I thought now was the time. Ever since I was a little kid, the football field has always been something that was on my mind.”
“Usually I don't care where I fight, I'm fighting because there's an opponent and I'm confident I'm going to win and move on to the next fight,” Kell said. “But coming back to Linden is really special. I've spent a lot of time here, especially this past year, and spent time building friends, community and relationships, so it's nice to come back to my hometown to fight. I never got the chance to play sports at Linden High School so I always wanted to be on the field and play football, and now I get to box on the football field. It's really nice to be able to relive a little bit of my childhood.”
Make a schedule
This has been hinted at ever since Joey began his professional boxing career in 2018, but it took a lot of work to finalize it.
“When we first started talking about having a homecoming event, we had a few locations in mind and we were pretty much set. We thought Flint or Detroit would be cool, but we wondered how we could have it in Linden,” Joey said. “We reached out to the school and they were on board. They were very supportive and said, of course. We ended up having it at the football field and we feel like this is the best situation we could have.”
Joey Spencer
For both brothers, it's been a while since their most recent fight. Part of that could be down to the business changes currently happening in professional boxing, especially the recent end of their longtime Showtime contract with the sport. But it also has to do with everyday life. Joey and his wife, Tabitha, are expecting their second child, a son, with the due date about a week after this fight.
“Life is great. Everything is going really well. My daughter is two now and I'm pregnant with a boy,” Joey said. “I was supposed to fight in September, but the baby was due in September so I wanted to fight before the baby was born.”
Joey's last fight was on December 16, 2023, where he won by unanimous decision over Marcelo Fabian Brzozowski, and his previous fight was against an undefeated up-and-comer who lost by TKO to Jesus Alejandro Romos Jr. on March 25, 2023. Of course, before that, Spencer had won all 17 of his professional fights, giving him a career record of 17-1, with 10 of those wins coming by knockout.
The 37-year-old Gonzalez has a record of 21-6-1, with 17 wins by knockout. In his last four fights since 2022, he has won 2-2 by knockout, both losses coming against unbeaten fighters.
“My main goal is to put on a great show and event,” Joey said. “I want to perform well in the matches and give the whole event a great feeling. I'm a fighter, so I need to go out there and perform well.”
Kel Spencer
Kell himself experienced personal growth. He was at Michigan State University when the shooting occurred while driving home from campus. The next day, Kell attended a prayer service at Michigan State and was personally touched. This prompted Kell to start his own organization, Soldiers in Christ (SIC).
“During this really dark time, people started worshiping God,” Kell said. “That sparked an idea in my head. It was so intimate and authentic and something I'd never seen before. I was like, how can I bring this back here and bring authenticity back to our relationship with God? And that was kind of the beginning. A lot has changed from last June to now.”
Spencer's final bout will be against Lyle MacFarlane on June 24, 2023, when he won the bout but it was ruled a no contest due to an unintentional head butt. Prior to that, Spencer had won his first three professional bouts, two of which were by knockout. This will be the first scheduled six-round bout of his career.
“I think I'm really going to enjoy it. … It's going to feel a little different being with my hometown fans,” Kell said. “It just motivates me to perform better overall because I get to interact with people. Usually I just want to go out and do my best, but being with my friends and family makes it feel that much more special.”
ticket
Tickets for the Aug. 17 event can be purchased at spencerpromotions.com. General admission tickets start at $39.20, with children 13 and under costing $19. Ringside tickets can be purchased on the website. General admission tickets can be purchased at the venue on the day of the fight. Doors for the six-fight card open at 6 p.m., with fights starting at 7 p.m.
“We want it to be a family-friendly event,” Joey said. “There will be vendors and food. There will be bounce houses and things like that for the kids. It's a lot of work, but we're really looking forward to it.”
