An Arnold Police officer and Rock Community Fire Protection District firefighter will battle for Jefferson County supremacy in this year’s annual Budweiser Guns ’N Hoses boxing exhibition.
Officer Joe Siebert and Firefighter Bo Caldwell are scheduled to fight in the final bout of the opening card.
The event will be held Wednesday, Nov. 23, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m., and the first fight is set for 5:30 p.m.
“I was surprised to get a match,” said the 5-foot-10-inch, 170-pound Caldwell, who like the 5-8, 160-pound Siebert, didn’t start boxing until this year. “There are guys who train for years and don’t get matches. I wasn’t expecting to get a bout. When I found out I did and against someone from Arnold, it was interesting. It is exciting. I am looking forward to it.”
The exhibition, which also includes mixed martial arts matches, has been held since 1987 to raise money for BackStoppers, a nonprofit organization that supports families of first responders who are killed or seriously injured in the line of duty. Last year, the event raised $1 million, according to the Guns ’N Hoses website.
“I have had multiple partners and people I have worked with from other jurisdictions severely injured while on duty or killed in the line of duty,” said Siebert, 42, of De Soto, who was a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputy for 19 years before joining Arnold Police last year. “I have seen the BackStoppers organization step in and take care of their families, who were basically left behind. Those worries that all officers have in our mind when we go to work are taken care of (by BackStoppers), such as continuing children’s educations or taking care of existing debt. Anything I can do to assist and raise money is a pleasure.”
Caldwell, 43, of Ste. Genevieve also said the cause attracted him to the ring.
“It is a huge, awesome fundraiser that raises a great amount of money for BackStoppers every year,” said Caldwell, who joined Rock Fire four years ago and continues to work part time for the Mapaville Fire Protection District and is a volunteer lieutenant for the Ste. Genevieve Fire Department. “It is great to be part of something so large. I think this is one of the biggest things they do every year.”
The two are scheduled to fight in the last of six bouts on the opening card, scheduled from 5:30-7 p.m. and broadcast on the streaming service Fite TV.
Sheriff’s Office Deputy Stephen Cooper also will fight during the event, taking on St. Louis Fire Department’s William Hronec in the final bout of the closing card, which is scheduled from 7-9 p.m. and will be shown on Fite TV and broadcast on Fox 2.
The fighters will compete in three 1-minute rounds.
“Seeing one of your own out there personalizes the event and makes it even more meaningful than it already is,” said Rock Fire Chief Kevin Wingbermuehle, who plans to attend. “It takes a lot of hard work, guts and grit for the fighters to step into that ring. The Guns ’N Hoses event is an excellent opportunity to highlight the importance of the BackStoppers program.”
Arnold Police Chief Brian Carroll said he, too, plans to attend and is especially interested in seeing Siebert’s and Caldwell’s matchup.
“I have been to this event in the past, but this is a must-attend for myself and our police family in Arnold,” he said. “We are excited to see Officer Siebert compete, and I know we will have a great turnout from our Police Department.”
Getting in the ring
Siebert said he started training in March with Jefferson County Div. 6 Circuit Judge Troy Cardona, who has fought six times in Guns ’N Hoses.
Caldwell said he started training in August with Rock Fire Capt. Chris Granda, who is 5-0 in BackStoppers boxing and MMA events.
“It usually makes for a pretty good fight when two guys don’t have much experience,” said Cardona, who also trains Cooper and will be in both officers’ corners during their bouts. “Sometimes it turns into a melee. The two boys in the Arnold showdown are going to scrap. They are new fighters, and it will come down to who shows the heart and aggression to get the victory.”
Granda said he predicts a victory for Caldwell, but he also said there are no guarantees.
“It is the Mike Tyson saying, ‘Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the face,’” Granda said. “As long as Bo sticks to the game plan and doesn’t get too caught up in the moment, he will do fine. It is going to be a good fight either way.”
Both fighters said they had a lot to learn when they started boxing.
“It is a lot harder than it looks, and it looks hard,” Caldwell said. “I was really surprised how much effort and work you have to put into it to hold out for three rounds.”
Siebert said lessons ranged from how to throw a proper punch to how to move in the ring, and the hardest one is remembering how to breathe properly.
“You always want to hold your breath,” he said. “It started clicking in the last couple of weeks of October. I have found a groove and a comfort to put it all together.”
Caldwell and Siebert said they have attended past Guns ’N Hoses events.
“It is a trip to be on the other side of it this time,” Caldwell said.
Not only do the two boxers have support from their colleagues, but also from their families.
Caldwell said his wife, Amberly, a former Jefferson County 911 dispatcher who is now a critical care paramedic for the Mehlville Fire Protection District, will be in the arena. However, the couple’s children – Austin Caldwell, 23, a sergeant in the Marine Corps; Hollyn Zangaro, 16; Kade Zangaro, 8; and Rivers Caldwell, who was born Oct. 23 – will not be at the event.
Siebert said his wife, Tonya, and four of their five children – Ashlyn, 22; Chris, 18; Nate, 17; and Connor, 15 – will be at the event.
“Our youngest daughter (Charlotte, 6) doesn’t want to see daddy fight,” he said. “It will probably be overwhelming. I don’t want to embarrass myself. My excitement will probably be off the charts.”
Beyond the bout
Siebert and Caldwell have made a friendly bet they hope to turn into a community event to raise even more money for BackStoppers.
The first responders have agreed that whoever loses will wash a vehicle from the winner’s department while wearing a shirt that either says “Firefighters are my heroes” or “Police Officers are my heroes.”
“It was a big surprise that they put two Arnold people together,” Siebert said. “One of our first thoughts was how great this could be for the community.”
He said the vehicle-washing event likely will be held in April, and it may include other fundraising activities, like police dog and vehicle-rescue demonstrations; raffles and silent auctions.
“I’m looking forward to doing any promotion to bring awareness to the charity event and raise money for BackStoppers. That is what it is all really about,” Caldwell said.