Sugar Ray Leonard, Joe Frazier, Buster Douglas in D.C. for Fight Night

Boxing legends Sugar Ray Leonard, “Smokin’ ” Joe Frazier, James “Buster” Douglas and Roy Jones Jr. will join more than 1,500 tuxedoed guests Thursday night at the Washington Hilton for the 20th anniversary of philanthropist Joe Robert Jr.’s signature charity event, Fight Night. During the past year, Robert has undergone treatment for brain cancer, lending an extra element of significance to the evening.

Considered the biggest “boys’ night out” of the year among D.C. society, the $1,000-a-plate dinner and exhibition boxing match benefits the Fight for Children foundation, which works to improve education in D.C. schools.

One of the biggest perks of the night? The opportunity to smoke cigars inside, courtesy of a special, one-night-only lifting of D.C.’s citywide ban on smoking indoors.

This year, for the first time, rocker Joan Jett and her band the Black Cats will perform in between the three scheduled boxing matches.
The idea of including a rock ‘n’ roll element came from Roberts’s son, Joe Robert III, who assumes his father’s traditional role as event chairman for the first time this year. “Joe III’s really wanted to make sure that guests had a great time all night,” said a Fight for Children spokesman.

Major donors to the event include members of D.C.’s unofficial millionaire bachelors club (Robert himself is a member), including Microstrategy CEO Michael Saylor, former AOL CEO Jim Kimsey, billionaire Mitch Rales and Venturehouse Group founder Mark Ein.