King of Jab

Three-time National Boxing Champ Aidan Jubb ’26 (BUS) has a series of rituals before he steps into the ring.

He always wears the same well-worn pair of Adidas socks, a favorite from his first fight. He reads the same prayers, listens to instrumental music followed by 50 Cent, and eats a handful of Mike and Ike candy.

All the rituals paid off in April in Charlotte, North Carolina, when Jubb won his third National Collegiate Boxing Association championship. That trophy came in the 195-pound weight class, the previous two wins were in the 185-pound class.

“When I walk into the ring, I’m saying to myself, ‘I’m going to win! I’m going to win! I’m going to win!’’’ he says.

“It’s a crazy feeling. It seems like the rounds take forever, but then the final bell rings and you think, ‘Is it already over?’”

The Southwick, Massachusetts, native says one of the biggest misconceptions about boxing is that it is strictly a sport of might. Instead, he describes it as similar to a chess match in terms of strategy.

“You can go in there swinging and throwing as hard as you can, but that alone won’t allow you to win. There are a lot of intricacies in boxing,’’ he says. “You focus on breathing and footwork. You’re always thinking and strategizing. You’re weighing your opponent’s physical attributes, height, are they left- or right-handed. You’re thinking about how to make an opening, about how to fake. It’s not just: ‘Go in there and get angry.’’’

Does he ever feel badly when he lands a hard punch?

“Yes, if I’m sparring with my friends. Then I feel terrible,’’ he says. “But otherwise, the reality is, it’s a sport. You shut off that energy when you’re competing. Winning is great, and that’s when the hard work pays off.”

The commercial real estate major became interested in boxing as a first-year, when a floormate mentioned he was trying out for the team. The friend ultimately backed out, but Jubb went to the kickoff event. “At the tryouts, two members of the team were All-Americans who won at nationals. They got these huge plaques. I was like, ‘I want to get that!’ I had watched some fights, but I never thought about being a boxer before.’’

The idea got mixed reactions at home. “My dad was excited about it, but my mom said, ‘You couldn’t have found anything else to join at the activity fair?!’’’ he recalls, laughing.

Luckily for Mom, Jubb has never suffered a serious injury in the ring. Once he joined the Boxing Club, training meant four days of practice and two days of 5-plus-mile runs, sprints, and lifting weights. The only day off for him was Sunday — when he’d eat as much as he wanted.

Josh Cronkhite ’22 (BUS), a part-time assistant coach, was a senior when Jubb was a first-year. “Once we saw Aidan, we knew he had potential. He went from not knowing how to throw a punch to becoming an elite athlete, a gifted boxer,’’ he says, crediting Jubb for elevating the program.

“My junior year, there were just two of us at nationals, and now there are 10 or more,’’ Cronkhite says. “We can already see the athletes who want to follow in his footsteps.’’

Cronkhite remembers the first time Jubb punched him hard while they were sparring. The move took Cronk­hite by surprise.

“I think I still feel that punch to this day,’’ he says.

In June, Jubb will likely box for the final time, representing the U.S. in an international tournament in Greece. After that, he plans to attend law school and pursue a career in real estate law.