HURRICANE, Utah — Out of various pieces from local salvage yards, Clay Hughes built a boxing ring in the back of a training facility in Hurricane. The ring is empty now and Clay Hughes is gone, but his legend in southern Utah continues.
"He always brought light to every person he touched. That's why he's so revered," said Raven Cain. "That's why he's the legend. Clay Hughes isn't boxing. Clay Hughes is southern Utah love."
Hughes passed away on Tuesday night. He took the punches of a long battle with diabetes: stroke, heart attack, losing both feet. But a blood clot finally sent him to the canvas.
In his memory, he was led out like a champion entering the ring, backed by an entourage to “Eye of the Tiger” with nurses, doctors, and staff lining the hall.
"Clay, the toughest guy I've ever known," Cain said. "In fact, he always asked everybody, 'Are you tough? Are you tough?' and he was."
To many, Hughes was boxing in southern Utah, continuing a 101-year tradition of the sport at the Washington County Fair, and was on its board for the last 39 years. As a trainer, he sent multiple local boxers to the Golden Gloves tournament and nearly got a boxer in the Olympics.
At Raven Cain’s Self Defense Academy in Hurricane, Hughes ran the Southern Utah Boxing Club, which Cain said is being renamed Clay Hughes Boxing.
"I think he thought his mission in life was to teach boxing. I don't think so," Cain said. "I think his mission in life was to use boxing to help kids become their best."
One of those kids was 16-year-old Apryl DeMille, who he called “Squeaky.” She came to him saying she had to take time away from boxing to compete in beauty pageants. Hughes not only encouraged her but coached her in that too.
Demille took second place in a pageant on her fifth try last year.
"...the first thing he told me when he came on stage was, you're going to win next year. I'm like, who said anything about me doing a pageant next year? You know, I'm done. He's like, no, you're not," DeMille shared.
In February, Apryl was crowned Miss Hurricane.
"He was the first person to come. And he throws his arms up so happy. And he's like, 'Okay, what's next?' He believed in me."
