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Monday, March 18, 2024
The Observer

As a former underdog, Eric Requet dedicates time to motivating others as captain

Eric Requet, a senior in Sorin Hall, defeated then-senior captain Michael Krecek in the championship round of last year's tournament. After claiming the 185-weight title and displaying his leadership skills throughout the course of his three years with the club, Requet was named a captain for the 2020 season. 

Requet will not be competing in the competition itself this year, but that does not stop his drive for motivating others to be the best they can be. Requet got involved with the club during his freshman year and has stuck with it ever since. 

“Freshman year one of my friends, two years older [than me] had done it,” Requet said. “He knew who I was and he was like, ‘You should try it out.’ So that is how I got into it and ever since then I fell in love with it."

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Senior Eric Requet stands by the ring during a break from training for the 90th Beingal Bouts, set to start Thursday at Purcell Pavilion.
Senior Eric Requet stands by the ring during a break from training for the 90th Bengal Bouts, set to start Thursday at Purcell Pavilion.


Although Requet is always cheering for his teammates, unless they are standing across from him in the ring, he was surprised to have been named captain despite making the semifinals in his sophomore season and turning around and taking home a title his junior year. 

“I was surprised because I’m a quiet guy so I didn’t think anyone really knew me that well," Requet said. “But I mean it was a huge honor just to be thought of so highly and as a good boxer — someone who people respect and will listen to.” 

Spending all four of his winters training in the basement of the Joyce Center, Requet’s favorite memory came in a spot just steps away from the place he spent so much of his time over the years — upstairs on the floor of Purcell Pavilion, under the lights and inside the ring when Requet would defeat one of his senior captains to earn his first Bengal Bouts title.

In the rounds prior, Requet defeated another captain which earned him his spot in the finals. 

“My favorite memory would be winning last year, just because I came in as a huge underdog and had to beat two captains to win so that was by far my favorite memory,” he said.

Requet said the thing that separates the boxing club from other clubs on campus is pure community. Everyone in Bengal Bouts is ultimately cheering for one another and this is the aspect of the group Requet wants to remember most when his time with the club comes to a close. 

“The club is kind of like a big family,” Requet said. “I came in not knowing anyone in the club at the time, so I would show up to practice alone, but everyone is super nice and super welcoming. And just remembering how everyone brought me in and I could show up to practice and not make a friend but have friends here and just having that second part of my life is awesome.”