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Two fighters are facing off on a canvas stained with blood. The screams of the crowd are drowned out by the sounds of sharp snaps of punches thrown. Hard-hitting 16-year-old Danny Galloway is fighting for the Utah State Senior Boxing Championship in the 165-pound weight class.

He is evenly matched against opponent Tommy Sanchez in weight, but not in years, as the Highland High junior is 11 years younger. In the end, Galloway perseveres to win the three-round January fight on points to take the title.

Since Galloway connected with Mel Rogers — a 20-year veteran of training Utah fighters — two years ago when he walked in Fight 4 Your Life Boxing Gym for a free class, the teen has developed his form, footwork and conditioning for the rigors of boxing. Under Rogers' tutelage, Danny has earned a 14-6 record, with all of his losses occurring early in his fighting career.

"I never was any good at any other sport. I always lost until I started fighting," Galloway said.

He left juniors to go open six months ago after stopping a 17-year-old in the middle of the third round. But now that he isn't limited on who he can fight, nobody wants to step in the ring with him. Adults don't want to risk their careers fighting the tough right-hander, and kids his own age won't risk the punishment Galloway would dispense if they met in the ring.

"He's in that no-man's land where nobody wants to fight him." Rogers said. "Everybody is dodging Danny because he has earned a lot of respect."

He is a boy in a man's world and he is proving that he has the motivation to stop any opponent.

His training sessions are consistent, structured and brutal. Six days a week, Galloway is up at 5 a.m. to run for an hour. Then he does 100 pushups, 125 situps, 30 pullups and 30 bar dips. He's at the gym four days a week training inside the ring for the 2012 Utah State Gold Gloves Championships on March 29-31. More than likely, Galloway will face Sanchez again during the tournament.

"I won't be nervous like last time," Galloway said. "I've been working on my cardio and sparring for three-minute [rounds]."

Rogers summarizes Galloway's fighting style in one sentence: "He hits very hard." Where others toss punches, Galloway throws them.

He has a mean left hook that allows him to deftly throw a liver shot at any opponent. He's moderately fast, but more importantly, Galloway can take a punch.

He's been taking punches his entire life. Coming from a broken home, Galloway has been raised by his great-grandmother. Boxing has given him discipline and focus unlike he'd ever had before, both inside and outside of the ring.

At Highland High, Galloway carries a 3.74 GPA. Before he started boxing at age 14, he never earned better than D's & F's.

"I told him getting a C isn't trying," Rogers said. "Do that in a boxing ring and you'll get your butt kicked."

Galloway brings the same workout regimen he has in the ring to the classroom and to his community. His friends who train with him come from similarly difficult backgrounds. Galloway not only shows them how to box but how to study by tutoring them after the grueling workouts.

"He's a good kid," said Rogers, pointing at the other teenagers around Danny. "He's brought his friends in here to train with him. He's helping them at the gym and at school."

From a well-worn bag lying along side of the ring, Galloway pulls out tattered and faded red wrist wraps with foam rubber to protect his knuckles. He wraps his wrists, quietly talking about the first bout he won.

"It felt amazing when they raised my hands in the ring."

In that first fight, he stopped some unknown kid at a country fair in St. George. That win was the beginning of a boxing career he hopes will lead to the 2016 Olympics. All of his efforts are for a chance to make the Olympic team, to represent the United States.

The heavy, duct-taped bag Galloway is training on is taking a pounding. For a single round, he throws nothing but hooks and jabs, leaving the bag pulverized. He's light on his feet, moving forward and back with every barrage of blows. Even though there are five bags in use, Galloway is the only one working hard.

Work ethic might teach how a fighter to throw a punch, but character teaches how to take one. Danny Galloway is proving he can do both.