Bags swing and gloves hammer away under the yellow downlighting in George’s MMA and Boxing Gym in Irving. The sound of quick breathing and fighters heaving from sparring fill the air.

Every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, Coppell High School sophomore Dimitrios Panagiotopulos and his older brother, senior Ioannis Panagiotopoulos, spend hours perfecting their punches, jabs and hooks.

“I always found something about myself that was attracted to this form of competition that’s so crude,” Ionnis said. “There’s other forms of sport, but that is not the same level as boxing.”

Dimtrios enjoys boxing because it gives him a sense of purpose and provides a structured life.

“I just have a passion for the sport,” Dimitrios said. “I love the adrenaline and I love being in there strengthening my body, sharpening my technique and getting better every day.”

Prior to moving to the United States in 2016, Dimitrios and Ioannis kickboxed in Greece.

Separated from extended family and getting accustomed to a new country, Dimitrios and Ioannis became closer as siblings, navigating challenges together such as learning English, getting accustomed to the new school system and being far from family.

“When me and my brother immigrated back in elementary school, we were all alone,” Ioannis said, “We bonded for a long time by learning everything together and supported each other.”

Greek culture continues to shape Dimitrios and Ioannis’s values and habits.

“Greek people are very hardworking and to see my dad move here and work hard has built me,” Dimitrios said. “It has touched me to work harder, stay focused and stay disciplined.”

After settling into their new lives, their paths started to diverge.

Encouraged by his parents, Panagiotis Panagiotopoulos and Ourania Katsura, to take up a sport that could potentially get him a college scholarship, Ioannis turned to tennis instead, while Dimitrios took up boxing as a way to help him find something familiar to home.

Looking at his brother boxing and being unfulfilled by playing tennis from seventh grade at McNiel Middle School in Wichita Falls to freshman year at the Coppell High School Ninth Grade Campus, Ioannis decided to take up boxing instead.

“After playing tennis for a few years, I decided I didn’t want to continue doing that,” Ioannis said. “I wanted to get back into fighting.”

The pair have been training together since. Sharing a work ethic and enthusiasm for the sport, they put their best foot forward for any challenges.

“They never back down no matter who they go against, they both still fight,” sophomore Sunny Neely said. “They won’t say no to someone who wants to spar.”

Their efforts so far have culminated on Feb. 8, where Dimitrios and Ioannis fought at the Point Boxing Sparring Circuit Duncanville. Both emerged victorious in the welterweight and middleweight classes, respectively.

The event was Dimitrios’s debut fight and a test of mentality competing against an older, larger opponent.

“The first round was nerve wracking and it was a tough opponent because he was taller than me, older than me and he was strong, so I had to figure out and listen to my corner, figure out where to go next,” Dimitrios said.

For Ioannis, the fight was a learning experience and gave him more practice not only for his technique, but also his mind.

“The most important thing that I always learned from these fights is that fighting is 90% mental,” Ioannis said. “Everybody is strong, everybody can hit hard, but the most important thing is mental. Being calm and mentally prepared for the fight and being focused is the most important thing.”

Boxing’s demanding nature also allows Ioannis to get through obstacles in other aspects of life.

“I’m used to doing harder things, because it’s such a hard sport,” Ioannis said. “Boxing gets you used to being under pressure all the time, and that allows you to be more calm in your daily life.”

For Dimtrios, boxing pushes him to be disciplined outside of training as well.

“Boxing has pushed me to focus in school, get better grades, and do my assignments on time so I can go to boxing and enjoy it,” Dimitrios said.

Currently, the pair are looking to get certified by USA Boxing to compete at higher level amateur fights, which could be a stepping stone to get them to their aspirations of competing at a professional level.

This story was originally published on Coppell Student Media on March 7, 2025.