One has to wonder if there is such a thing as a boxer who only likes to fight in the ring.

If you believe Penn State's soft-spoken 132-pound regional champion Nick Bair, there is.

He says that for the six minutes he is in the ring on fight night, he is a drastically different person from the way he walks in everyday life. Rather than being the stereotypical brute with a hammer for a hand, Bair describes himself as someone who likes to get along with everyone and smile a lot.

In a sport where the goal is to batter your opponent until they collapse, an edge is needed. But for Bair, that edge begins with gritting his teeth as opening bell tolls and ends with the victor's hand being raised.

Lately, it has been Bair's hand that the referee has been holding after contests. On the heels of Saturday night's drubbing of Army's Brian Collins, Bair has gone into overdrive, training 12-14 hours a week in preparation for the upcoming national championships. According to Penn State boxing coach Bill Wrable, Bair has the potential to go far.

"Nick is going to be tough," Wrable said. "He has all the technical skills."

Bair began boxing in the fall of '99 when he came to the University Park campus after a two-year stint at Penn State York.

However, he has had an interest in boxing all his life, sparked by his uncle, an amateur fighter.

Since he began training, Bair has developed into a highly technical fighter according to team president Alex Komlev. He describes Bair's style as a counter-puncher who is not afraid to lead with his jab. Bair credits his ability to take a punch for some of his success, saying he has only been really hurt by a by a single shot once.

Bair says he mainly works off instinct, now refined after training day in and day out from October to April the last two years. Like many that climb into the ring, Bair has fallen prey to the allure of the sweet science.

"All during the summer, that's all I've thought about," Bair said. "For the past two years it's pretty much what I've lived and breathed. It can suck you in and get you addicted."

Despite this mindset, Bair, a senior, does not see himself moving on to the world of amateur boxing.

He says the step up from collegiate boxing is just a little bigger than he is willing to make.

"You start to get yourself into a little bit of trouble as far as head injuries go," said Bair, a labor and industrial relations major. "I want to work, and I want to be able to think when I work."

For right now though, Bair is focused solely on nationals. After finishing a tough stretch of the season that saw him move up to 147-pound weight class and lose his last tune-up fight before regional finals, he rebounded in a strong way to capture the regional title.

He says the whole team is coming together and is very determined to capture a team national title. It would be the first one in school history.

"Our team is definitely a national title-focused team, we are out to get it," said Bair. "Right now we are training long, hard hours to be national champs, that's what every person on this team wants."