LAS CRUCES ? Central Elementary Principal Eloisa Solis' campaign to knock out cancer was met with a thud ... the sound of Austin Trout dropped to the mat after recieving a vicious right hook from Solis ... and then cheers from the Central student body acknowledging their leader's knock out of the WBA world light middleweight champion.
"The Purple Flame" Solis challenged "No Doubt" Trout to the three-round boxing match after her student body met a fundraising goal. Friday, the two met on a canvas mat in the Central Elementary playground and engaged in a three-round bout. Solis, the aggressor all bout long, ended the match 30 seconds into the third round, landing a haymaker to Trout's chin to send the previously undefeated champion to the mat. Solis celebrated with a dance, then helped Trout to his feet and the two hugged.
Afterward, Solis took the microphone and presented a trophy to 6-year-old Seth Justice, a Las Cruces youth who was diagnosed with leukemia in January 2012.
"This is a true champion," Solis said. "We were out here fighting for fun, but he's fighting for his life."
Later, Solis said her students needed to see Seth, a cancer survivor, to put a face to their fundraising efforts.
The 290 students at Central participated in the Pennies for Patients campaign to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. They gathered
spare change around their homes and brought it to school for the fundraising effort."We asked our parents for their change and then we found some in the couch pillows and in the car," noted Gianna Aalderts, 10, a fifth-grader at Central.
Solis, who has had two aunts die from illnesses related to leukemia, challenged the students to raise $2,000. They brought in $3,137.
Heather Justice held back tears as Trout and Solis lauded her son.
"It's so awesome that they would think to do this," Justice said. "It's a hard economic time for everyone, so for them to donate to this cause is just so special."
Seth's cancer is now in remission, but he will continue to receive treatment for at least the next two years, his mother said. Seth, who is homeschooled, is involved in Cub Scouts and youth soccer and is the New Mexico Leukemia & Lymphoma Society 2013 Boy of the Year.
Cheyenne Salem, 11, a fifth-grader at Central, and also a judge during the boxing bout, said seeing Seth at the event meant a lot.
"That little boy is very brave," she said. "None of us know how it feels to fight like he does."
This is the third year Solis has challenged the student body to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Each year, the students have met their fundraising goal ? which has increased from $1,000 to $1,500 to $2,000 ? and in turn challenge Solis to hold up her end of the bargain.
Year one, she kissed a pig. Year two, she chased a chicken and gave it a peck. This year, it was a boxing match with Trout, a Las Cruces resident who holds a record of 26-0.
In October, Trout gave an anti-bullying presentation at the school. During the presentation, Solis made an off-the-cuff remark about getting in the ring with Trout and the students held her to her promise.
The students, who chose the name "The Purple Flame," were on their principals' side, chanting "Ms. Solis. Ms. Solis" throughout the bout.
"Of course she was going to win. She's our principal. She has the power," Salem said.
One of the students in Solis' corner was Kaira Trout, 10, a fifth-grader. Austin is her dad.
While Kaira said she was rooting for her principal today, her allegiance is with her dad when he challenges Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, 40-0-1 and the WBC light middleweight champion, April 20 in San Antonio.
Kaira said her dad ? who traveled back to Ruidoso for training after Friday's event at Central ? won't end up on the mat in his bout versus Alvarez.
"Poor Canelo," she said. "(Austin Trout) is going to kick his butt."
Lucas Peerman can be reached at 575-541-5446 or on Twitter @LittleGuyInATie.
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