Sparring With Tony

I believe Steve took a hard hit in this photo from Briggen.  Briggen was being very aggressive.  Steve was backed up against the ropes and in the corners, often with his hands down.  Briggen just unloaded.  "Slow down!  Slow down!" Alan commanded.  Briggen stopped for a minute.  "Don't you know what 'slow' is?" Alan told him.  "I thought you said throw," Briggen replied.  During the second round, Steve took a few hard shots to the face.  "I feel dizzy," Steve announced, and that round came to a quick end.

Taheerah left early because she was tired, so for a minute, it looked like I wasn't going to have anyone to spar with.  But then Franco volunteered his brother Tony.  "I don't care.  I can work on defense," Tony said.

Tony knows how to cover up very well.  I didn't get many punches in to his mid-section at all.  Tony did leave his left side open a lot, however, so I was able to sneak some hooks in.

Alan kept telling me, "Pump that jab!" which is easier said than done when the other person is moving away to avoid it.  Colonel told Tony to use head movement, which he was not doing at first.  That reminded me to move mine as well, but I still haven't got the timing down between moving my head and throwing punches.

I was able to time Tony's left jab to an extent.  A few times when he put it out there, I came over it with my right.  Throwing overhand rights was difficult, however, because Tony's left hand was usually up to block it or he just ducked and slipped away from it.

Garfield Park's boxing show is this Friday.  As I went down the attendance list later in the evening, I noted that Gabriel didn't come in.  "Looks like we're not going to have anyone fighting in that show," Alan commented.  Gabriel said he wanted to fight there, but Alan hasn't heard from him.  "I know there won't be any opponents for me over there," I said.  There have been a few teenage girls competing out of there, but despite of my willingness to get into the ring, the girls are really too young for me to fight.  I'll probably have to look to the shows where I've fought in the past and hope to get fights there.