Chaos Magazine

CHAOS MAGAZINE, 2014

This editorial interview article details Bekim Trenova’s illegal fight club that featured models as fighters, DJ fueled tracks, and generally light hearted debauchery. The angle for this article was to shine a light on this very nuanced activity that most wouldn’t assume working models would want to be a part of.  

Fight Night

What happens when you take an Albanian boy from the Southside of Atlanta, transport him to New York City, and give him an open canvas to follow his dream? You get Bekim Trenova and Fight NighT.

Trenova has proven to himself and a great majority of the world that he is a man who is the sum of his experiences and drive. Fight NighT has been tearing up the New York scene for a handful of years, offering opportunities to guys who otherwise may not have had a chance to make it.

The event itself embodies what New York City once was: excitement and creativity with a splash of violence. Did I mention it is technically illegal? There’s music, belly dancers, sword swallowers, and, of course, boxing.

Think of it as an urban version of Carnevale without the religion. What started out as a small way to pass the time between friends has blossomed into a full-blown spectacle. It is an event that played into many of Trenova’s natural talents. As a bona fide social butterfly, he has always had a knack for bringing people together. Whether it involves hosting parties, working concerts, or parking cars, Trenova maintains a great rapport with people, which is why when his friends jokingly suggested starting a boxing match, he practically leaped at the idea.

Naturally, Trenova wanted to assume the role of host based on his previous experience in what he calls “Rage Against the Machine type of bands.” He knew how to rile up a crowd and get them pumped for whatever was going to happen, but he had not expected to experience the electricity of the crowd firsthand, which literally caught him off guard. That kind of pure energy was not something that could be manufactured; it simply had to be, and Trenova and his friends seemingly had the recipe. He recalls looking into his friend’s eyes and knowing that they had something special, even though their only motivation was a bond of friendship and a “let’s do it” attitude.

So, what exactly is Fight NighT? I can tell you what it is not: model boxing. Despite coming from the fashion industry, Trenova never sat down and decided that models boxing would be his hook. The way the perception came about was that his friend who wanted to box just happened to be a model, so people assumed that was what the event was all about: gorgeous guys pummeling each other. But Fight NighT is a far more cultural experience than that.

The event houses people ranging from guys native to the Harlem area to guys who originated in the Dominican Republic, and Trenova wants those stories to be showcased. He wants the guys who go to Egypt to meditate as the focal point, and the guys who grew up eating ketchup packets to get the recognition they deserve. Mainly, he wants to highlight the fact that people can come from different walks of life and enjoy a similar event.

Trenova used to spend a lot of time fighting to correct that presumption, but he has since decided to let the show speak for itself. He welcomes anyone who thinks it is simply models boxing to come out and see what Fight NighT is really about. For him, it is all about bringing people together under a single roof to share an experience.

“That’s what’s so great about our event. The Wall Streeters are there, hip-hop people are there, the Manhattan downtown scene kids are there; everybody is there,” Trenova explains. “That’s what’s important to me: getting them all in one room and giving them a once in a lifetime energetic experience.”

At its very core, Fight NighT is about classic boxing that is not to be confused with any kind of fight club. To Trenova, fight clubs are very male-dominated and dirty, and Fight NighT is classier than that. Instead of a bunch of hulking dudes in a dingy basement stripped down and fighting bare-knuckle brawls, Fight NighT is a cultivated spectacle with live music and entertainment.

But let’s not forget this event is still illegal. Getting chased around the streets of New York City by the NYPD is not something foreign to those involved in Fight NighT. It is that bit of added edge that makes the event itself that much cooler.

“We have the roots and the real story behind us, so it’s kind of like unbelievable press, from the fashion world, to National Geographic, to the New York Times. There’s a real story behind it, like a ‘Made in America’ type of thing,” Trenova notes. “(We) just have to keep building it till we can get real sponsors. We’re starting a subculture for boxing, kind of bringing the sport back because it’s not that cool anymore. So, we’re showcasing it to a whole new genre of people.”

Basically, Fight NighT is a game changer, something that is wedging itself into the world of sports entertainment while operating out of its own niche.

Since the inception of Fight NighT, Trenova and the rest of his crew — which includes resident mama bears, Nina and Chloe; Ray the Ref, Doctor Dave; and his boxers, Staxx, Rage, Caveman, A-1, and Rockstar Charlie; as well as DJ Mess Kid — have been working around the clock to create this magically cultural experience for people. To them, it does not matter where you come from or what you have been through; the important part is your passion and engagement in a sense of unity.

“It’s brought together a bunch of people who wouldn’t have met each other otherwise – kids that could have been killed or in jail. It just helps everybody,” Trenova reflects. “It all depends on how you look at it and how you utilize it. I just want it to help people. I want people’s lives to be changed. It’s about teamwork, it’s about family. No bad blood. We’re all down.”

One thing that is pretty unlikely to happen is Trenova fighting in the ring. With all of the preparations it takes to put on a Fight NighT, it is practically impossible for him to get properly trained to step between the ropes as anything other than the host. He just does not see the necessity to duke it out, but there have been times where he thought he would have to get into the ring.

“Once, in the second fight we ever did on Howard Street, there was this beast guy that said he was going to do it, but then he backed out — and this was when it was new, so finding fighters was hard,” Trenova says. “Now, it’s like I have fighters for days.”

If you have ever seen Trenova in person or in photos, he looks like a capable fighter. But you should not let his handsome face fool you, because he is Albanian, which is something akin to European gangsters.

“There was this point where I was like, ‘I’m going to have to fight,’” Trenova reflects. “I’m an athlete and I’ve been in fights. I grew up playing sports and got beat up a couple of times, got attacked from the back a few times, probably from talking to someone’s girl. I’ve been on the receiving and giving end of all those things. The show must go on, so I have to do it … I think it would be cool to maybe do it sometime.”

Unfortunately, sometime does not mean now, because there is simply too much preparation that goes into the event to entertain the idea of fighting. But under the right circumstances, it is possible to get Trenova into the squared circle. If he is ever able to hand over the day-to-day operations and devote all of his time to getting into fighting shape, then he would consider it. Until that happens, Trenova says he is content “dancing around the ring, talking on the mic, and looking cute.”

Trenova’s lack of in-ring prowess is more than all right, because without him, there would not be much of a show. It is one thing to have all the components, but someone has to be tasked with putting it all together, and Trenova is that person.

Single handedly, Trenova has put together each and every one of the Fight NighTs, as it is his baby. Like any proud father, he wants to see it grow and expand by his own hand. Naturally, he plans to make it bigger and legalize it, but for now, he is content to run the show his way at the helm of a rapidly growing ship.

“I’m super protective of it. I won’t just let anyone in, even if they have money to invest. They have to be the right fit (and) I want to have a history with them,” Trenova explains. “When I say I want an event manager, I already have someone in mind. Anything we’ve ever needed seems to pop up. Like when I needed a doctor, the best doctor popped up. We add all these pieces as we go.”

It seems as though Trenova has discovered the recipe for success when it comes to Fight NighT. He understands there are risks involved with any type of business venture and he does not let the fear of failure prevent him from moving forward. He recognizes he has something that no one else has tried before and is committed to seeing it through to the very end.

“I tell my girlfriend all the time that I feel lucky that I have this little piece of gold on my resume that I really want to capitalize on,” Trenova says of Fight NighT.

There is a thirst to keep the event hidden and underground to preserve the original goal, but as Trenova gets older, he wants more of the world to see Fight NighT. He wants to make the show legal, obtain the proper licensing, and turn the event into the powerhouse he knows it can be.

But that does not mean it will be simple. Naturally, there have been hang-ups with the quest for legalizing Fight NighT. Several years ago, Trenova attempted to work with a media marketing company to lighten his load a bit, but the entire thing was too contained for his liking. Part of Fight NighT’s appeal is its subtlety, so having the cops break up the party before it began was not the way he wanted things to go. Needless to say, Trenova and the company parted ways after the incident. So, for now, he is content to keep working under his own management, even though that can involve tough decisions, like firing friends or spending a tremendous amount of money.

It also means dealing with unfortunate occurrences, such as the deaths of two original Friday Night Throwdowners, Chris Demarco and Joe Madeo, who built rings and were a part of the heart that was Fight NighT. But Trenova is not the only one making sacrifices for the betterment of Fight NighT, because one of his fighters, a marine from Harlem named Staxx, missed a felony court hearing just so he could travel with the event. Luckily, the judge had heard of the event and was so captivated that he was willing to throw out the warrant.

Trenova knows the event has magic behind it.

“It’s got some beautiful energy. It’s a bunch of beautiful, inspiring, hardworking people,” he says. “We’re all about giving people opportunities. It’s kind of a looping circle where everyone gets to help each other out.”

Trenova’s willingness to take risks and make sacrifices has really started to pay off for everyone involved in Fight NighT. Recently, he took his biggest risk to date by loading up a bus filled with his fighters, his crew, and girlfriend and travelling down to Austin, Texas, only to be joined by his best friend and mentor, BASSNECTAR, to host a show at South by Southwest. The entire trip cost him about $20,000, and he knew he would not see a return on the investment right away.

So, why do it? Because of the added exposure. Trenova wanted to show potential investors that he could take the show on the road, be professional, and book known artists like Mob Deep and Mike Jones for the events. The Fight NighT crew wanted to show everyone they were, in fact, the real deal and not just some street kids from New York play fighting.

You don’t have to settle for just believing words, because renowned photographer Dylan Forsberg was there to showcase the entire spectacle from start to finish. There’s even a magazine dedicated to the venture set to come out in the very near future.

In a lot of ways, SXSW was the beginning stages of the legalization process for Fight NighT. It was the first time Trenova was able to put on the show with actual sponsors, including the House of Marley and Mishka. Over the course of the next year, Trenova would like to do a cross-country tour of the United States, hitting big events like Coachella, the Miami Beach Art Basel, and New York Fashion Week. In each city, he wants New York’s best to go head-to-head with the best of the locals. The crew’s work is even about to be showcased in a gallery in the south of Spain by photographer David Yalkin.

“Now is the time. We have the story behind us, we have the roots behind us,” Trenova states. “Everyone I have involved is finally coming into their own. Years ago, we had to stand together to make this powerful. Now, we’re powerful as individuals, and when we’re all in a room, it’s off the charts. It’s ready for that next level.”

There is clearly no lack of support for the sport, but Trenova is biding his time and building a story before deciding to take things completely legal.

“I want to build the story of us slowly climbing up the ladder. Not just, ‘They did it once and now they’re getting a license,’” Trenova explains. “There’s a story behind it, there are roots behind it, and there’s a fan base behind it.”

Because of its rabid, the Fight NighT crew has been considering its options as far as movies and documentaries go. A few years back, Trenova was in contact with the camp that worked on the Twilight films. They had bought the rights to a lot of articles and had even involved him in the process, but the deal ultimately fell through. Truthfully, Trenova was not too broken up about it, because he is a very hands-on individual, which means he would prefer to have his hands dirty in the production of any kind of film or documentary revolving around Fight NighT.

Since then, the crew has been documenting every step of the journey and is more than ready to put out a documentary.

“The funny thing about it is, every time we do something, we say, ‘What’s next?’ We could … shoot for a couple of years and then come out with a 10-episode mini release on HBO or something,” Trenova describes. “You’ll see that it’s not a bunch of evil kids beating each other up in a basement. It’s a bunch of people that want to make New York City cool again, to be able to do something fun and edgy with good people.”

Trenova knows where he wants to go and how he needs to get there, and he realizes what he has is something special that he is not willing to let falter. He wants more trained street boxers who can build characters like the ones you see in the WWE, as opposed to skinny guys who cannot fight. Trenova has a particular vision for the Fight NighT spectacle and he is not going to let anyone or anything detract from that.

“I’ve got too many good people around me to not let it grow,” he adds. “I know the right people to make this do what we want it to do. We still just have a little bit more story to go. I just turned 29 so I still have a little bit more underground left in me. Maybe do it one more year of bam, bam, bam and then we can blow it up.”

What Trenova has is something original that people want to see. With the development of his brand, he is sure others will crop up and attempt to leech onto his idea. To those people, he says, “No one can do what we’ve done. If they try, they’re going to be fakes, they’re going to be copycats. We have a story; we’re the real deal.”

Everyone involved in Fight NighT is a shining example of how hard work and dedication can pay off. It does not have to be in monetary value; rather, it can be in experience and memories.

When we die, the only thing we have is the legacy we leave behind. Bekim Trenova realizes this and wants to be a part of another person’s memories. He wants someone in their 20s to think back when they are 60 to the time they watched an underground boxing battle happen and say, “that was one of the craziest things I’ve ever been a part of.”