After a one-year absence, Jordan Moore is back.

He’s back at the Toughman.

In 2006 and 2007 Moore became an instant crowd favorite as he boxed his way to two straight men’s light heavyweight championships in the Coal Area Toughman Contest at the Logan High School fieldhouse.

Now, he’s back for a third shot at a title.

Due to Toughman rules which limit a boxer to only two titles in any given division, Moore will be trying his hand in the men’s heavyweight division, which is for fighters 186 pounds and up.

Moore, who weighs in at 190 pounds, will have his work cut out against some men who will be 100 pounds or heavier.

This year’s Toughman, the 22nd-annual event in Logan, is set to take place this Friday and Saturday nights at Logan High School.

Moore was the hometown hero in 2006 when he won his first Toughman championship as an 18-year-old senior at LHS. Moore was well known in the area as he was a standout all-state baseball player for the Wildcats and had also played for the Logan football and basketball teams.

Moore, a Verdunville native, then returned in 2007 and defended his title.

He went on to box at the Toughman World Championships in Mississippi and had a respectable showing there.

Moore returned to the Toughman last year at Logan but did not box. He instead served as a trainer.

Toughman promoter Jerry Thomas said he’s thrilled to have Moore back into the ring for a third time. Moore was undefeated in seven Toughman bouts at Logan in the light heavyweight class.

“Jordan Moore is fighting as a heavyweight,” Thomas said. “He won twice as a light heavyweight and he’s moved up. I think that it will be a challenge for him but’s he’s tacked on some weight and he’s over 200 pounds. He’s got that speed. We’re very excited to have him back. It will be interesting to see how he does in the heavyweight division. He dominated the light heavyweight division with his speed. He also did well in the World Championships. We’re excited to see him.”

Moore comes from a Toughman family. His brother, Jason McCloud, was previously a Toughman champion and crowd favorite at Logan. McCloud had also moved up in class at the Toughman.

“Jason did the same thing. In fact, he won the heavyweight division after winning in the light heavyweight class,” Thomas said.

Also signed up to box is a familiar name to Logan Countians — Bo Darby.

Darby was a standout baseball player at Logan High School and was the State Player of the Year in 2006 during his senior season. He has since starred for the West Virginia State baseball team and has been named as a Division II All-American.

Ironically, Darby and Moore were teammates on the Logan baseball squad.

Since the two are in the same men’s heavyweight division, the former Wildcats might have to face one another in the ring.

“It could be interesting if they have to fight each other,” Thomas said.

Up to $8,000 in prize money will be awarded at this year’s Toughman.

There are five weight classes for men and women.

Tickets are $15, $20 and $25 and may be purchased at Mike Ferrell Toyota-Scion, LA Liquor and Lottery, Town ‘N Country Foodland in Chapmanville or Uncle Sam’s of Man. To charge tickets by phone or to sign up to fight call 1-800-296-3897.

A total of 71 men and 12 women were signed up to fight in this year’s event as of Sunday.

The Toughman is a single-elimination contest limited to fighters with little or no experience and no professional bouts. Each bout is scheduled for three one-minute rounds.

“We’re close to 100 now,” Thomas said of this year’s field. “We were in Lewisburg last week for a Toughman event and we had some sign up over the weekend. We’re doing the paperwork on those fighters right now.”

The finals of the ring girl competition will be held Wednesday night at 8 p.m. at the Tops Dinner Club at Stollings. The top four girls will be chosen to compete for this year’s Miss Ring Girl at this weekend’s Toughman. The winner receives $1,000 and a Toughman jacket.

For more information on the Toughman visit the official website at: www.wvtoughman.com.