Humbuggin' At Hamlin

Caiden, Keon, and Keith, along with their dad and Keon and Keith's little brother came up to Hamlin Park for the boxing show there.  Keith decided he didn't want to fight.  "I'd rather practice some more," he said.  Caiden suited up before the matches were made.  He didn't get one.  "I'll keep my stuff on just in case someone shows up later," Caiden said.  "There is no later.  The matches have all been made," I informed him.

Three of the fights were stopped due to injuries.  At the end of another fight, a boxer's shirt was covered with blood.  I was surprised because the fighters who lost those matches were Hamlin fighters.  "That usually doesn't happen," I told Keon and Keith's dad, explaining that Hamlin boxers are usually the victors. 

Keon was matched up, and his fight was the 12th and last one of the evening.  The other fighter was from Ogden Park where Kenny is the coach.  Keon threw some sloppy punches, that is, when Keon was not turning his head and back away from the other guy.  "Stop turning her head.  STOP IT!" I yelled from the corner.  In between rounds, his father, who helped in the corner, kept telling Keon to keep his hands up.  Keon's unwillingness to answer punches led to Shifty the referee having to give him an eight-count twice. 

Before the last round began, I told Keon, "Keep on not looking at the other guy and the referee will stop this match."  Shifty let the round come to a conclusion, but Keon never changed his routine.  No, Keon didn't win.  "We need to work on a lot," I told Keon afterward.

There were celebrities on-hand to give out trophies after a few of the fights.  One of them was Jon Seda who appears on the TV series "Chicago P.D.".  Seda was a runner up in the New Jersey Golden Gloves years ago. 

After the show, I saw Rick Wilson, who I hadn't seen in a long time.  It was so good to see him.  I also met Victor Matteo, a friend of his who boxed a lot back in the day. 

Hamlin Park's show was the last one I'm going to this year.  Earlier, I told Kenny and Alan that I hadn't been to a south side boxing show in four years.  "The west siders don't want to go out south," I explained.  "I go to all the shows," Kenny said.  But Kenny always has youths who want to fight.  I'm lucky to have anyone who wants to come to class, let alone step into the ring.