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2006/12/07
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Day 1 of an international boxing tournament has come to an end in the Kazakh capital, Astana. Ukraine and Uzbekistan were first to come on to the ring. The Uzbek team won the match as they won eight out of ten fights. The boxing match between Alexander Ganzulya and Elshod Rassulov were the key ones. After three rounds, the boxers had ten points each. However, Uzbekistan’s boxer was given the victory on additional indicators. The boxing teams of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan continued the series of matches on Day 1. As a result, the host team gained a landslide victory. Twenty-eight-year-old Birzhan Zhakipov brought Kazakhstan’s first points following a win taken over seventeen-year-old Munassib Mammadov with a score of 16:9. The match featuring Ilyas Suleimenov and Kamran Melikov finished prematurely as the visitor’s injury forced him to withdraw. Kairat Yeraliyev and Ilkin Agayev fought equally by Kazakhstan’s boxer managing to wrap up a 16:12 victory. The home team’s fighters Merei Akshalov with Berik Abdrakhmanov also overpowered their opponents. The key fight saw Kazakhstan’s team captain Daniyar Yeleussinov took a 19:8 confident victory over Azerbaijani Tamerlan Abdullayev.
Daniyar YELEUSSINOV, KAZAKHSTAN NATIONAL MEN’S BOXING TEAM:
- I wouldn’t say I am 100% satisfied with my victory. I am partially happy with my win. I was fighting a strong and skillful opponent. Perhaps, I was well prepared for the match psychologically.
Tamerlan ABDULLAYEV, AZERBAIJAN NATIONAL MEN’S BOXING TEAM:
- It was a difficult and tense match. Following physical training sessions, we haven’t worked on the techniques yet. It was a bit difficult as we didn’t feel the ring. This is why I lost it in this way. It is going to be better in the future. Zhanibek Alimkhanuly, Adilbek Niyazymbetov, and Ivan Dychko gained one victory each for Kazakhstan. The team of Azerbaijan won only match thanks to Timur Mamedov, who beat the champion of Kazakhstan Anton Pinchuk with an advantage of just one point.
Anton PINCHUK, KAZAKHSTAN NATIONAL MEN’S BOXING TEAM:
- It was a difficult fight. It is the first tournament after the recent Kazakhstan championship. I had a strong opponent, who was a world cup finalist and an Olympic Games bronze medalist. I was only one point behind.
Timur MAMEDOV, AZERBAIJAN NATIONAL MEN’S BOXING TEAM:
- My opponent was very strong. He is Kazakhstan’s champion. It was difficult fight. I won this match because I have more experience at European, World, and Olympic tournaments.
On Friday, Kazakhstan is set to face the team of Uzbekistan, while Azerbaijan will be dealing with Ukraine.
Daniyar YELEUSSINOV, KAZAKHSTAN NATIONAL MEN’S BOXING TEAM:
- I wouldn’t say I am 100% satisfied with my victory. I am partially happy with my win. I was fighting a strong and skillful opponent. Perhaps, I was well prepared for the match psychologically.
Tamerlan ABDULLAYEV, AZERBAIJAN NATIONAL MEN’S BOXING TEAM:
- It was a difficult and tense match. Following physical training sessions, we haven’t worked on the techniques yet. It was a bit difficult as we didn’t feel the ring. This is why I lost it in this way. It is going to be better in the future. Zhanibek Alimkhanuly, Adilbek Niyazymbetov, and Ivan Dychko gained one victory each for Kazakhstan. The team of Azerbaijan won only match thanks to Timur Mamedov, who beat the champion of Kazakhstan Anton Pinchuk with an advantage of just one point.
Anton PINCHUK, KAZAKHSTAN NATIONAL MEN’S BOXING TEAM:
- It was a difficult fight. It is the first tournament after the recent Kazakhstan championship. I had a strong opponent, who was a world cup finalist and an Olympic Games bronze medalist. I was only one point behind.
Timur MAMEDOV, AZERBAIJAN NATIONAL MEN’S BOXING TEAM:
- My opponent was very strong. He is Kazakhstan’s champion. It was difficult fight. I won this match because I have more experience at European, World, and Olympic tournaments.
On Friday, Kazakhstan is set to face the team of Uzbekistan, while Azerbaijan will be dealing with Ukraine.
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2006/12/07
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Manne wrote:
Four muscle-bound men dressed in ancient Egyptian costumes carried what looked like a gilded throne down the aisle toward the boxing ring inside the Mandalay Bay Event Center. Standing on the gaudy contraption and wearing faux Roman garb, complete with breastplate, was Floyd Mayweather Jr. He had a red-plumed helmet tucked under his arm and an imperious look on his youthful face, seeming oblivious to the laughter and catcalls that accompanied his grand entrance. Nobody asked Carlos Baldomir what he thought of Mayweather's regal rigmarole. The beefy Argentinian was probably too busy anyway, trying to figure out how he was going to survive the coming ordeal with his dignity still relatively intact. Against all odds in their Nov. 2006 welterweight title bout, he managed just that. Floyd flitted his way to a virtual shutout in a fight that went exactly the way you figured it would. Afterward, an overwrought Mayweather broke into tears and informed the media that they might have just seen his final fight. They hadn't, of course, and in his very next bout Mayweather bested Oscar De La Hoya in the largest-grossing fight in boxing history.
We've come to accept Mayweather's ostentatious and sometimes obnoxious conduct as part of the package that also includes one of the finest fighters of our lifetime. We can't have one without the other, so it's not surprising that Floyd has blossomed into a full-fledged diva, a role that seems to come naturally to him and that has helped raise his public profile. People either like Mayweather or they don't, but practically everybody knows who he is.
Traditionally, the term diva was applied exclusively to female singers and was most famously associated with opera star Maria Callus. Over the years, however, the word has morphed into a two-syllable description of any woman who exhibits certain behavioral traits. Most women who achieve diva status wear it like a badge of honor, but for a male sportsman, being called a diva is generally considered an affront to his manhood. Even so, that sort of old-school thinking is gradually crumbling as supremely egotistical athletes proliferate at an alarming rate. They are, whether we like it or not, already the new normal.
True divas are bossy, spoiled, selfish and demanding. They talk down to the people who work for them, think too highly of themselves, belittle others, want to be treated like royalty because of their status and fame and money, must always have their way, and are overly dramatic. Sound familiar? Mayweather certainly checks many of the boxes: He surrounds himself with sycophants, talks down to sparring partners, belittles adversaries prior to fights, demands that opponents submit to drug screening not required by boxing commissions, and showers strip-club patrons with hundred-dollar bills in what seems a juvenile attempt to prove how rich and cool he is. And that's just for starters. Two of Mayweather's most egregious examples of diva behavior were buying his way out of making weight for his bout with Juan Manuel Marquez and whining about being unable to drink bottled water while serving jail time for a domestic-violence conviction. These are actions most fighters throughout history wouldn't dream of doing, but times have changed, and so has what is considered acceptable behavior for modern athletes.
Mayweather already has an heir apparent in Adrien Broner, a multitalented lightweight with a similar style and a personality to match. He talks the talk and has somehow galvanized fans by having his father brush his hair for him in the ring before and after fights. It's a simple but effective shtick that harkens back to professional wrestler Gorgeous George, one of Muhammad Ali's inspirations.
Actually, one might be tempted to blame Ali for the advent of boxer as diva, and while it's true he was guilty of some of the same questionable conduct as Mayweather, there was usually a playful undercurrent to Ali's antics. With Mayweather, you seldom get the impression he's joking. There's no denying that Ali set new standards for loquacious self-promotion, but he always maintained the common touch. Until he became physically unable, he frequently waded into crowds of admirers to shake hands, give hugs and do the Ali shuffle. A true diva doesn't hang with the plebes. From Gutenberg's printing press to the Internet, the forward march of communication technology has always brought changes to society. But nothing has altered the way we live and think as much as television, and the sports world is no exception. The launch of the ESPN network in 1979 had a profound effect on sports, some of which has resulted in unintended consequences. Perhaps the most significant was featuring the most spectacular highlights of the day on "SportsCenter." This gave athletes a new goal beyond winning and helped usher in a generation of self-absorbed, look-at-me showboats. To hell with Andy Warhol's 15 minutes of fame, if you're good enough you can be on "SportsCenter" on a regular basis. It is a mindset, when coupled with exorbitant salaries and extravagant lifestyles, that creates a fertile environment for diva-like behavior to flourish.
By and large, boxers were late to the party compared to athletes competing in mainstream sports such as baseball, football and basketball, many of whom enjoyed preferential treatment from an early age. Fighters, on the other hand, frequently come from disadvantaged backgrounds and have to overcome severe hardship just to have a fighting chance of succeeding. Most are unassuming, pragmatic and appreciative of whatever attention they can garner, but that outlook is under attack by an overripe field of self-absorbed blowhards.
"Prince" Naseem Hamed's over-the-top personality could be fun at times, but he was also guilty of the most distasteful diva behavior. Gavin Evans, the author of "Wicked: The Prince Naseem Phenomenon", recalled an unseemly episode that took place in the dressing room p
We don't need boxing divas.
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2007/02/24
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Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield stood toe to toe again, only this time there were hugs and smiles – and no bites to the ear.
The ill will that marked the former champions' rivalry was nowhere in sight. Instead, they were like old friends meeting in a supermarket, which is exactly what they did on Saturday.
They were at a Jewel-Osco on Chicago's South Side, where Holyfield was signing autographs and promoting his barbecue sauce. Tyson, in town performing his one-man show, made a cameo.
"I just wanted to see Evander, man," Tyson said. "I love Evander. I'm forever linked with him for the rest of my life."
Hard to believe those words came from the man who bit off a piece of Holyfield's ear during a fight, but the former "Baddest Man On The Planet" is showing a different side.
He's baring his soul on stage, documenting his rise from Brooklyn's streets to the heavyweight championship and subsequent fall from grace. It's all there, from his drug use to his relationships to ex-wife Robin Givens, new wife Kiki, promoter Don King, trainer Cus D'Amato and, of course, a rape conviction that left him behind bars for three years in the 1990s.
He's taking it to 36 cities after a run on Broadway. Saturday night was the second of two scheduled performances in Chicago. And before he hit the stage, he hit the supermarket. He wrapped Holyfield in a big hug and was all smiles as they chatted and posed for pictures, the fans going wild the whole time.
"The show is good," said Holyfield, who saw it in Las Vegas. "The show is showing his way of coming back, being able to come to an agreement, come to an acknowledgment of what he'd done good and what he'd done wrong and to get over it. When people don't get past their problems, they never come to an understanding."
What did Holyfield think of the parts that involved him?
"I think he was letting people know that he was wrong and what happened, happened," he said. "He appreciates that I forgave him. He's forgiven himself. That's how you make adjustments in life."
The 50-year-old Holyfield would still like one more title fight against one of the Klitschko brothers, either Wladimir or Vitali. But unless one of them has a change of heart and agrees to it, his career is over.
"Now that it's confirmed that the Klitschkos really don't want to do it, that's it," Holyfield said. "I'm not trying to go back and fight someone 24, 25. But the Klitschkos being 37, 38, that's my age."
He's not clinging to that possibility, nor is he holding any hard feelings for Tyson. They reconciled on Oprah Winfrey's show in October 2009, and for that, Tyson is grateful.
In his mind, it even turned that infamous bite into something positive "because love and forgiveness is involved."
"We're both at a stage in our lives where we can work together and make really a good thing happen," Tyson said. "He's a beautiful person. I've known Evander since I was 15."
Now Tyson is putting it out there on stage, warts and all. He has made it clear this is not an apology tour, that it's simply his story.
He says he spends two hours a day rehearsing the script that his wife wrote, and the show is directed by Spike Lee. More are scheduled for cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston and Washington, and the tour could be extended if it goes well.
When he's not rehearsing, he's working for his charitable organization, Mike Tyson Cares. The organization helps underprivileged and homeless children receive medical treatment, find shelter, help with school expenses and assist with job placement.
But he still can't quite escape the drama.
In December, Tyson told a TV show he was "high on cocaine" during filming of the movie "The Hangover." In November, a Polish court ordered him to pay $48,000 to the organizer of a boxing gala after Tyson did not show up.
In October he was banned from travelling to New Zealand because of his rape conviction. That country's immigration authorities initially granted him a visa so he could give talks about overcoming adversity in his life, but a charity withdrew its support and officials reversed their decision.
"I just want to live my life this way," Tyson said. "It's more advantageous to me and my children and the people that I care about to live my life this way."
The ill will that marked the former champions' rivalry was nowhere in sight. Instead, they were like old friends meeting in a supermarket, which is exactly what they did on Saturday.
They were at a Jewel-Osco on Chicago's South Side, where Holyfield was signing autographs and promoting his barbecue sauce. Tyson, in town performing his one-man show, made a cameo.
"I just wanted to see Evander, man," Tyson said. "I love Evander. I'm forever linked with him for the rest of my life."
Hard to believe those words came from the man who bit off a piece of Holyfield's ear during a fight, but the former "Baddest Man On The Planet" is showing a different side.
He's baring his soul on stage, documenting his rise from Brooklyn's streets to the heavyweight championship and subsequent fall from grace. It's all there, from his drug use to his relationships to ex-wife Robin Givens, new wife Kiki, promoter Don King, trainer Cus D'Amato and, of course, a rape conviction that left him behind bars for three years in the 1990s.
He's taking it to 36 cities after a run on Broadway. Saturday night was the second of two scheduled performances in Chicago. And before he hit the stage, he hit the supermarket. He wrapped Holyfield in a big hug and was all smiles as they chatted and posed for pictures, the fans going wild the whole time.
"The show is good," said Holyfield, who saw it in Las Vegas. "The show is showing his way of coming back, being able to come to an agreement, come to an acknowledgment of what he'd done good and what he'd done wrong and to get over it. When people don't get past their problems, they never come to an understanding."
What did Holyfield think of the parts that involved him?
"I think he was letting people know that he was wrong and what happened, happened," he said. "He appreciates that I forgave him. He's forgiven himself. That's how you make adjustments in life."
The 50-year-old Holyfield would still like one more title fight against one of the Klitschko brothers, either Wladimir or Vitali. But unless one of them has a change of heart and agrees to it, his career is over.
"Now that it's confirmed that the Klitschkos really don't want to do it, that's it," Holyfield said. "I'm not trying to go back and fight someone 24, 25. But the Klitschkos being 37, 38, that's my age."
He's not clinging to that possibility, nor is he holding any hard feelings for Tyson. They reconciled on Oprah Winfrey's show in October 2009, and for that, Tyson is grateful.
In his mind, it even turned that infamous bite into something positive "because love and forgiveness is involved."
"We're both at a stage in our lives where we can work together and make really a good thing happen," Tyson said. "He's a beautiful person. I've known Evander since I was 15."
Now Tyson is putting it out there on stage, warts and all. He has made it clear this is not an apology tour, that it's simply his story.
He says he spends two hours a day rehearsing the script that his wife wrote, and the show is directed by Spike Lee. More are scheduled for cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston and Washington, and the tour could be extended if it goes well.
When he's not rehearsing, he's working for his charitable organization, Mike Tyson Cares. The organization helps underprivileged and homeless children receive medical treatment, find shelter, help with school expenses and assist with job placement.
But he still can't quite escape the drama.
In December, Tyson told a TV show he was "high on cocaine" during filming of the movie "The Hangover." In November, a Polish court ordered him to pay $48,000 to the organizer of a boxing gala after Tyson did not show up.
In October he was banned from travelling to New Zealand because of his rape conviction. That country's immigration authorities initially granted him a visa so he could give talks about overcoming adversity in his life, but a charity withdrew its support and officials reversed their decision.
"I just want to live my life this way," Tyson said. "It's more advantageous to me and my children and the people that I care about to live my life this way."
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
What has happened to the heavyweight division in boxing?
Many would take that question and extend it to the sport itself and ask why boxing isn't the sport that it was decades ago.
But if you really study the sport, it's obvious that boxing is not on its death bed. Boxing is all but impossible to kill. There are many great fighters who are pounding away, and one of them, Wladimir Klitschko, is the very impressive heavyweight champion of the world.
But Klitschko, despite all his skills, is not a worldwide superstar. There is no magic to his name even though he is a skilled boxer with explosive power.
The heavyweight division used to be about superstars. From Joe Louis to Rocky Marciano, heavyweights commanded the sporting world prior to the 1960s.
Then Muhammad Ali brought the heavyweight division to a new level. No heavyweight fighter has ever been able to dominate the world stage before or since the way Ali did. While he was stellar in the ring, his personality and politics had as much to do with his superstar status as his boxing ability.
Joe Frazier and George Foreman were also superstars, but it was Mike Tyson who had the most commanding presence after Ali.
Every time Tyson stepped into the ring, fans expected to see a vicious knockout. They usually got just that.
Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis were also heavyweight superstars. But right now, the division does not have that kind of magic. Klitschko and his brother Vitali Klitschko almost seem too calm and reasonable to command fear in their opponents the way the other top heavyweights of their generations did.
Vitali Klitschko, 41, is almost certainly getting close to retirement. Wladimir Klitschko, 36, probably has several more good years left, but he is not ever going to have that charisma that commands the public.
None of the top heavyweight contenders seem to have it as well. The better fighters like Kubrat Pulev, Tomasz Adamek, David Haye and Alexander Povetkin don't have the kind of recognition or commanding presence to be considered superstars.
British fighter Tyson Fury, 24, would seem to have the kind of name and size at 6'9", 248 pounds to command the world's attention, but he often makes mistakes in the ring.
It takes more than championship ability to become a heavyweight superstar.
If it didn't, Larry Holmes would have been considered a superstar during his championship run from 1978 through 1985. He was a thoroughly skilled boxer with a stiff left hand, excellent defensive skills and the ability to pounce on a weakened opponent.
However, he was not charismatic.
That's basically the same criticism of Wladimir Klitschko.
So, the top fighters in the sport today are non-heavyweights Floyd Mayweather, Andre Ward, Juan Manuel Marquez and perhaps Manny Pacquiao. Canelo Alvarez, Nonito Donaire and Adrien Broner may be right behind.
The lack of a heavyweight presence among the best up-and-coming fighters does not signify anything other than the cyclical nature of the sport.
At some point, it seems likely a young, explosive and verbose heavyweight will surface. If that fighter is also American, the chances are that the division will once again have a superstar presence.
Will Boxing Ever Have Another Heavyweight Superstar? | Bleacher Report
Many would take that question and extend it to the sport itself and ask why boxing isn't the sport that it was decades ago.
But if you really study the sport, it's obvious that boxing is not on its death bed. Boxing is all but impossible to kill. There are many great fighters who are pounding away, and one of them, Wladimir Klitschko, is the very impressive heavyweight champion of the world.
But Klitschko, despite all his skills, is not a worldwide superstar. There is no magic to his name even though he is a skilled boxer with explosive power.
The heavyweight division used to be about superstars. From Joe Louis to Rocky Marciano, heavyweights commanded the sporting world prior to the 1960s.
Then Muhammad Ali brought the heavyweight division to a new level. No heavyweight fighter has ever been able to dominate the world stage before or since the way Ali did. While he was stellar in the ring, his personality and politics had as much to do with his superstar status as his boxing ability.
Joe Frazier and George Foreman were also superstars, but it was Mike Tyson who had the most commanding presence after Ali.
Every time Tyson stepped into the ring, fans expected to see a vicious knockout. They usually got just that.
Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis were also heavyweight superstars. But right now, the division does not have that kind of magic. Klitschko and his brother Vitali Klitschko almost seem too calm and reasonable to command fear in their opponents the way the other top heavyweights of their generations did.
Vitali Klitschko, 41, is almost certainly getting close to retirement. Wladimir Klitschko, 36, probably has several more good years left, but he is not ever going to have that charisma that commands the public.
None of the top heavyweight contenders seem to have it as well. The better fighters like Kubrat Pulev, Tomasz Adamek, David Haye and Alexander Povetkin don't have the kind of recognition or commanding presence to be considered superstars.
British fighter Tyson Fury, 24, would seem to have the kind of name and size at 6'9", 248 pounds to command the world's attention, but he often makes mistakes in the ring.
It takes more than championship ability to become a heavyweight superstar.
If it didn't, Larry Holmes would have been considered a superstar during his championship run from 1978 through 1985. He was a thoroughly skilled boxer with a stiff left hand, excellent defensive skills and the ability to pounce on a weakened opponent.
However, he was not charismatic.
That's basically the same criticism of Wladimir Klitschko.
So, the top fighters in the sport today are non-heavyweights Floyd Mayweather, Andre Ward, Juan Manuel Marquez and perhaps Manny Pacquiao. Canelo Alvarez, Nonito Donaire and Adrien Broner may be right behind.
The lack of a heavyweight presence among the best up-and-coming fighters does not signify anything other than the cyclical nature of the sport.
At some point, it seems likely a young, explosive and verbose heavyweight will surface. If that fighter is also American, the chances are that the division will once again have a superstar presence.
Will Boxing Ever Have Another Heavyweight Superstar? | Bleacher Report
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2006/12/07
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29893
There were three things Jennifer Grooms really missed when a burglar struck her Mission Hills home last year.
One was tiny, not much bigger than a fingernail: the SIM card from her camera, which held the photos documenting her pregnancy.
The other two were massive: her jewel-encrusted gold boxing championship belts.
The photos seem gone for good. But last week, the champ got her belts back.
The Los Angeles Police Department said the case was cracked when a fingerprint match tied the break-in to a repeat offender and undocumented immigrant named Jose Pedraza.
When police searched Pedraza's house in Sylmar on Friday, the belts were at the bottom of a hamper under the 20-year-old's dirty clothes, LAPD Detective William Cooper said.
The same day, police gave the belts back to a grateful and surprised Grooms, who was Jennifer Barber during her boxing career.
"I thought they were long gone," she said.
Grooms, a 30-year-old San Fernando Valley native, went to Kennedy High in Granada Hills and Cal State-Northridge. She won nine belts as an amateur, according to the North American Boxing Federation.
In 2003, she became the first woman from Los Angeles County to win a National Golden Gloves championship. After turning pro, she won belts from the NABF and the International Female Boxers Association.
She got the latter belt, for her super featherweight title, after a 2010 fight in South Korea. She retired in 2011, and the break-in happened March 20, 2012. The thief took jewelry, electronics and the belts, which were on display in the home. He even stole diapers.
"He almost sent me into early labor, I was so upset," said Grooms, who was seven months pregnant at the time.
A detective asked whether she wanted the house fingerprinted, but cautioned that getting results could take years and might lead nowhere.
Grooms thought about buying replacement belts, but it didn't seem right to have to buy something she'd earned. To her, the belts were symbols of the decade she spent fighting her way to the top in a sport that's not always welcoming to women.
Out of the blue, Grooms got a call from a detective recently: There had been a fingerprint hit. The long lag before the fingerprint hit reflected the LAPD's testing backlog, which Cooper said has begun to ease with better civilian staffing.
The suspect, Pedraza, turned out to have committed at least two other burglaries in Mission Hills since December 2011, Cooper said.
When Pedraza was arrested in one of those earlier break-ins, he was doing community service for drunken driving by working at the Mission police station. He would have been deported to Mexico if not for the newest arrest.
Cooper said the resolution was "bittersweet" since police couldn't find the SIM card and Grooms' and her husband's wedding rings.
Before they were returned to their rightful owner, the belts took a brief tour of the police station. Cooper said each seemed about as heavy as an officer's gun belt.
"Several of the detectives in the squad room held them up, thought we were Rocky," he said.
Valley boxing champ gets her stolen belts back, thanks to LAPD - LA Daily News
One was tiny, not much bigger than a fingernail: the SIM card from her camera, which held the photos documenting her pregnancy.
The other two were massive: her jewel-encrusted gold boxing championship belts.
The photos seem gone for good. But last week, the champ got her belts back.
The Los Angeles Police Department said the case was cracked when a fingerprint match tied the break-in to a repeat offender and undocumented immigrant named Jose Pedraza.
When police searched Pedraza's house in Sylmar on Friday, the belts were at the bottom of a hamper under the 20-year-old's dirty clothes, LAPD Detective William Cooper said.
The same day, police gave the belts back to a grateful and surprised Grooms, who was Jennifer Barber during her boxing career.
"I thought they were long gone," she said.
Grooms, a 30-year-old San Fernando Valley native, went to Kennedy High in Granada Hills and Cal State-Northridge. She won nine belts as an amateur, according to the North American Boxing Federation.
In 2003, she became the first woman from Los Angeles County to win a National Golden Gloves championship. After turning pro, she won belts from the NABF and the International Female Boxers Association.
She got the latter belt, for her super featherweight title, after a 2010 fight in South Korea. She retired in 2011, and the break-in happened March 20, 2012. The thief took jewelry, electronics and the belts, which were on display in the home. He even stole diapers.
"He almost sent me into early labor, I was so upset," said Grooms, who was seven months pregnant at the time.
A detective asked whether she wanted the house fingerprinted, but cautioned that getting results could take years and might lead nowhere.
Grooms thought about buying replacement belts, but it didn't seem right to have to buy something she'd earned. To her, the belts were symbols of the decade she spent fighting her way to the top in a sport that's not always welcoming to women.
Out of the blue, Grooms got a call from a detective recently: There had been a fingerprint hit. The long lag before the fingerprint hit reflected the LAPD's testing backlog, which Cooper said has begun to ease with better civilian staffing.
The suspect, Pedraza, turned out to have committed at least two other burglaries in Mission Hills since December 2011, Cooper said.
When Pedraza was arrested in one of those earlier break-ins, he was doing community service for drunken driving by working at the Mission police station. He would have been deported to Mexico if not for the newest arrest.
Cooper said the resolution was "bittersweet" since police couldn't find the SIM card and Grooms' and her husband's wedding rings.
Before they were returned to their rightful owner, the belts took a brief tour of the police station. Cooper said each seemed about as heavy as an officer's gun belt.
"Several of the detectives in the squad room held them up, thought we were Rocky," he said.
Valley boxing champ gets her stolen belts back, thanks to LAPD - LA Daily News
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2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
The sport of boxing has had plenty of famous pairings. Ali and Frazier. Tyson and King. Even Rocky and Mickey.
Now a Beckley pair are hoping to make a name for themselves while helping the community they love.
While they don’t have the showmanship or the accolades of the other duos, trainer Clarence Moore and boxer Vince Avery are hoping to make a splash in the world of boxing.
Moore is the trainer and operator of Champion Boxing Club Inc., a gym in East Beckley with the goal, according to its website, of providing the community with a safe and healthy environment to learn the sweet science of boxing.
“Right now we have 10-12 children and youth,” Moore said. “The goal of the gym was to give the kids an alternative to hanging out in he streets. So boxing is a way to get them into the gym, and there we’re teaching them health habits of regular exercise and healthy eating habits.”
Moore visualizes a day when his gym will help kids get out of their surroundings and expand their world view.
“Another goal of the gym is to take these kids out of Beckley and let them travel and compete in other cities and states,” Moore said. “There’s some kids that have never left Beckley, so with the boxing club, we’re putting together the team and getting them a chance to compete against other kids and hopefully make the world a little better.”
The vision all started when Moore and Avery came into contact over the sport.
“Vince started training last year before we even had a gym,” Moore said. “We would meet at the Hager Street Apartments and go to the park or the basketball court and train there. He’s been there for the whole ride. He’s a hard worker. He’s been very dedicated and so we expect a lot of him.”
Avery’s dedication paid off Saturday night in his amateur boxing debut, when he defeated Jay Church by knockout 10 seconds into the second round at the Pullen and Burke Amateur Boxing Event at Cedar Grove Elementary School.
“Ever since I was little, I wanted to do it,” Avery said. “I wanted to do it, then my son wanted to do it. I jumped in there to show them that you can do anything you put your mind to.”
The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Avery, who is coached by former Golden Gloves champion Horace Watterson, feels that the gym will have a positive impact on East Beckley and the kids who live there.
“It’s something good to see. We didn’t have that when I was little,” Avery said. “We didn’t have it, but they stepped up and made it happen. When we got the gym, we didn’t have no punching bags, we didn’t have no ring. We started training on the street. Now we’ve got little kids coming into the gym to train. It’s a good thing.”
Avery will get another chance to prove himself during his next fight, the Hometown Heroes Championships at the Charleston Civic Center on March 1 and 2.
Avery wins boxing debut » Today's Sports Front » The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia
Now a Beckley pair are hoping to make a name for themselves while helping the community they love.
While they don’t have the showmanship or the accolades of the other duos, trainer Clarence Moore and boxer Vince Avery are hoping to make a splash in the world of boxing.
Moore is the trainer and operator of Champion Boxing Club Inc., a gym in East Beckley with the goal, according to its website, of providing the community with a safe and healthy environment to learn the sweet science of boxing.
“Right now we have 10-12 children and youth,” Moore said. “The goal of the gym was to give the kids an alternative to hanging out in he streets. So boxing is a way to get them into the gym, and there we’re teaching them health habits of regular exercise and healthy eating habits.”
Moore visualizes a day when his gym will help kids get out of their surroundings and expand their world view.
“Another goal of the gym is to take these kids out of Beckley and let them travel and compete in other cities and states,” Moore said. “There’s some kids that have never left Beckley, so with the boxing club, we’re putting together the team and getting them a chance to compete against other kids and hopefully make the world a little better.”
The vision all started when Moore and Avery came into contact over the sport.
“Vince started training last year before we even had a gym,” Moore said. “We would meet at the Hager Street Apartments and go to the park or the basketball court and train there. He’s been there for the whole ride. He’s a hard worker. He’s been very dedicated and so we expect a lot of him.”
Avery’s dedication paid off Saturday night in his amateur boxing debut, when he defeated Jay Church by knockout 10 seconds into the second round at the Pullen and Burke Amateur Boxing Event at Cedar Grove Elementary School.
“Ever since I was little, I wanted to do it,” Avery said. “I wanted to do it, then my son wanted to do it. I jumped in there to show them that you can do anything you put your mind to.”
The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Avery, who is coached by former Golden Gloves champion Horace Watterson, feels that the gym will have a positive impact on East Beckley and the kids who live there.
“It’s something good to see. We didn’t have that when I was little,” Avery said. “We didn’t have it, but they stepped up and made it happen. When we got the gym, we didn’t have no punching bags, we didn’t have no ring. We started training on the street. Now we’ve got little kids coming into the gym to train. It’s a good thing.”
Avery will get another chance to prove himself during his next fight, the Hometown Heroes Championships at the Charleston Civic Center on March 1 and 2.
Avery wins boxing debut » Today's Sports Front » The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia
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An amateur boxer in North Dakota who collapsed during a weekend fight has died.
The Grand Forks Herald reports (Grand Forks boxer, hurt Saturday, dies today in Altru Hospital | Grand Forks Herald | Grand Forks, North Dakota) that Grand Forks boxer Jerimiah "J.J." Moen died Wednesday morning at a hospital.
The 29-year-old Moen collapsed after the first round of a scheduled three-round, super-heavyweight Golden Gloves fight Saturday in East Grand Forks, Minn.
Moen's uncle, Mike Sweeney, says the family learned this week that Moen had "serious trauma" to his brain from previous injuries, including concussions.
Moen had remained unconscious and in critical condition since the fight.
Sweeney says Moen boxed four years during high school and then returned to the ring last year. He was named a Golden Gloves regional champion last year.
The Grand Forks Herald reports (Grand Forks boxer, hurt Saturday, dies today in Altru Hospital | Grand Forks Herald | Grand Forks, North Dakota) that Grand Forks boxer Jerimiah "J.J." Moen died Wednesday morning at a hospital.
The 29-year-old Moen collapsed after the first round of a scheduled three-round, super-heavyweight Golden Gloves fight Saturday in East Grand Forks, Minn.
Moen's uncle, Mike Sweeney, says the family learned this week that Moen had "serious trauma" to his brain from previous injuries, including concussions.
Moen had remained unconscious and in critical condition since the fight.
Sweeney says Moen boxed four years during high school and then returned to the ring last year. He was named a Golden Gloves regional champion last year.
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Manne wrote:
What has happened to the heavyweight division in boxing?
Many would take that question and extend it to the sport itself and ask why boxing isn't the sport that it was decades ago.
But if you really study the sport, it's obvious that boxing is not on its death bed. Boxing is all but impossible to kill. There are many great fighters who are pounding away, and one of them, Wladimir Klitschko, is the very impressive heavyweight champion of the world.
But Klitschko, despite all his skills, is not a worldwide superstar. There is no magic to his name even though he is a skilled boxer with explosive power.
The heavyweight division used to be about superstars. From Joe Louis to Rocky Marciano, heavyweights commanded the sporting world prior to the 1960s.
Then Muhammad Ali brought the heavyweight division to a new level. No heavyweight fighter has ever been able to dominate the world stage before or since the way Ali did. While he was stellar in the ring, his personality and politics had as much to do with his superstar status as his boxing ability.
Joe Frazier and George Foreman were also superstars, but it was Mike Tyson who had the most commanding presence after Ali.
Every time Tyson stepped into the ring, fans expected to see a vicious knockout. They usually got just that.
Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis were also heavyweight superstars. But right now, the division does not have that kind of magic. Klitschko and his brother Vitali Klitschko almost seem too calm and reasonable to command fear in their opponents the way the other top heavyweights of their generations did.
Vitali Klitschko, 41, is almost certainly getting close to retirement. Wladimir Klitschko, 36, probably has several more good years left, but he is not ever going to have that charisma that commands the public.
None of the top heavyweight contenders seem to have it as well. The better fighters like Kubrat Pulev, Tomasz Adamek, David Haye and Alexander Povetkin don't have the kind of recognition or commanding presence to be considered superstars.
British fighter Tyson Fury, 24, would seem to have the kind of name and size at 6'9", 248 pounds to command the world's attention, but he often makes mistakes in the ring.
It takes more than championship ability to become a heavyweight superstar.
If it didn't, Larry Holmes would have been considered a superstar during his championship run from 1978 through 1985. He was a thoroughly skilled boxer with a stiff left hand, excellent defensive skills and the ability to pounce on a weakened opponent.
However, he was not charismatic.
That's basically the same criticism of Wladimir Klitschko.
So, the top fighters in the sport today are non-heavyweights Floyd Mayweather, Andre Ward, Juan Manuel Marquez and perhaps Manny Pacquiao. Canelo Alvarez, Nonito Donaire and Adrien Broner may be right behind.
The lack of a heavyweight presence among the best up-and-coming fighters does not signify anything other than the cyclical nature of the sport.
At some point, it seems likely a young, explosive and verbose heavyweight will surface. If that fighter is also American, the chances are that the division will once again have a superstar presence.
Will Boxing Ever Have Another Heavyweight Superstar? | Bleacher Report
I believe when the time's right it will happen.
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Keith Tate has coached a stack load of champions from his base at Cleckheaton Police Boxing Academy.
The 58-year-old knows a good one when he sees one.
It is praise indeed then describing new Beeston talent Ismail Khan as a certainty for a national title in 2013.
Khan, 14, travelled to Merseyside last weekend to take on England international Liam Search as part of an Everton Red Triangle Boxing Club event.
And despite being considered the underdog, the 46kg Leeds fighter slammed Search in what Tate described as one of the most impressive victories he has seen for years.
Tate has been coaching for over three decades and has a rich tradition of master-minding notable triumphs.
The coach helped Gary Sykes to win the British super featherweight belt with past prodigies James Hare, Mark Hobson and Steven Conway having all won world titles.
Now Tate fully expects Khan to become the next name on that list with April’s junior ABAs his forthcoming goal.
“He came to me about 14 or 15 months ago from Burmantofts and has just blossomed,” Tate told the YEP: “We took him to this Everton Red Triangle boxing event and even though he was fighting an England international he boxed his head off. I have not seen a performance like that for a good few years.
“This kid is going places and he will definitely win a national title this year.”
Khan is a pupil at Cockburn High School and a former member of the thriving Burmantofts Amateur Boxing Club, who along with Kelly’s ABC still have four fighters gunning for 2013 Senior ABA glory. The Senior ABAs began this week with Burmantofts quartet Jack Bateson, Connor Loftus, Billy Pickles and Iktsham “Tyson” Lone now boxing in the Yorkshire semi-finals on Tuesday at the Colley WMC in Parson Cross, Sheffield.
Kelly’s ABC star Jack Daniel will fight club-mate Nassa Baz on Tuesday with Kelly’s duo Oliver Simpson and Kieran Devonish having got byes.
Simpson is already assured of a Yorkshire final with Devonish already through to the national pre-quarters due to a lack of competition at his weight category.
Stevi Mennell will box for West Leeds ABC on Tuesday as the good times on the Leeds boxing front continue to roll.
For Khan, the next major goal is the junior ABAs with both boxer and coach in confident mood following last weekend’s success on Merseyside.
And the Cleckheaton feel-good-factor doesn’t end there with Tate also reporting that he has a host of other talented youngsters ready to burst on to the scene.
Tate’s Cleckheaton Police Boxing Academy are staging a night of amateur boxing at the Cedar Court Hotel in Bradford on Wednesday, April 17. Tickets are £35 including dinner or £10 for just the boxing. For details contact Tate on 07979 030406.
Elsewhere Leeds celebrated success on the kick-boxing front at the World Association of Kickboxing Organisations Great Britain Championships in Birmingham.
Representing Leeds Martial Arts College in Morley, Steven Benning and Neal Foster both claimed gold medals, Benning in the under-79kgs kick light category and Foster in the under-84kgs light continuous category.
The two students became the first members of the college to win gold at the event but need sponsorship.
Boxing: Coach says teen Khan can reach for the stars - Boxing - Yorkshire Evening Post
The 58-year-old knows a good one when he sees one.
It is praise indeed then describing new Beeston talent Ismail Khan as a certainty for a national title in 2013.
Khan, 14, travelled to Merseyside last weekend to take on England international Liam Search as part of an Everton Red Triangle Boxing Club event.
And despite being considered the underdog, the 46kg Leeds fighter slammed Search in what Tate described as one of the most impressive victories he has seen for years.
Tate has been coaching for over three decades and has a rich tradition of master-minding notable triumphs.
The coach helped Gary Sykes to win the British super featherweight belt with past prodigies James Hare, Mark Hobson and Steven Conway having all won world titles.
Now Tate fully expects Khan to become the next name on that list with April’s junior ABAs his forthcoming goal.
“He came to me about 14 or 15 months ago from Burmantofts and has just blossomed,” Tate told the YEP: “We took him to this Everton Red Triangle boxing event and even though he was fighting an England international he boxed his head off. I have not seen a performance like that for a good few years.
“This kid is going places and he will definitely win a national title this year.”
Khan is a pupil at Cockburn High School and a former member of the thriving Burmantofts Amateur Boxing Club, who along with Kelly’s ABC still have four fighters gunning for 2013 Senior ABA glory. The Senior ABAs began this week with Burmantofts quartet Jack Bateson, Connor Loftus, Billy Pickles and Iktsham “Tyson” Lone now boxing in the Yorkshire semi-finals on Tuesday at the Colley WMC in Parson Cross, Sheffield.
Kelly’s ABC star Jack Daniel will fight club-mate Nassa Baz on Tuesday with Kelly’s duo Oliver Simpson and Kieran Devonish having got byes.
Simpson is already assured of a Yorkshire final with Devonish already through to the national pre-quarters due to a lack of competition at his weight category.
Stevi Mennell will box for West Leeds ABC on Tuesday as the good times on the Leeds boxing front continue to roll.
For Khan, the next major goal is the junior ABAs with both boxer and coach in confident mood following last weekend’s success on Merseyside.
And the Cleckheaton feel-good-factor doesn’t end there with Tate also reporting that he has a host of other talented youngsters ready to burst on to the scene.
Tate’s Cleckheaton Police Boxing Academy are staging a night of amateur boxing at the Cedar Court Hotel in Bradford on Wednesday, April 17. Tickets are £35 including dinner or £10 for just the boxing. For details contact Tate on 07979 030406.
Elsewhere Leeds celebrated success on the kick-boxing front at the World Association of Kickboxing Organisations Great Britain Championships in Birmingham.
Representing Leeds Martial Arts College in Morley, Steven Benning and Neal Foster both claimed gold medals, Benning in the under-79kgs kick light category and Foster in the under-84kgs light continuous category.
The two students became the first members of the college to win gold at the event but need sponsorship.
Boxing: Coach says teen Khan can reach for the stars - Boxing - Yorkshire Evening Post
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Price, widely considered Britain's best heavyweight prospect since Lennox Lewis, was caught by a fairly innocuous-looking shot to the temple and went down.
The punch from the American caught the hometown boxer around the back of his left ear, perforating his eardrum.
Price got to his feet but was clearly struggling to keep his balance and the referee had no option but to declare Thompson the winner.
According to the Telegraph, Price's promoter Maloney sunk to his knees after the card at the Echo Arena and had to be taken to hospital.
Price had got off to a solid start, using his height and reach advantage to control the opening round.
But Thompson went all out from the start of the second round and soon had Price on the ropes before sending him to the canvas.
"I've been doing that to other people since I turned professional," a philosophical Price said after tasting defeat for the first time as a pro. "It's heavyweight boxing, nobody's invincible. I'll come back from it.
"I didn't take a beating in there tonight - it was one of those shots. It caught my ear and my balance had gone. Sometimes it's best to come back as quickly as possible.
"I'm still the British and Commonwealth champion and, three fights down the line, this will be ancient history."
Thompson said: "I knew I would do this, it's no shock to me. They thought I was just a name for his record but I showed everyone that I've got a lot left."
Boxing - Maloney taken ill after Price suffers first defeat - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
The punch from the American caught the hometown boxer around the back of his left ear, perforating his eardrum.
Price got to his feet but was clearly struggling to keep his balance and the referee had no option but to declare Thompson the winner.
According to the Telegraph, Price's promoter Maloney sunk to his knees after the card at the Echo Arena and had to be taken to hospital.
Price had got off to a solid start, using his height and reach advantage to control the opening round.
But Thompson went all out from the start of the second round and soon had Price on the ropes before sending him to the canvas.
"I've been doing that to other people since I turned professional," a philosophical Price said after tasting defeat for the first time as a pro. "It's heavyweight boxing, nobody's invincible. I'll come back from it.
"I didn't take a beating in there tonight - it was one of those shots. It caught my ear and my balance had gone. Sometimes it's best to come back as quickly as possible.
"I'm still the British and Commonwealth champion and, three fights down the line, this will be ancient history."
Thompson said: "I knew I would do this, it's no shock to me. They thought I was just a name for his record but I showed everyone that I've got a lot left."
Boxing - Maloney taken ill after Price suffers first defeat - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
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David Price has added his name to the list of fighters who have seen their hopes, dreams and senses destroyed by a single punch that left their careers in turmoil.
Price was coasting to victory against America's Tony Thompson on Saturday night in front of a sell-out crowd at the Echo Arena in his hometown of Liverpool before walking into one punch in round two. Price dropped like a man struck with a Taser; he somehow beat the count but could not stand straight, look straight or even talk sensibly when the fight was waved off.
Thompson, who had been as big as 80-1 to win in the second, celebrated the stunning surprise with speed, enthusiasm and the type of raw emotion that he has seldom displayed during a fight. In another corner of the unforgiving ring Price was slowly gaining control of his scrambled head against a backdrop of silence. There is nothing a fallen heavyweight can possibly hear that will reduce the pain he feels after a knockout defeat; Price's stunned face was a brutal reminder of the sport's dangers.
In the immediate aftermath Price was eloquent and sickened in equal measure and Frank Maloney, his manager, was numb at first but swiftly rushed off to hospital, where he remained under observation until 10am yesterday. Maloney suffered a heart attack after a fight three years ago and is on strict medication to control his blood pressure; Thompson's short right ruined the formula for him as savagely as it had for Price.
"In two or three fights this will all be ancient history," offered Price, who lost for the first time in 16 fights. "It is what happens in heavyweight boxing; I have been on the other end, tonight it was my turn. It happens and it has happened to a lot of good fighters." Price is not a broken fighter and this loss, this early in his career, should not be compared to the knockout defeats of Lennox Lewis or other men who lost once they had won world titles. Price was a work in steep progress, a man with physical attributes and a lot of unanswered questions hovering in the distance as his career hurtled forward. Thompson is 41, overweight and was nearly denied access to the UK because of his own high blood pressure, and was not showing any ambition before catching Price on the ear.
The journey back for Price will need to be harsh if he wants to regain his position as a contender and that could mean an immediate rematch. In the 1970s or 80s a massive ticket cash cow like Price would have been fed a fat bum or two and recycled without a complaint. Lewis went off to Dublin after his first knockout loss and fought an Australian chef who was about six inches shorter.
However, the boxing business has changed in some ways – and, as Thompson showed with the one-punch finish, it is the same as it has always been.
Boxing: David Price must think again after brutal KO from Tony Thompson - Others - More Sports - The Independent
Price was coasting to victory against America's Tony Thompson on Saturday night in front of a sell-out crowd at the Echo Arena in his hometown of Liverpool before walking into one punch in round two. Price dropped like a man struck with a Taser; he somehow beat the count but could not stand straight, look straight or even talk sensibly when the fight was waved off.
Thompson, who had been as big as 80-1 to win in the second, celebrated the stunning surprise with speed, enthusiasm and the type of raw emotion that he has seldom displayed during a fight. In another corner of the unforgiving ring Price was slowly gaining control of his scrambled head against a backdrop of silence. There is nothing a fallen heavyweight can possibly hear that will reduce the pain he feels after a knockout defeat; Price's stunned face was a brutal reminder of the sport's dangers.
In the immediate aftermath Price was eloquent and sickened in equal measure and Frank Maloney, his manager, was numb at first but swiftly rushed off to hospital, where he remained under observation until 10am yesterday. Maloney suffered a heart attack after a fight three years ago and is on strict medication to control his blood pressure; Thompson's short right ruined the formula for him as savagely as it had for Price.
"In two or three fights this will all be ancient history," offered Price, who lost for the first time in 16 fights. "It is what happens in heavyweight boxing; I have been on the other end, tonight it was my turn. It happens and it has happened to a lot of good fighters." Price is not a broken fighter and this loss, this early in his career, should not be compared to the knockout defeats of Lennox Lewis or other men who lost once they had won world titles. Price was a work in steep progress, a man with physical attributes and a lot of unanswered questions hovering in the distance as his career hurtled forward. Thompson is 41, overweight and was nearly denied access to the UK because of his own high blood pressure, and was not showing any ambition before catching Price on the ear.
The journey back for Price will need to be harsh if he wants to regain his position as a contender and that could mean an immediate rematch. In the 1970s or 80s a massive ticket cash cow like Price would have been fed a fat bum or two and recycled without a complaint. Lewis went off to Dublin after his first knockout loss and fought an Australian chef who was about six inches shorter.
However, the boxing business has changed in some ways – and, as Thompson showed with the one-punch finish, it is the same as it has always been.
Boxing: David Price must think again after brutal KO from Tony Thompson - Others - More Sports - The Independent
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BENTLEY prospect Jamie Hughes extended his unbeaten record with a tricky, yet ultimately comfortable points victory over the tough Pawel Trebinski at Rotherham’s Magna Centre on Friday.
The light heavyweight –based out of Rotherham’s Millennium gym – had hoped to send a message of intent to his local rivals with a dominant performance.
But Hughes was forced to work hard over the four rounds by an extremely awkward and cagey opponent who constantly looked to make life difficult.
The 29-year-old has spoken of his interest in fighting Scawthorpe youngster Luke Crowcroft in the near future in a bid to prove himself the best fighter in town around 12 and a half stone.
But he struggled to produce an explosive message for Crowcroft against Trebinksi who was the very definition of a spoiler.
As the opening bell sounded, Hughes took control of the centre of the ring and tried to trap his foe on the ropes and unload his big straight left from his southpaw stance.
Trebinski on the other hand looked reluctant to get involved and attempted to stay on the outside and break up Hughes’ rhythm by continuously tying him up.
Trebinski’s negative tactics earned him a warning from referee Michael Alexander, however it failed to make any impact on the pattern of the action which remained the same for the remainder of round.
Hughes took the stanza through his cleaner boxing.
Trebinski fought with more conviction in the second, enjoying the occasional moment of success by throwing the odd quick burst of shots then grabbing hold of Hughes.
Despite this, Hughes continued to apply the pressure and did manage to land a solid straight left at the end of the round,which seemed to stun his awkward opponent.
Hughes struggled to make any meaningful breakthrough in rounds three and four as his opponent’s awkward tactics continued to frustrate him, but he did manage to tally up the points by landing the odd straight left and right.
Hughes won every round on the referee’s score card, to take the contest 40-36.
The win now moves the 29-year-old fighter to three wins out of three, with one coming inside the distance.
The light heavyweight –based out of Rotherham’s Millennium gym – had hoped to send a message of intent to his local rivals with a dominant performance.
But Hughes was forced to work hard over the four rounds by an extremely awkward and cagey opponent who constantly looked to make life difficult.
The 29-year-old has spoken of his interest in fighting Scawthorpe youngster Luke Crowcroft in the near future in a bid to prove himself the best fighter in town around 12 and a half stone.
But he struggled to produce an explosive message for Crowcroft against Trebinksi who was the very definition of a spoiler.
As the opening bell sounded, Hughes took control of the centre of the ring and tried to trap his foe on the ropes and unload his big straight left from his southpaw stance.
Trebinski on the other hand looked reluctant to get involved and attempted to stay on the outside and break up Hughes’ rhythm by continuously tying him up.
Trebinski’s negative tactics earned him a warning from referee Michael Alexander, however it failed to make any impact on the pattern of the action which remained the same for the remainder of round.
Hughes took the stanza through his cleaner boxing.
Trebinski fought with more conviction in the second, enjoying the occasional moment of success by throwing the odd quick burst of shots then grabbing hold of Hughes.
Despite this, Hughes continued to apply the pressure and did manage to land a solid straight left at the end of the round,which seemed to stun his awkward opponent.
Hughes struggled to make any meaningful breakthrough in rounds three and four as his opponent’s awkward tactics continued to frustrate him, but he did manage to tally up the points by landing the odd straight left and right.
Hughes won every round on the referee’s score card, to take the contest 40-36.
The win now moves the 29-year-old fighter to three wins out of three, with one coming inside the distance.
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I was hurrying to work on a brisk February morning, collar turned up, cap pulled down and hands stuffed in my pockets. As I hunched my shoulders against the chill and squinted in the bright sunlight, a newspaper vending machine caught my eye. I wasn't sure at first, but the image on the cover appeared to be that of a boxer. A few more paces and I realized it was a photo of Philadelphia middleweight Bennie Briscoe being hoisted aloft following his upset knockout of Tony Mundine. The headline read: "Briscoe: A Swinging American In Paris." I couldn't get the grin off my face as I bought three copies and continued on my way to work, proof of Briscoe's triumph tucked securely under my arm.
Today, I easily could have found the result on my smartphone as soon as the fight was over. But there was no Internet in 1974, cable television was in its infancy, and local TV and radio coverage of boxing was inconsistent. Newspapers, most of which still had a boxing writer on staff, were your best bet for reliable information. There's also something to be said for the delicious anticipation of waiting for the early edition to hit the streets the morning after an out-of-town fight.
Moments like that are virtually gone now, along with the feel of the pulp and smell of the ink, and that's probably the way it should be. Everything evolves and changes -- but not always for the better.
Sadly, despite the staggering amount of information at our fingertips, boxing coverage has, for the most part, wandered badly astray. Gradually over the years, much of the media's emphasis has switched from fights and fighters to ancillary matters. Instead of visiting gyms and talking to boxers and trainers, it's far more likely that a reporter will seek an audience with a promoter or network executive. Moreover, litigation has become such a significant part of boxing that lawyers such as Judd Burstein and Pat English, who specialize in such matters, have become an all-too-prominent part of the industry. Then there is all the hand-wringing and hysteria about performance-enhancing drugs diverting attention away from what's taking place in the ring. Some of these distractions are like zombies rising up again just when you thought you were rid of them. The avalanche of material churned out about a mooted Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight has enjoyed an incredible shelf life. Basically, the same story has been regurgitated ad nauseam for several years, with no end in sight. Just this week, I watched, mouth agape, as a TV sportscaster asked Mayweather the stock Pacquiao question.
When Mayweather moved from HBO to Showtime, it dominated the boxing news cycle for most of the week, while the announcement that he would be fighting Robert Guerrero in May was given short shrift in the rush to fawn over Mayweather's monetary bonanza. The move deserved to be the lead story, but apparently some chroniclers seemed under the impression that boxing has turned into a game of Monopoly. Ironically, once the opening bell sounds, a boxing ring is one of the few places left where money can't help you.
The feud between Top Rank and Golden Boy is another negative story that has taken on a life of its own. Everybody knows the deal by now. It's just the same old, same old -- month after month, year after year. Wake me when it's over; any additional episode on the subject is bound to be a rerun.
"People want to read about fighters, not about promoters," said old-school promoter J Russell Peltz, "yet it seems the fights between the promoters are getting as much play as the fights between the fighters."
That's a sad commentary on the state of boxing journalism, unless Bob Arum and Richard Schaefer decide to settle their differences in the ring. There are, however, other ways of looking at it.
"The political/sinister side of boxing has always intrigued people as one of the aspects of the sport," said Hall of Fame broadcaster Larry Merchant. "Whether it's being overemphasized now or not, it is an expression of dissatisfaction with the fact that so many of the fights that we want to see are not being made. If those crowd-pleasing fights were made, we would be talking about them rather than asking why they aren't happening." The inability or unwillingness to make the matches the fans want is crippling the sport. Take Nonito Donaire versus Abner Mares. It's the hostilities between Golden Boy and Top Rank that are getting in the way of that potential matchup, not the fighters. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. versus Canelo Alvarez -- a fight all of Mexico, and much of the rest of the world's fandom, would pay to watch -- is another example of this phenomenon. It's a trend that has alienated longtime fans and confused or turned off newcomers.
The emphasis on outside-the-ring events -- or in the case of Mayweather and Pacquiao, a non-event -- has deprived other fighters of the attention they deserve, a point that has not, thankfully, been entirely overlooked.
"I stopped interviewing promoters about 15 years ago," Merchant said. "Promoters are just salesmen, and even though they are colorful characters and sometimes say interesting things, I made the decision to just interview fighters. The public wants to hear from the fighters."
The media's tendency to stray beyond the ring has been creeping up on us for a long time. If there was a catalyst, it was most likely the advent of enormous salaries for professional athletes and the extravagant lifestyles it afforded them. It broadened the field of inquiry and interest, eventually becoming instrumental in making a wealthy athlete the perfect vehicle for living vicariously in today's celebrity-worshiping culture. There aren't as many boxers in this category as there are athletes participating in mainstream sports, but the handful we have -- such as Mayweather and Pacquiao -- have routinely been among the top money earners in sports.
But even that has a downside. "Boxing has changed its econo
Today, I easily could have found the result on my smartphone as soon as the fight was over. But there was no Internet in 1974, cable television was in its infancy, and local TV and radio coverage of boxing was inconsistent. Newspapers, most of which still had a boxing writer on staff, were your best bet for reliable information. There's also something to be said for the delicious anticipation of waiting for the early edition to hit the streets the morning after an out-of-town fight.
Moments like that are virtually gone now, along with the feel of the pulp and smell of the ink, and that's probably the way it should be. Everything evolves and changes -- but not always for the better.
Sadly, despite the staggering amount of information at our fingertips, boxing coverage has, for the most part, wandered badly astray. Gradually over the years, much of the media's emphasis has switched from fights and fighters to ancillary matters. Instead of visiting gyms and talking to boxers and trainers, it's far more likely that a reporter will seek an audience with a promoter or network executive. Moreover, litigation has become such a significant part of boxing that lawyers such as Judd Burstein and Pat English, who specialize in such matters, have become an all-too-prominent part of the industry. Then there is all the hand-wringing and hysteria about performance-enhancing drugs diverting attention away from what's taking place in the ring. Some of these distractions are like zombies rising up again just when you thought you were rid of them. The avalanche of material churned out about a mooted Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight has enjoyed an incredible shelf life. Basically, the same story has been regurgitated ad nauseam for several years, with no end in sight. Just this week, I watched, mouth agape, as a TV sportscaster asked Mayweather the stock Pacquiao question.
When Mayweather moved from HBO to Showtime, it dominated the boxing news cycle for most of the week, while the announcement that he would be fighting Robert Guerrero in May was given short shrift in the rush to fawn over Mayweather's monetary bonanza. The move deserved to be the lead story, but apparently some chroniclers seemed under the impression that boxing has turned into a game of Monopoly. Ironically, once the opening bell sounds, a boxing ring is one of the few places left where money can't help you.
The feud between Top Rank and Golden Boy is another negative story that has taken on a life of its own. Everybody knows the deal by now. It's just the same old, same old -- month after month, year after year. Wake me when it's over; any additional episode on the subject is bound to be a rerun.
"People want to read about fighters, not about promoters," said old-school promoter J Russell Peltz, "yet it seems the fights between the promoters are getting as much play as the fights between the fighters."
That's a sad commentary on the state of boxing journalism, unless Bob Arum and Richard Schaefer decide to settle their differences in the ring. There are, however, other ways of looking at it.
"The political/sinister side of boxing has always intrigued people as one of the aspects of the sport," said Hall of Fame broadcaster Larry Merchant. "Whether it's being overemphasized now or not, it is an expression of dissatisfaction with the fact that so many of the fights that we want to see are not being made. If those crowd-pleasing fights were made, we would be talking about them rather than asking why they aren't happening." The inability or unwillingness to make the matches the fans want is crippling the sport. Take Nonito Donaire versus Abner Mares. It's the hostilities between Golden Boy and Top Rank that are getting in the way of that potential matchup, not the fighters. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. versus Canelo Alvarez -- a fight all of Mexico, and much of the rest of the world's fandom, would pay to watch -- is another example of this phenomenon. It's a trend that has alienated longtime fans and confused or turned off newcomers.
The emphasis on outside-the-ring events -- or in the case of Mayweather and Pacquiao, a non-event -- has deprived other fighters of the attention they deserve, a point that has not, thankfully, been entirely overlooked.
"I stopped interviewing promoters about 15 years ago," Merchant said. "Promoters are just salesmen, and even though they are colorful characters and sometimes say interesting things, I made the decision to just interview fighters. The public wants to hear from the fighters."
The media's tendency to stray beyond the ring has been creeping up on us for a long time. If there was a catalyst, it was most likely the advent of enormous salaries for professional athletes and the extravagant lifestyles it afforded them. It broadened the field of inquiry and interest, eventually becoming instrumental in making a wealthy athlete the perfect vehicle for living vicariously in today's celebrity-worshiping culture. There aren't as many boxers in this category as there are athletes participating in mainstream sports, but the handful we have -- such as Mayweather and Pacquiao -- have routinely been among the top money earners in sports.
But even that has a downside. "Boxing has changed its econo
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Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was banned nine months and fined $900,000 by the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Thursday for failing a drug test after his loss to Sergio Martinez last September, Top Rank Boxing said.
Chavez, 27, tested positive for marijuana after losing a unanimous decision to Argentina's Martinez in their World Boxing Council middleweight title fight on Sept. 15 in Las Vegas.
The Mexican would regain his active status on June 15, but lawyers for Chavez vowed to appeal what they thought was an excessive fine for what is not considered a performance enhancing drug, said Top Rank, which represents the boxer.
The fine represents 30 percent of Chavez's $3 million purse for the Martinez fight.
The commission's decision took into account a failed doping test in 2009 by Chavez in Las Vegas for a banned diuretic.
Chavez was suspended seven months for that offense, which also resulted in a victory by Chavez over Troy Rowland being changed to a no-decision.
Y! SPORTS
Chavez, 27, tested positive for marijuana after losing a unanimous decision to Argentina's Martinez in their World Boxing Council middleweight title fight on Sept. 15 in Las Vegas.
The Mexican would regain his active status on June 15, but lawyers for Chavez vowed to appeal what they thought was an excessive fine for what is not considered a performance enhancing drug, said Top Rank, which represents the boxer.
The fine represents 30 percent of Chavez's $3 million purse for the Martinez fight.
The commission's decision took into account a failed doping test in 2009 by Chavez in Las Vegas for a banned diuretic.
Chavez was suspended seven months for that offense, which also resulted in a victory by Chavez over Troy Rowland being changed to a no-decision.
Y! SPORTS
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Leeds prodigies Jack Bateson and Oliver Simpson will lock horns in Barnsley next week in one of the city’s most eagerly-awaited Senior ABA bouts for years.
And Kelly’s ABC coach Jason Gledhill confidently expects next Thursday’s Yorkshire final victor in Barnsley to go all the way to national glory.
Burmantofts ABC star Bateson is the current Senior ABA light-flyweight champion who will now face one of his toughest tests yet on the step up to the flyweight division.
standing in his way is close friend and Kelly’s ABC ace Simpson, the city’s first World Youth champion who will be making his debut in the Senior ABAs.
Both boxers are 18 years of age and seeking a place in the national pre-quarters against the north west which will take place the following week. But Gledhill expects Thursday’s victor to be sailing through the pre-quarters en route to landing the 2013 senior ABA flyweight crown.
“I think the winner of this fight will go all the way and win the senior ABAs,” said Gledhill.
“It would be a worthy final as they are both crackerjacks. They are two kids and it’s a shame for although I like Jack. I’ve trained Oliver all my life so I’ll be rooting for him on the night! They’ve fought twice before in club bouts and Jack has won both but it was several years ago and Oliver has gained a lot more experience since.
“We box Burmantofts all the time but I can’t remember anything like this – Oliver is Leeds’ only ever world champion boxer while Jack is the holder of a senior ABA.”
Burmantofts will have four fighters in action in the Barnsley finals with Bateson joined by Connor Loftus, Billy Pickles and Ikstham “Tyson” Lone. Kelly’s have one fighter already through to the national stages – Kieran Devenish handed byes due to a lack of competition – and club-mate Jack Daniel will be expected to join him by winning his bout next week. On a night when West Leeds ABC’s Stevi Mennell lost his bout, Daniel defeated club-mate Nassa Baz in Tuesday’s semi-finals.
“Jack scored a unanimous victory but he didn’t show too much as he was against his club-mate,” said Gledhill.
“His next opponent from Sheffield Lane Top was there as well and we didn’t want to give too much away!”
Daniel’s next bout will likely be another one to savour but there is quite simply one fight that takes top billing and Gledhill expects a large visiting contingent from Leeds for Simpson v Bateson.
“I’m hoping we get a fantastic turnout and I’ve had people on the phone already asking about it,” he said.
“I’m hoping that two great boxers will put on a great show.
“They are good friends and it’s just a shame that a good kid is going to go out. But that’s the way it is so they’ll just have to box each others’ heads off and shake hands at the end!”
Assessing the prospects of Burmantofts’ four fighters, press officer Frank Johnson enthused: “We’re hoping we can get all four of our lads through. They are all crackerjacks.”
Leeds celebrated yet more boxing success last weekend when Adil Anwar brought the light-welterweight British Masters Title back to the city by defeating Welsh opponent Lance Sheehan through a sixth-round stoppage at the Echo Arena. Anwar is hoping he will now finally be given a shot at the British title currently held by Darren Hamilton.
“I have a feeling that I will finally get my chance,” he said.
“Its been a long time since the British title was brought to Leeds and I am looking forward to bringing it back and putting our amazing city back on the map.”
And Kelly’s ABC coach Jason Gledhill confidently expects next Thursday’s Yorkshire final victor in Barnsley to go all the way to national glory.
Burmantofts ABC star Bateson is the current Senior ABA light-flyweight champion who will now face one of his toughest tests yet on the step up to the flyweight division.
standing in his way is close friend and Kelly’s ABC ace Simpson, the city’s first World Youth champion who will be making his debut in the Senior ABAs.
Both boxers are 18 years of age and seeking a place in the national pre-quarters against the north west which will take place the following week. But Gledhill expects Thursday’s victor to be sailing through the pre-quarters en route to landing the 2013 senior ABA flyweight crown.
“I think the winner of this fight will go all the way and win the senior ABAs,” said Gledhill.
“It would be a worthy final as they are both crackerjacks. They are two kids and it’s a shame for although I like Jack. I’ve trained Oliver all my life so I’ll be rooting for him on the night! They’ve fought twice before in club bouts and Jack has won both but it was several years ago and Oliver has gained a lot more experience since.
“We box Burmantofts all the time but I can’t remember anything like this – Oliver is Leeds’ only ever world champion boxer while Jack is the holder of a senior ABA.”
Burmantofts will have four fighters in action in the Barnsley finals with Bateson joined by Connor Loftus, Billy Pickles and Ikstham “Tyson” Lone. Kelly’s have one fighter already through to the national stages – Kieran Devenish handed byes due to a lack of competition – and club-mate Jack Daniel will be expected to join him by winning his bout next week. On a night when West Leeds ABC’s Stevi Mennell lost his bout, Daniel defeated club-mate Nassa Baz in Tuesday’s semi-finals.
“Jack scored a unanimous victory but he didn’t show too much as he was against his club-mate,” said Gledhill.
“His next opponent from Sheffield Lane Top was there as well and we didn’t want to give too much away!”
Daniel’s next bout will likely be another one to savour but there is quite simply one fight that takes top billing and Gledhill expects a large visiting contingent from Leeds for Simpson v Bateson.
“I’m hoping we get a fantastic turnout and I’ve had people on the phone already asking about it,” he said.
“I’m hoping that two great boxers will put on a great show.
“They are good friends and it’s just a shame that a good kid is going to go out. But that’s the way it is so they’ll just have to box each others’ heads off and shake hands at the end!”
Assessing the prospects of Burmantofts’ four fighters, press officer Frank Johnson enthused: “We’re hoping we can get all four of our lads through. They are all crackerjacks.”
Leeds celebrated yet more boxing success last weekend when Adil Anwar brought the light-welterweight British Masters Title back to the city by defeating Welsh opponent Lance Sheehan through a sixth-round stoppage at the Echo Arena. Anwar is hoping he will now finally be given a shot at the British title currently held by Darren Hamilton.
“I have a feeling that I will finally get my chance,” he said.
“Its been a long time since the British title was brought to Leeds and I am looking forward to bringing it back and putting our amazing city back on the map.”
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The way Owen Minor sees it, it's a natural progression. Just the logical next step.
The first year the Worcester super heavyweight entered the Golden Gloves, he lost in the first round. The next year, he made it to the second round. The third year, which happened to be last year, he made it all the way to the national semifinals.
“There's no reason I should go backward,” Minor reasoned this past week. “I have to go forward. The only thing left for me to do is win the national title.”
And the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder will have two chances to do it in a span of seven weeks.
For the second straight year, Minor has fought his way into the national round of both the USA Boxing and Golden Gloves championships, two of the three biggest amateur boxing prizes in the country. The other is the National Police Athletic League Championships.
Minor, a former Holy Name High football and basketball standout, will tackle the USA Boxing nationals first, from March 30 to April 6 in Spokane, Wash.
Then, win or lose, he moves on to the Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions from May 13-18 in Salt Lake City.
It seems like a pretty quick turnaround, but for amateur boxers — who fight three-round bouts and wear protective headgear — it's standard stuff.
“I've got plenty of time in between to fine-tune whatever I have to do and move on,” said Minor, who is coached by Kendrick Ball at the Camp Get Right gym on Millbrook Street. Minor made it to the final four of the Golden Gloves last year before losing a 5-0 decision to eventual champion Andrew Coleman of Cincinnati.
It won't hurt that Minor will have his coach at both events this time. Ball has been chosen as one of the New England coaches for both the USA Boxing and Golden Gloves national tournaments.
Ball was a coach at the USA Boxing championships last year in Colorado Springs when Minor lost in the second round. This is his first selection as coach for the Golden Gloves nationals.
After coming so close last year, Minor said he's determined to bring home at least one national title this year — maybe two.
“I don't even have another option,” he said. “I've got two national tournaments — it's either win both or win one. That's what I have to do.”
Minor is not married but has two sons — Amaren, 5, and Ramiel, 2. He is a group worker on the 3-11 p.m. shift for the Department of Youth Services in Westboro, but still manages to squeeze two to three hours of training a day into that work schedule. He does distance running after work, and sometimes doesn't get to bed until 2 a.m.
But he can't compromise on training, he said.
“You can't take time off and slack and do none of that stuff, especially when you're trying to win a national title,” Minor said. “It's different if you're going in just to fight, but I'm going in to win. That's my only option.”
A pro career probably awaits Minor, who at 26 is old for an amateur because he got a relatively late start in boxing, but he wants to get that amateur title first.
“I'll know from the outcome of these national tournaments,” he said about turning pro. “I've got to win one regardless — that's just what I have to do. It's basically up to my coach, Kendrick, actually. We have to have a sit-down and weigh our options.
“I started late so you don't want to rush yourself into the pro game. If you feel you're not ready, you've got to work at it. I don't want to rush myself into it, but I feel that I'm definitely going to be an eye-opener in the pro game.”
Owen Minor eyes pair of boxing titles - Worcester Telegram & Gazette - telegram-com
The first year the Worcester super heavyweight entered the Golden Gloves, he lost in the first round. The next year, he made it to the second round. The third year, which happened to be last year, he made it all the way to the national semifinals.
“There's no reason I should go backward,” Minor reasoned this past week. “I have to go forward. The only thing left for me to do is win the national title.”
And the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder will have two chances to do it in a span of seven weeks.
For the second straight year, Minor has fought his way into the national round of both the USA Boxing and Golden Gloves championships, two of the three biggest amateur boxing prizes in the country. The other is the National Police Athletic League Championships.
Minor, a former Holy Name High football and basketball standout, will tackle the USA Boxing nationals first, from March 30 to April 6 in Spokane, Wash.
Then, win or lose, he moves on to the Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions from May 13-18 in Salt Lake City.
It seems like a pretty quick turnaround, but for amateur boxers — who fight three-round bouts and wear protective headgear — it's standard stuff.
“I've got plenty of time in between to fine-tune whatever I have to do and move on,” said Minor, who is coached by Kendrick Ball at the Camp Get Right gym on Millbrook Street. Minor made it to the final four of the Golden Gloves last year before losing a 5-0 decision to eventual champion Andrew Coleman of Cincinnati.
It won't hurt that Minor will have his coach at both events this time. Ball has been chosen as one of the New England coaches for both the USA Boxing and Golden Gloves national tournaments.
Ball was a coach at the USA Boxing championships last year in Colorado Springs when Minor lost in the second round. This is his first selection as coach for the Golden Gloves nationals.
After coming so close last year, Minor said he's determined to bring home at least one national title this year — maybe two.
“I don't even have another option,” he said. “I've got two national tournaments — it's either win both or win one. That's what I have to do.”
Minor is not married but has two sons — Amaren, 5, and Ramiel, 2. He is a group worker on the 3-11 p.m. shift for the Department of Youth Services in Westboro, but still manages to squeeze two to three hours of training a day into that work schedule. He does distance running after work, and sometimes doesn't get to bed until 2 a.m.
But he can't compromise on training, he said.
“You can't take time off and slack and do none of that stuff, especially when you're trying to win a national title,” Minor said. “It's different if you're going in just to fight, but I'm going in to win. That's my only option.”
A pro career probably awaits Minor, who at 26 is old for an amateur because he got a relatively late start in boxing, but he wants to get that amateur title first.
“I'll know from the outcome of these national tournaments,” he said about turning pro. “I've got to win one regardless — that's just what I have to do. It's basically up to my coach, Kendrick, actually. We have to have a sit-down and weigh our options.
“I started late so you don't want to rush yourself into the pro game. If you feel you're not ready, you've got to work at it. I don't want to rush myself into it, but I feel that I'm definitely going to be an eye-opener in the pro game.”
Owen Minor eyes pair of boxing titles - Worcester Telegram & Gazette - telegram-com
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One day in the gym should illustrate what type of schedule Julio Alvarez keeps.
He works in the ring yelling at professional boxers to keep punching him, a thin duct-tapped pad the only thing between his ribs and his boxers' gloves. Then he jumps down from the ring to lead an aerobic workout. And in between he can be heard shouting direction at the handful of amateur boxers hitting the heavy bags.
Until a few years ago, he kept this break-neck schedule while working full-time at Harley-Davidson. Now retired from Harley, Alvarez continues to devote the majority of his nights to the Lincolnway Sportcenter, where he trains professional and amateur boxers.
Alvarez expects to send five of his amateurs to compete in the Golden Gloves Central District tournament he will host at 7 p.m. March 15 at Cross Keys Motor Inn and Convention Center in New Oxford.
The state tournament ultimately culminates in the Golden Gloves state championship April 27 in Reading. Winners in the state tournament can fight for a chance to reach the national championships, held May 12-19 in Salt Lake City.
Lincolnway boxers Tyson Turner (178), Babar Shah (165), Josue Alfaro (123), Benjamin Carter (119) and Bryquan Sweeney (112) are scheduled to fight, Alvarez said.
It's yet another crop of amateurs, some of whom might turn pro -- following in the footsteps of Lincolnway fighters like Carney "Beeper" Bowman, Eric Nemo, Stevie Weimer and Jesus Saucedo.
Turner and Alfaro could be the next to make the shift to the pro ranks.
"Tyson wants one last shot at amateurs before turning pro," Alvarez said.
Alvarez hopes to take Alfaro and Turner to the USA Boxing National Championships, an invitational tournament scheduled to start at the end of March.
"They have some tough competition," Alvarez said.
And while he doesn't have any upcoming fights scheduled for any of his professionals, he hopes he might be able to schedule a May or June card.
He's also looking to expand.
Based out of Lincolnway for more than a decade, the former Hanover resident has a desire to open a second boxing gym in the Hanover area. The move was prompted from Alvarez's interest and involvement with the COSMIC Project After-School Program.
"We're trying to do something in Hanover," said Alvarez, who plans to keep Lincolnway Sportcenter open even if he also works with children in Hanover.
Alvarez, who also trained kickboxers before turning his focus to boxing, believes introducing children to the type of aerobic workouts used in boxing could be beneficial for the after-school program.
Golden Gloves boxing event to return to area - The York Daily Record
He works in the ring yelling at professional boxers to keep punching him, a thin duct-tapped pad the only thing between his ribs and his boxers' gloves. Then he jumps down from the ring to lead an aerobic workout. And in between he can be heard shouting direction at the handful of amateur boxers hitting the heavy bags.
Until a few years ago, he kept this break-neck schedule while working full-time at Harley-Davidson. Now retired from Harley, Alvarez continues to devote the majority of his nights to the Lincolnway Sportcenter, where he trains professional and amateur boxers.
Alvarez expects to send five of his amateurs to compete in the Golden Gloves Central District tournament he will host at 7 p.m. March 15 at Cross Keys Motor Inn and Convention Center in New Oxford.
The state tournament ultimately culminates in the Golden Gloves state championship April 27 in Reading. Winners in the state tournament can fight for a chance to reach the national championships, held May 12-19 in Salt Lake City.
Lincolnway boxers Tyson Turner (178), Babar Shah (165), Josue Alfaro (123), Benjamin Carter (119) and Bryquan Sweeney (112) are scheduled to fight, Alvarez said.
It's yet another crop of amateurs, some of whom might turn pro -- following in the footsteps of Lincolnway fighters like Carney "Beeper" Bowman, Eric Nemo, Stevie Weimer and Jesus Saucedo.
Turner and Alfaro could be the next to make the shift to the pro ranks.
"Tyson wants one last shot at amateurs before turning pro," Alvarez said.
Alvarez hopes to take Alfaro and Turner to the USA Boxing National Championships, an invitational tournament scheduled to start at the end of March.
"They have some tough competition," Alvarez said.
And while he doesn't have any upcoming fights scheduled for any of his professionals, he hopes he might be able to schedule a May or June card.
He's also looking to expand.
Based out of Lincolnway for more than a decade, the former Hanover resident has a desire to open a second boxing gym in the Hanover area. The move was prompted from Alvarez's interest and involvement with the COSMIC Project After-School Program.
"We're trying to do something in Hanover," said Alvarez, who plans to keep Lincolnway Sportcenter open even if he also works with children in Hanover.
Alvarez, who also trained kickboxers before turning his focus to boxing, believes introducing children to the type of aerobic workouts used in boxing could be beneficial for the after-school program.
Golden Gloves boxing event to return to area - The York Daily Record
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It's easy to be negative in boxing. With all the insane politics and cynical matchmaking, it's a wonder any good fights actually make their way to the light. But sometimes boxing does things the right way and things go well.
Here are eight reasons fight fans should be grateful:
Floyd Mayweather's Showtime Deal
Before writing this off as a pro-Mayweather piece of fluff, think about it. The six-fight deal with Showtime may mean as much as $250 million for the controversial fighter, but it means a great deal to boxing fans as well. Six fights mean six events and all the accompanying promotion that goes along with big ticket boxing shows. Even if you despise "Money" Mayweather and prefer to not watch him ply his craft, the money and interest he generates serve as a magnet for other fighters and other quality match-ups. Mayweather's Showtime deal indicates that the premium cable channel is supremely serious about boxing. The deal also forces premium cable rival, HBO, to work harder to compete with Mayweather's new home network-- that means more fights and bigger fights for boxing fans.
Network TV is Back in the Boxing Business
Both NBC and CBS have recently aired boxing shows. While neither network featured any major cards and won't likely be able to compete with the kind of money generated by pay-per-view, the networks taking a second look at boxing programming is a big plus for the sport.
The Underdog
Upset wins are possible in all sports, but no sport feeds off that underdog energy like boxing. In boxing, the biggest of underdogs is just one punch away from victory, one spirited effort away from glory. Barely-ranked Russian featherweight, Evgeny Gradovich and his win over reigning IBF champ Billy Dib is just the most recent example of the little guy coming out of nowhere to shock the world. Australia's Dib was heavily favored and promoted by rapper 50 Cent with plans already being made for his next, higher-profile bout when Gradovich took the title. Few sports have a greater chance of underdog victory-- and that's why boxing is truly the theater of the unexpected.
Heavyweight Revival?
Amid the laments regarding a dead heavyweight division and the hand-wringing involved in an era ruled by the Klitschko Brothers, boxing's biggest division has started to get interesting again. Granted, this is by no means a golden era for the big men, but there is some genuine intrigue in the division if you move away from the utter dominance of Wladimir and Vitali. Tony Thompson's recent upset of David Price has shaken up the underrated UK heavyweight scene and has even brought some life back into the dying career of Thompson. All throughout Europe, solid heavyweights are springing up and looking ready and willing to put on some decent performances. Even the American scene, dead for the last several years, sports at least a half-dozen names who may not be able to beat a Klitschko, but could definitely get some things done on the trip to the top.
Andre Ward
The 29-year-old super middleweight kingpin can already make a case for himself as the best 168 lb. fighter of all-time. Ward has cleaned out one of the sport's strongest divisions and has even walked through the challenge of a visiting light heavyweight champ. Recently suffering through some injuries, the pound-for-pound talent is now healthy and reportedly ready to resume a full schedule. With so much career ahead of him, fans should enjoy the privilege of witnessing one of this era's very best.
Brandon Rios
While "Bam Bam" is loud and full of technical deficiencies as a fighter, he is also one of the sport's most entertaining characters and compelling fighters. Watching Rios fight is like watching a sanctioned bar brawl and, while purists may point out his lack of skill and finesse, few observers walk away from a Brandon Rios fight without having seen their money's worth of blood and guts battle.
Mexico
One of the few constants in the chaotic world of boxing is that there is always a steady stream of rough and ready Mexican talent to entertain fans in the lower weight divisions. As Juan Manuel Marquez finishes off a stellar career and walks away from the spotlight alongside fellow Mexican greats like Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, new stars have emerged. Canelo Alvarez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. are both major stars in Mexico and produce quality action when they get in the ring. Fellow 20-something Mexican talent Abner Mares, Leo Santa Cruz, and Miguel Vazquez stand closely behind the current tops stars of the Aztec Nation, waiting for their share of the glory. Mexico has, historically, been stacked with honest, earnest talent and that's still true today.
Manny Pacquiao Mania
It's not a pleasant experience to be on the receiving end of an all-out attack from Pacland. Nastiness aside, though, Manny Pacquiao's rise to glory has brought plenty of new fans and fresh energy to a sport that badly needed a transfusion of sorts. While the newcomers brought in by Pacquiao Mania can be infuriating and infinitely frustrating to those with more years in the game, nobody can deny the energy and passion they bring to the sport.
Y! SPORTS
Here are eight reasons fight fans should be grateful:
Floyd Mayweather's Showtime Deal
Before writing this off as a pro-Mayweather piece of fluff, think about it. The six-fight deal with Showtime may mean as much as $250 million for the controversial fighter, but it means a great deal to boxing fans as well. Six fights mean six events and all the accompanying promotion that goes along with big ticket boxing shows. Even if you despise "Money" Mayweather and prefer to not watch him ply his craft, the money and interest he generates serve as a magnet for other fighters and other quality match-ups. Mayweather's Showtime deal indicates that the premium cable channel is supremely serious about boxing. The deal also forces premium cable rival, HBO, to work harder to compete with Mayweather's new home network-- that means more fights and bigger fights for boxing fans.
Network TV is Back in the Boxing Business
Both NBC and CBS have recently aired boxing shows. While neither network featured any major cards and won't likely be able to compete with the kind of money generated by pay-per-view, the networks taking a second look at boxing programming is a big plus for the sport.
The Underdog
Upset wins are possible in all sports, but no sport feeds off that underdog energy like boxing. In boxing, the biggest of underdogs is just one punch away from victory, one spirited effort away from glory. Barely-ranked Russian featherweight, Evgeny Gradovich and his win over reigning IBF champ Billy Dib is just the most recent example of the little guy coming out of nowhere to shock the world. Australia's Dib was heavily favored and promoted by rapper 50 Cent with plans already being made for his next, higher-profile bout when Gradovich took the title. Few sports have a greater chance of underdog victory-- and that's why boxing is truly the theater of the unexpected.
Heavyweight Revival?
Amid the laments regarding a dead heavyweight division and the hand-wringing involved in an era ruled by the Klitschko Brothers, boxing's biggest division has started to get interesting again. Granted, this is by no means a golden era for the big men, but there is some genuine intrigue in the division if you move away from the utter dominance of Wladimir and Vitali. Tony Thompson's recent upset of David Price has shaken up the underrated UK heavyweight scene and has even brought some life back into the dying career of Thompson. All throughout Europe, solid heavyweights are springing up and looking ready and willing to put on some decent performances. Even the American scene, dead for the last several years, sports at least a half-dozen names who may not be able to beat a Klitschko, but could definitely get some things done on the trip to the top.
Andre Ward
The 29-year-old super middleweight kingpin can already make a case for himself as the best 168 lb. fighter of all-time. Ward has cleaned out one of the sport's strongest divisions and has even walked through the challenge of a visiting light heavyweight champ. Recently suffering through some injuries, the pound-for-pound talent is now healthy and reportedly ready to resume a full schedule. With so much career ahead of him, fans should enjoy the privilege of witnessing one of this era's very best.
Brandon Rios
While "Bam Bam" is loud and full of technical deficiencies as a fighter, he is also one of the sport's most entertaining characters and compelling fighters. Watching Rios fight is like watching a sanctioned bar brawl and, while purists may point out his lack of skill and finesse, few observers walk away from a Brandon Rios fight without having seen their money's worth of blood and guts battle.
Mexico
One of the few constants in the chaotic world of boxing is that there is always a steady stream of rough and ready Mexican talent to entertain fans in the lower weight divisions. As Juan Manuel Marquez finishes off a stellar career and walks away from the spotlight alongside fellow Mexican greats like Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, new stars have emerged. Canelo Alvarez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. are both major stars in Mexico and produce quality action when they get in the ring. Fellow 20-something Mexican talent Abner Mares, Leo Santa Cruz, and Miguel Vazquez stand closely behind the current tops stars of the Aztec Nation, waiting for their share of the glory. Mexico has, historically, been stacked with honest, earnest talent and that's still true today.
Manny Pacquiao Mania
It's not a pleasant experience to be on the receiving end of an all-out attack from Pacland. Nastiness aside, though, Manny Pacquiao's rise to glory has brought plenty of new fans and fresh energy to a sport that badly needed a transfusion of sorts. While the newcomers brought in by Pacquiao Mania can be infuriating and infinitely frustrating to those with more years in the game, nobody can deny the energy and passion they bring to the sport.
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Too many problems, too few people willing to solve them and too few fans willing to continue supporting.
Like most anything else the truth of this situation lies somewhere in the middle. Yes, the sport has several problems that if solved could definitely help.
But no, it is not in imminent danger of disappearing from this earth.
Here we explore five of the most daunting problems boxing faces and how it can help to solve them going forward.
Pictures: Ranking the 5 Biggest Problems in Boxing | Bleacher Report