Local man to fight American in Vegas: Loser gets tattoo of international proportions

By Ken Johnston
Editor

What do trash talking, the internet, satellite radio and fighting have in common? They all led Robert Tolen of Rainy River to a boxing match he will fight in April 3, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Tolen, 37, was listening to the Jason Ellis Faction 28 show on satellite radio when he became interested in some of the fan sites on the internet. However, Tolen, who admits that he was less than computer literate had to learn how to access them and get into chat rooms.
But once there the trash talking began. “Guys trash talk back and forth all the time and one guy (from Duluth, MN.) said he wanted to fight someone, anyone, even a Canadian,” said Tolen.
Tolen said he would fight the American, however they had to find a way to get Ellis’ attention. “We had to come up with a gimmick,” said Tolen last week.
What they came up with was the loser of the fight will get a tattoo ringside of their opponent’s flag on their butt. Tolen said everyone in the chat room instantly bought into it. So they all started emailing Ellis with the fight and its gimmick.
Tolen wasn’t sure if it would work, then one day while he was listening to Faction 28, “They said over the radio that two guys want to fight over a tattoo. I knew then I was going to Vegas!”
Tolen, who is 5’11” and 172 lbs., is ten years older than his opponent. However, that does not scare him as he has met “Scott or Snipe as he is known in the chat room” and sized him up. “I am a knuckle-dragger. I have long arms and have at least 5-6 inches of reach and am taller than him.”
The fight will be two rounds and be at the very beginning of Ellis Mania 5. The reason it is early in the show is because the tattooing will be done right after the fight at ringside. “I am not worried about getting a tattoo because I am going to win,” said Tolen.
Other fights that night will include celebrities like Benji Madden from the band Good Charlotte. “There are also a couple of girl fights, and about ten fights in total that night.”
The fights will take place at The Joint in Las Vegas. The club is owned by Carey Hart, who is singer Pink’s husband. His club, Wasted Space, is in the Hard Rock Casino in Vegas and features Hart’s now famous tattoo parlours.
Tolen said that Ellis was originally a skateboarder and came to North America from Australia. He arrived in Vancouver where he became friends with the Red Dragon skating club. Eventually he made his way to the US and now has a very successful radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio. However, Tolen said the show is not for everyone. It features content that is geared to adults.
Tolen, who has never fought before, said that he has enjoyed the trash talking over the internet and as he became more computer savvy he started a Twitter page and has about 50 followers. At Christmas he received a pair of boxing gloves and has been training in preparation for the Easter weekend bout. Several locals have said they are going with to watch the fight, and Tolen is excited about that as well.
Tolen said he has learned a lot about boxing. “At first I thought just go in and throw some haymakers, but there is actually a strategy to it. The whole thing interests me.”
While he has never fought before, he said that he would love to defend his title at the next Ellis Mania which could be in Vancouver. “It would be great to fight on home soil!”
He and his entourage fly to Vegas April 1st. Weigh-ins are on the 2nd and the fight is on the 3rd. The fight will not be broadcast free of charge, but will be available on pay per view at the website ellismania.com. After the fight an edited version will be available on line featuring several different camera angles all edited together.