One of the most anticipated yearly sporting event is only a week away and 70 area men and women are ready to step in the ring.

The 24th-annual Coal Area Toughman boxing contest is scheduled for next Friday and Saturday at Logan High School’s Willie Akers Arena.

There could, however, be a conflict with the Logan High School football team, which is scheduled to host a Class AAA first-round playoff game on the island at Logan Stadium.

If Logan’s football game is next Friday night, Toughman officials will likely move the opening round of this year’s Coal Area Toughman event to Thursday at 7:30 p.m. with the finals set for next Saturday, Nov. 12.

If Logan’s game is Saturday afternoon, the Toughman would most likely go on as scheduled. The official high school football playoff brackets won’t be announced until Sunday. The Wildcats haven’t had a home playoff game since 1990.

As for the Toughman, response has been very good.

As of Thursday, 30 have signed up for the marquee men’s heavyweight division, open to area men 18-39 years of age and 185 to 400 pounds.

Signed up are: Anthony Addair of Avondale; Anthony Parsons of Branchland; Patrick Darby of Whitman; Jason Douglas of Buffalo; Jonathan Duncan of Williamson; Andy Hager of Yawkey; Ryan Hepler of Mill Creek; Jonathan Hill of Charleston; Lance Hillman of Chapmanville; Terry Holstein of Alkol; Jonathan Duncan of Williamson; Barry Lillie of Chapmanville; Timothy Lloyd of Charleston; Micah Mahon of Matewan; Seth McCoy of Prestonsburg, Ky.; Harl McGhee of Alkol; Brandon Mooney of Cedar Grove; John Paul Morrison of Holden; David Newton of Holden; Keith Noe of Amherstdale; Joe “Hitman” Queen of Charleston; Stephen “The Ogre” Sheppard of Delbarton; Joe Short of Cedar Groves; Cody Skeens of Diamond; Stephen Sparks of Logan; Buddy Tessling of Cedar Grove; Cody Thompson of Fort Gay; Christopher Workman of Whitman; Jason “The Freak from the Creek” Workman of Chapmanville; and Steven Young of Julian.

Fourteen have signed up for the men’s light heavyweight division (160-184 pounds). Those are: Jason Adkins of Harts; Shane “The Beast” Browning of Man; Trent “TNT” Cooper of Pikeville, Ky.; Scott “All-American Nightmare” Evans of South Charleston; Allen “Hard Head” Garrett of Madison; Leonard “Killer” Hall of Dingess; Jeremy “Iceman” Gautier of New Richmond; Jason “The Animal” Kubow of Chauncey; Joe Roger “Redneck” Lane of Brenton; Garrick “Psycho” McCoy of Louisa, Ky.; Cody Moore of Charleston; Mikey “Iron Mike” Sparks of Dingess; Timothy “Man of Steel” Starr of Chapmanville; and Michael “Crybaby” Stokes of Holden.

In the men’s middle weight division (140-159 pounds), 15 have signed up to fight. Those are: Chris Austin of Danville; Mike Bays of Rainelle; Jason “Grumpy Old Man” Blankenship of Inez, Ky.; Bryan Cantrell of Delbarton; Michael “No Mercy” Coleman of Delbarton; Jesse “Bloody Mingo” DiLorenzo of Chattaroy; Alvin “All-American” Emerson of Madison; Ashley “Harp Attack” Harper of Hurricane; Austin “Speedy” Marcum of Breeden; Micah “Mikey-T” Marcum of Kermit; John “Crazy” Payne of Canada, Ky.; Channing Preece of Kermit; Aaron Stull of Alum Creek; and Ricky Vinson of Gilbert.

A total of 13 have signed up to box in the men’s lightweight division, which is open to men up to 139 pounds. Those are: Stacey “The Beast” Adkins of Alkol; Caleb Alford of Griffithsville; Byran Copley of Lenore; Justin Damron of Flatwoods, Ky., Joshua Evans of Pecks Mill; Allen Wade Griffith of Paintsville, Ky.; Randy Hall of Mount Gay; Steve “All-American” Hernshaw of Holden; Robert Liebl of Chattaroy; Derric “Ice Man” McComas of Amherstdale; Thomas Riley of Lorado; Joey Sparks of Dingess; and Justin Sparks of Gilbert.

Eight women have signed up, divided in the heavyweight, middle weight and lightweight classes. Those are: Sarah Duran of Madison; Hannah Eaves of Salt Rock; Sabrina “Beanie” Lambert of Chapmanville; Jamie Allenbaugh of Beckley; Natalie Byrnes of Charleston; Amanda “Black Rose” Sweeney of Sissonville; Laura “Bad Girl” Byrnes of Charleston; and Jessi Peluso of Chapmanville.

There will be two professional fights this year.

On the first night, Madison’s Zack Kuhn will take on Dan Crabtree of Columbus, Ohio, in a four-round welterweight bout.

Then on Saturday, Nov. 12, Verdunville native and Logan High School graduate Jordan “The People’s Champion” Moore will make his professional debut as he is set to fight a four-round light heavyweight bout against Ryan “The Rock” Britton of Smithville. Britton brings a 2-0-1 record into the fight and is the former two-time Toughman champion in Parkersburg.

Moore is the former two-time Toughman champ in Logan.

Moore won his crowns in 2006 and 2007 in the light heavyweight division. Moore came back in 2009 and boxed in the men’s heavyweight class but lost to eventual champion Matt Garretson of Charleston and did not reach the finals.