Executive Fight Night Is Back

One of the most exciting annual events in Tokyo is finally back—Executive Fight Night is returning after a three-year hiatus! The 10th bout of this hugely popular boxing event takes place on Friday, May 27, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Roppongi Hills. It’s easy to think that this event is just a fun way for office executives to blow off some steam, but each fighter steps into the ring for something much more important. Here’s why Executive Fight Night is a wonderful way to fight for a good cause.

From the outside, the setup for the event appears fairly simple. Eighteen executives from companies in Japan train for 12 weeks and then duke it out in front of a crowd of more than 400 cheering fans. Behind the scenes, a record number of 50-plus entrants have tried out because they wanted to fight for Shine On! Kids, a non-profit organization to which all proceeds from the event go. They support kids with cancer and other serious illnesses through innovative psychosocial support programs in 25 hospitals around Japan.

Over the years, Executive Fight Night has raised more than ¥50 million to support Shine On! Kids and their Facility Dog Program, which places trained therapy dogs with nurses who work full-time with child patients to help them through their medical treatments. The loyal companions accompany the kids before scary procedures and regularly throughout their hospitalization.

Family, friends and fans can support by pledging their favorite fighter on the Executive Fight Night website. Each of the 18 fighters are assigned to a family with a child battling a serious illness, who they meet during their training process to support and encourage each other. That’s the beauty of this event—whichever fighter or team you support, everyone wins.

During the event, guests can enjoy a four-course dinner, drinks, raffle with fantastic prizes, and the overall atmosphere of a big Vegas-style fight event. The Grand Hyatt Hotel’s spacious atmosphere provides the perfect background for the colorfully lit stage and main seating. You can expect to see big names from around Tokyo present, dressed to the nines. Aside from the fights themselves, you can enjoy the fighters’ unique introductions and flamboyant entrances from either side of the ring.

This event is a great example of people rallying together for a good cause while still having a good time—pure proof that charity events don’t need to be boring. If you want in on the action, make sure to secure your spot and get your tickets. However, even if you can’t make it on May 27, you can still support all the children fighting serious diseases by pledging.