Kolby Pourciau Gonzalez Media TV interview on Battle of the Badges

The Kolby Pourciau Gonzalez Media TV interview came during fight week for Battle of the Badges, where the Baton Rouge Fire Department representative said he was preparing to enter a boxing ring for the first time. Pourciau explained how fellow firefighter Justin Shimazu persuaded him to take part, why footwork has challenged him and why he wants to return to the event.

Why did Kolby Pourciau enter Battle of the Badges?

Kolby Pourciau entered Battle of the Badges after fellow Baton Rouge Fire Department firefighter Justin Shimazu urged him to try it. Pourciau had watched Shimazu take part in the event, gave him his word that he would do it and began training with him. This would be Pourciau’s first time in any ring.

Watching Justin Shimazu at Battle of the Badges

Shimazu, another firefighter at Pourciau’s station, had fought at Battle of the Badges before. Pourciau went to one event in November and another that he recalled taking place in April or May. Seeing a colleague participate gave him a connection to the event before he agreed to enter it himself.

Giving Shimazu his word

Pourciau said Shimazu told him he had to do it. Once Pourciau agreed, he started training with Shimazu, marking the beginning of his preparation for a fight he had never attempted before. Asked whether this was his first time stepping into a boxing ring, Pourciau went further: it would be his first time stepping into any ring.

During fight week, he described feeling both nervous and excited. He had no prior ring experience to draw on, but he was preparing to represent the Baton Rouge Fire Department in an event matching firefighters with police officers.

What did Kolby Pourciau say about boxing training?

Kolby Pourciau said he had trained on and off for six months, working with Justin Shimazu, other firefighters and people at beat to sleep in Baton Rouge. Footwork was the hardest part for him. Throwing punches at a bag felt easier to learn than moving well while someone was swinging back.

Six months of preparation in Baton Rouge

Pourciau described his training as a matter of picking up as much as he could from different people. Alongside Shimazu, he worked with a few other firefighters and went to beat to sleep in Baton Rouge. He did not present those six months as uninterrupted training; he said he had worked at it off and on.

Learning to move while someone swings back

He called himself heavy on his feet and said he did not feel especially balanced. Repeatedly hitting a bag helped him work out how to throw a punch, but it did not prepare him in the same way for an opponent’s movement and return punches. Avoiding those punches required more than he had expected.

Getting used to contact also took an adjustment. Pourciau said he initially found himself trying to be polite, even apologizing, before becoming more accustomed to hitting someone and being hit back. He described that shift toward the aggressiveness boxing demands as an interesting part of learning the sport.

How did Kolby Pourciau prepare his punches and stamina?

Kolby Pourciau focused on repeating his jab, building stamina and practicing basic punches rather than advanced combinations. A captain at the Baton Rouge Fire Department worked with him on conditioning and shadow boxing. Pourciau’s aim was to enter Battle of the Badges and do his best with techniques that worked for him.

He described going back to the jab over and over. Even shadow boxing a simple one-two-three sequence was part of the work with the captain. Rather than adding complicated combinations during fight week, Pourciau wanted to rely on the basics he had practiced.

That approach followed from what he had learned about footwork. Punches mattered, but so did staying balanced and responding when another person swung at him. For a first-time ring entrant, those demands made the preparation different from simply learning how to hit a bag.

Pourciau did not claim to have mastered those skills. He spoke about trying to improve them while managing the nerves that came with an unfamiliar event, and about showing up for the Baton Rouge Fire Department with the preparation he had managed to put together.

What did Kolby Pourciau say about the Battle of the Badges charity event?

Kolby Pourciau said Battle of the Badges meant more to him than his first boxing appearance because it was also a chance to give back to first responders’ families. He mentioned Shane and his wife but said he did not know their full story. The purpose of the event made fighting feel humbling to him.

Pourciau appreciated that the people running the event were willing to put substantial effort into it and give back to families. He saw a distinction between putting on a show for the audience and recognizing why people had gathered in the first place.

Describing that larger purpose, Pourciau said:

those people also know that they're there for something bigger than even the event, you know

He said he was fighting for himself, too, but did not want that to obscure the charitable purpose. He found it humbling to take part in something that asked participants and spectators to think beyond the bouts.

Will Kolby Pourciau return to Battle of the Badges or try another sport?

Kolby Pourciau said he planned to return to Battle of the Badges whether he won or lost his first bout. After the event, he also wanted to branch out from boxing by learning Muay Thai and how to kick. He raised MMA as a possibility, not a definite next fight.

Pourciau’s reason for returning did not depend on the result. A win, he said, would make him want to keep going; a loss would give him a reason to come back. For his first appearance, his plan was to bring as much confidence as he could and then show up again next time.

His interest in Muay Thai pointed toward learning skills he would not use in a boxing match. He specifically mentioned wanting to learn kicks and spoke of gathering the building blocks before trying something else. He did not set a timetable for Muay Thai training or an MMA appearance.

For now, the immediate task was Battle of the Badges. Pourciau was preparing for his first experience in a ring while already thinking about how he might continue training afterward.

Who is Kolby Pourciau?

Kolby Pourciau is a boxer from Gretna, Louisiana. He is dedicated to refining his boxing skills, building strength and pursuing success in the ring through discipline, determination and consistent training.