Since its inception in 1920 by the legendary Knute Rockne, boxing at Notre Dame has served the mission of bolstering both the strength and spirits of the men who tirelessly devote their efforts to a cause bigger than any one of them. Toiling through two-hour practices six days a week, Bengal Bouts boxers aren’t only transforming their own minds, bodies and spirits, but also leading fundraising efforts for the Holy Cross missions educating and serving those in Bangladesh living in extreme poverty. After three years as a standout boxer inside the ring and devoted fundraiser outside the ropes, Phil Pollice has taken over as president of the club with the mission of sustaining and furthering Bengal Bouts’ remarkable legacy.
A senior from Pittsburgh, Pollice studies finance and Italian with a minor in real estate. The former Baumer Hall resident won the 148-pound division championship as a freshman in 2023, and has now added club president to his docket of Bengal Bouts accomplishments.
A talented two-way football player in high school, Pollice had to step away from the sport due to injury. “I had to quit football because I tore both of my labrums. My football coach sat me down and basically said, ‘I don’t want you to be in this type of pain when you are 40.’ But I still needed a sport,” Pollice recalled.
Searching for a way to stay active, Pollice turned to a Filipino-owned boxing club not far from Pittsburgh. “I decided I’ll give boxing a shot, not knowing if I’d compete, but I immediately fell in love with it,” he said.
There, Pollice learned technique, bag work and sparring, honing his skills despite never actually stepping into the ring to compete prior to arriving in South Bend. Bengal Bouts was actually one of the reasons Pollice ended up at Notre Dame. “When I heard that Notre Dame had a boxing club, I thought that would be my avenue. It was like, now I want to go to this school. So even before I stepped on campus, I could envision being there and what my freshman year would look like,” he recalled.
Once on campus in the autumn of 2022, Pollice immediately found a home in the club, while also finding what he described as “a hilarious” amount of success. He developed a strong relationship with one of the junior captains that year, realizing that much of his success was due to the leadership, investment and devotion demonstrated by the upperclassmen in the club. Despite reaping all the individual rewards one can as a freshman in Bengal Bouts, Pollice said that the positive leadership of the club allowed him to recognize that individual success isn’t the goal of Bengal Bouts. Instead, he became committed to helping pursue the collective mission of the organization over his next three years.
“What really matters is the fact that you did this as a fulfillment of service to a Catholic community across the world. I think that’s so special and is what largely kept me in the club,” Pollice said of the club’s mission.
Pollice went on to explain that one of his main responsibilities as president is to ensure that the boxers understand the commitment they are making to their brothers in the club and in Bangladesh. He said that, naturally, most people join Bengal Bouts for selfish reasons, either to get in shape or find a community on campus, but that the character development from the mission work is what truly allows the club to flourish.
Pollice also described the joy he takes in being a part of the Bengal Bouts brotherhood. In his role as president, he has now stepped up to provide the guidance given to him as a freshman. “It is extremely humbling and rewarding when you see someone come up to you because it’s extremely vulnerable. For someone to recognize that part of their game is missing, and ask how I do it well, that takes courage,” he explained.
That brotherhood not only promotes the growth of the group, but also presents itself as the medium for self-improvement. Pollice believes that the lessons and relationships built through the community of Bengal Bouts don’t ever leave a boxer, saying, “If you are a boxer and you’ve done this, you have that characteristic of constantly needing to improve. That part of you never goes away.”
As a dedicated man of faith, Pollice attests that the trials and triumphs of Bengal Bouts are an experience deeply unique to Notre Dame and its mission as a University. “Fundraising for the fight of the Holy Cross missions in Bangladesh, while also balancing everything we try to get out of it, is what Notre Dame tries to invoke in its students, all rolled into one activity,” he said. “The education of the mind, body and spirit, and it happens all within a five-week period. Because of Bengal Bouts, I can confidently say I went to Notre Dame.”
Harkening back to his high school football days as a cornerback, Pollice sees a continuity between the mindset required for both sports. He compared the feeling of being alone in the ring to being placed on an island as a corner and to the responsibility shouldered by a president. The allure and difficulty of one-on-one competition is what drew him to boxing and what kept him coming back. “It’s the hardest sport to learn and do consistently,” he said.
He knows his role is difficult, not only the boxing, but also the leadership. Pollice has led by example inside and outside the ring, letting his faith guide him in his mission. Raising over $320,000 last year to fund education to combat poverty and injustice in Bangladesh, Bengal Bouts is halfway to its 2026 goal of beating that previous high watermark.
After kicking off last week, Bengal Bouts will continue Tuesday night at 7 p.m. with the semifinals taking place inside Dahnke Ballroom atop Duncan Student Center. The 96th edition of the tournament will then conclude after spring break, with the finals occurring on Saturday, March 28, at 7 p.m., hosted at Purcell Pavilion.
