Four Waltham women fighting in Haymakers for Hope Belles of the Brawl next month

Four Waltham women will enter the ring to box for a good cause at the MGM Music Hall in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood next month. 

Kassandra Aguirre, Kayla Chase, Helena Lally and Haley Kutzer will compete in the 13th annual Haymakers for Hope Belles of the Brawl all-women charity event on Thursday, Oct. 14. The USA Boxing-sanctioned fights, which consist of three two-minute rounds, begin at 7:30 p.m. Money raised supports cancer research, awareness, survivorship and care across numerous charities. 

Whoever raises the most money gets to pick when they fight. There are 30 fighters, so 15 bouts total.

“If stepping into the ring helps raise funds … and reminds people why continued investment in cancer research matters, then I’m really glad to be doing this,” said Aguirre, 31. 

The women train at TITLE Boxing Club in Watertown, Lucky Punch Boxing in Newton and Nolan Bros Boxing in Waltham.

A 2013 Waltham High School graduate, Aguirre participated in gymnastics and cheerleading growing up. She had thought about trying boxing for a long time and began taking classes a couple years ago. A merchandise planner at New Balance, Belles of the Brawl is Aguirre’s second public fight. 

She’s participating in the memory of her uncle Ricardo, who died from lung cancer in 2003, and her aunt Chela, who died from breast cancer a few years later. 

“They were always people who lived life to the fullest, always encouraging me to be strong,” Aguirre said. “It’s really special to be able to fight in their memory and raise money for this really incredible cause.”

Chase, 38, a general sales manager at Acura of Boston, is dedicating her fight to her friend Lauren, who is in remission from breast cancer, as well as to the memory of her aunts Donna, Jeannie and Nancy, and her uncles Ronnie and Frank. 

“It’s a good excuse to get in the ring because it’s a good cause,” Chase said. “I don’t think there’s anybody whose family hasn’t been touched by cancer.”

A Watertown native who was a high school cheerleader, Chase and her family moved to Waltham in 2019. She started boxing a little over two years ago after giving birth to “lose the baby weight.” After some consistent 5 a.m. classes, Chase got hooked on the sport. 

The mother of two said this will be the first and only time she participates in the event, and it is her first real fight. She trains seven days a week and twice on Thursdays.

Lally, 34, a registered nurse at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, fights for her aunt Mary, who recently died of glioblastoma, and her mother’s best friend, Lynn, a “second mom” who died when Lally was 10. A Waltham resident since 2014, the Lakeville native knew a handful of people who participated in the past.

“I don’t love attention, really, so this is outside my comfort zone for sure,” Lally said. “The fact that it’s for charity and raising a lot of money for a really great cause is a great motivator.”

Her husband, Sean, owns the TITLE Boxing club in Watertown. A boxer for fitness since 2018, Lally played tennis through college. She’s “so scared” but also “very excited” for her first public fight.

“I’ve been enjoying the process,” Lally said. “If you go into it with a negative mindset, it would make it a lot harder.”

Lally also draws motivation from her three daughters. 

Kutzer, 22, works as a medical and research assistant at Boston Bone & Joint Institute. She’s fighting in honor of her grandmother, Marian, and grandfather, Harold. A Westwood resident, Kutzer’s job is in Waltham, and she trains at Nolan Bros Boxing in town. 

Kutzer graduated from Northeastern University in April and is in the process of applying to medical school. A star skier and lacrosse player at Westwood High School and an All-American on the slopes for Northeastern, she learned about Haymakers for Hope through her older brother, Matt, who caught wind of it at his gym.

“It was a great way to find the next athletic thing I’d focus on and goal to take on while supporting my interests in medicine and cancer research,” Kutzer said. 

It’s been a three-and-half month training process. Kutzer was nervous for a bit, but changed her tune.

“We’re not competing for a pro title, we’re here to raise money for cancer and show the skills we’ve developed over the past few months,” Kutzer said. “I’m just excited to get out there.” 

Belles of the Brawl is a 21+ event, with tickets available here. Participants have raised more than $175,000 in total. The Waltham quartet accounts for more than $37,000. 

“The atmosphere is going to be incredible,” Aguirre said. “There’s a dozen other girls who will be fighting for their loved ones. … It will be great to see how everybody has been training and preparing for this, and we get to raise money for charity.”