Local Deputy Richard Wood enjoys the challenge of competitive sports, and the upcoming boxing match fund raiser, Guns N Hoses will be not only a fun and challenging sporting experience for him, it’s also an opportunity to help raise money for an important charity.
Guns N Hoses is a police versus firefighter charity tournament that will raise funds to benefit the programs of the Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission, primarily, the Surviving Spouse and Family Endowment Fund (SAFE). The event will take place on June 24, at the Kansas City Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
“I’ve always been interested in the Guns N Hoses charity tournaments,” Wood said. “I enjoy the challenge of competitive sports and once I understood how important this event is to the families it supports, I really wanted to contribute. I participated in the Guns N Hoses event last year. I really enjoyed fighting in front of a large crowd and for an amazing charity.”
The SAFE program provides the comfort of financial support for the surviving spouses and dependents or, in their absence, the parents of sworn law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency services personnel who lose their life in the performance of their duties.
Wood was born in Georgia and moved to Platte County about 10 years ago from Fairbanks, Alaska. He grew up in a military family and lived at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. three different times.
“So, when people ask me where I’m from, I tell them that I’m from everywhere,” Wood said. “I consider the Midwest home for me.”
Wood became interested in becoming a police officer because he wanted to have a meaningful job and he enjoys putting on the badge every morning. He has always had great respect for law enforcement officers and wanted to serve in an honorable profession.
“Growing up in a military family the idea of selfless service was something I saw around me, and I knew that was present in law enforcement,” Wood said.
When he completed police academy training in Fairbanks, his parents convinced him to move back to the Midwest, where he was given the choice to work for the Ellis Police Department in western Kansas, or the Platte County Sheriff’s office in Platte City.
“I chose Platte County because of the great reputation of the department and opportunities,” Wood said. “It is also closer to family members in Iowa and Missouri. I have been a Deputy Sheriff for eight and a half years.”
When he saw an advertisement for Guns N Hoses two years ago, Wood decided that he wanted to learn to box. He started training in mixed martial arts and switched over to boxing last winter to get ready for the Guns N Hoses event.
“I was a wrestler from the age of 6 through high school in Virginia, MMA and boxing always appealed to me and my wrestling background has helped,” Wood said. “Boxing is a tough sport, but fun and rewarding. I’ve been challenged a lot in the past seven months of training. It is rewarding to be able to say that you boxed in front of 2,000 people.”
He has only had one professional boxing match at last year’s Guns N Hoses, but he has participated in multiple boxing tournaments in the past few years. The outcome of last year’s Guns N Hoses boxing match was a 30-27 decision loss.
In his junior year of high school Wood underwent a major surgery that ended his career in sports. The surgery was a success and over the years he has been able to train and gain his strength back.
He never imagined he would have been able to compete in a sport like boxing after overcoming the physical challenges after the surgery.
For Wood, the essential skills that benefit a good boxer are centered around discipline and a good work ethic in the gym.
“It is a tough sport to practice, and there is a lot to learn,” Wood said. “Knowing that you are going to get hit hard in the face is something you have to always be ready for and know what you are going to do next. You have to have a game plan and a strategy, and you need to be able to change the strategy once the fight progresses.”
Registration opened for the Guns N Hoses event in December of 2022 and Wood has been training since the day that he registered to fight.
“It takes a lot of time and dedication for the sport of boxing,” Wood said. “I have put a lot of hard-earned time in the boxing gym. I give credit to the Flaco Ramirez Boxing Gym in Kansas City, Kan. I haven’t been the easiest boxer to train in the gym, but I have developed a lot over the past seven months.”
Last year’s Guns N Hoses loss left a bad taste in Wood’s mouth. “I knew that I could have done better but I’m stepping into the boxing ring as a different person than I was last year. I have an opportunity to have a rematch with the same firefighter that I boxed and lost to last year. I am looking for redemption and to come out on the winning side this year. I have an amazing support system at home, but most importantly I am helping to raise money for these fallen heroes’ families.”
While boxing is a tough sport to practice and there is a lot to learn, the discipline and worth ethic in the gym have given Wood a great deal of satisfaction and strengthened his determination to put in the time and the work. And helping the SAFE program makes all his time and training well worth it.
“I am extremely proud and happy to be helping the SAFE program,” Wood said. These families have been devastated by the loss of a loved one, and this kind of support is important to them. As first responders we are a tight community, and it is great to be able to take care of our own.”
For Wood the biggest challenge he faces as a deputy is being over-confident and getting too comfortable with his everyday routine. He focuses on always staying focused on his skills and always striving to be the best. His biggest reward in being a police deputy is the job satisfaction in helping the community and doing his part to protect and represent the force.
Being aware of the risks that police officers face on a daily basis, along with the fact that officers injured and killed in the line of duty have families that will need help is something that Wood hopes that people are aware of.
“It is important to never forget the sacrifice that these men and woman have made for our community and country,” Wood said. “It is a profession that has lots of risk, but it has a lot of rewards when you can help people and keep them safe. These fallen officers and their families need our support, and I am proud to play a small part as a boxer in this fund raising event.”