By Myra Bean

Codie Shuffield has been fighting since he was young. His dad, Steve, is a former heavy weight world boxing champ.

“My father used to have me, my brother and cousin Chad going against each other,” Shuffield said.
However, Shuffield has his own take of why he was taught to fight.

“My mom’s only 4’11 (all day long), if she says any different, don’t believe her,” he said. “I think since she was so little, my dad taught us to fight to protect ourselves.”

In an aside, he laughed and said he thinks his dad just likes to see a good fight.

Shuffield, undefeated in the middleweight boxing rink, will put his title on the line tomorrow night in Season’s Beatings at the Batesville Civic Center against Memphis’ Ricco Ralston.

Prize Fight Boxing presents Prize Fight MMA IV in a 13-bout cage fight card.Though Shuffield is from Water Valley, he feels like the fighting at the Civic Center is fighting in his backyard.

“I usually fight at the Desoto Center, so I am excited about this,” he said.
“ Usually if people come once, they will get hooked. I suggest you see it live at least one time.”

If you doubt that, Shuffield said take a break from Christmas shopping for a different kind of entertainment.

“I have known little housewives, real dainty women say (in high singsong voice), ‘I don’t know if I can watch this.’ By the end of it they are, pumping fist saying, get him, hit him,” he said laughing.
Shuffield, junior at Ole Miss from Water Valley, is majoring in psychology/law. He thinks of boxing as 70 percent mental, 30 percent physical.

Other bouts feature former Grenada beauty queen Ashlee Frazier-House and Toni Tallman of Bentonville, Ark.; Jamie Houston will defend his Light Heavyweight strap against Shannon Dye from Memphis; Brian  White from Pontotoc against Marcus Andrusia of Louisiana; Nick  Roberson versus Michael  Duvall lead off the night of action in a welterweight match-up; Alvin Williams against Hunter Utley; Alex “The Monkey” Chumney versus  Mitchell Barber; Jeff “The Surgeon” Wiley versus  Jeremy Simpson; Memphis’ Bobby  Galluzzi versus Anthony  Thomas; Kwame  Green versus Johnathan Colclasure  and Daren Krajewski versus an opponent to be named.

Tickets  for this exciting 13 bout card of action are just $20 & $30 and are on  sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the Batesville Civic Center box  office, at www.batesvilleciviccenter-ms.com <http://www.batesvilleciviccenter-ms.com>  or  by calling at 662-563-1392.  Doors for Prize Fight MMA IV open at 7 PM and the first fight starts  at 8:00 PM. For more information call the Prize Fight offices at  662-349-6263.