Boxing In A Soccer Venue

I didn't have a fight last night at Chi-Town Futbol.  Yale couldn't catch up with Andrea, whom I fought back in September.  On top of that, my blood sugar was low.  A piece of "wine" candy (a watermelon flavored Jolly Rancher) helped, but I hadn't been training for a fight for yesterday.  I told Yale not to worry about, and I went to the match to observe.

I had never heard of or been inside Chi-Town Futbol before last night.  It's near Cermak and Throop, in an industrial area.  It's main business is indoor soccer, and it boasts two fields for teams to play the game.  The boxing match was in the back of the building.  It was a cool place.  I'll have to come back down there sometime to take in a soccer game.

Most of the boxing matches were good.  I love watching the little boys fight.  They don't have a lot of fear, and they don't seem very concerned about getting hurt.  There were some scrappy little boys mixing it up last night.  Once the small boys were done, it was time for the teens and twenty-somethings to battle.  Scottsdale Park was well respresented, as was CYBA.  Bill had one guy in it from Hamlin, and Antonio had a couple of guys from Chicago Fight Club participating. 

I was surprised to learn that the person behind the promotion organization that put on the show along with Yale, was a woman.  I've seen female boxing managers, referees, announcers, coaches and fighters, of course, but that was the first time I knew of a woman who was a boxing promoter.  Good for her!

Antonio and Boban

Pastor Roger arrived at work today with a severe hair cut.  He looked as if he was ready to join the Marines on a hard core mission.  "I didn't control how short they cut it," he explained.  I shook my fist at him jokingly about putting a jinx on me yesterday.  "I missed going to the gym," I said.  "You did that to yourself," he said in his defense.

After work today, I decided to finally go and check out the Chicago Fight Club.  I also had another purpose in mind: to purchase tickets for a fight card at the UIC Pavillion this Friday.  Antonio, who works as a trainer at the gym, has a fight scheduled that night.  He's fighting at junior welterweight.  Antonio used to come to Loyola Park on and off to shore up his boxing skills.  He's also a professional MMA fighter.

When I got to the gym, which is on the northwest side, a long, lanky young man greeted me at the door.  "Antonio's not here now, but he'll be back," I was told.  I had to go get cash for my ticket, so I went across the street to a nearby ATM.  A hot dog stand was over there, too, and I hadn't eaten lunch.  About twenty minutes later, I came back to find Fernando, another trainer there, working with a young lady who wore pink boxing gloves.  He called Antonio out from the back.

Antonio hugged me and said he was glad that I came down to the gym to get a ticket as opposed to waiting to buy one at UIC Pavillion's door.  He gave me a quick tour of the gym.  It's a nice space, with mats on the floor, a ring, and numerous heavy and light bags, and some exercise equipment (treadmills, weight machines).  The walls were lined with picture of the owner, a guy named Wasfi.  Wasfi apparently gets around, as most of the pictures showed him posing with the well-known, such as Floyd Mayweather Jr., Hilary Clinton, and D.L. Hughley. 

I was also surprised to see Boban (I'm finally spelling his name right), another professional MMA fighter who used to hang at Loyola Park.  Boban is a big guy, all muscle.  He told me he had a fight lined up with a UFC fighter who backed out at the last moment.  Allegedly, the UFC fighter said that fighting Boban would be an easy fight, and not worth the effort.  Boban was making a recording, calling out the fighter. 

Antonio noticed I was carrying my gear bag.  "You want to get a work out in?" he asked.  Fernando told him, "Hey, sign her up!"  "I just worked out in the gym at church," I regrettably told him.  "You have your stuff, and you're not going to work out?" Antonio smiled.  "I just ate, too," I said, laughing.  I want to come back down there at some point.  I liked the place.