Fight Stopped Before The Bell Rang

Both Professor and I crapped out when it came to getting fights tomorrow night at Brooks.  No opponents are available for either of us.  My opponent, whom I fought in September, is ill.  It's disappointing.  I'll have to wait a long, long time before another fight is available to me.  The guys have the option of show fights and various tournaments throughout the year. 

Professor and Jamil sparred.  He caught Jamil up against the ropes and popped him with a right hook.  Jamil's head nearly turned all the way around on his neck.  Alan, Kevin and myself were surprised the punch didn't stop him. 

Kevin and I fought, and I still couldn't get around him when he used his long arms to keep me at bay.  Fortunately, we only did two rounds and a half.  Just as with Professor the other week, I couldn't chase Kevin around the ring.  More effort was put into working the heavy bags.  I'm still trying to get the right distance to throw hooks.

I wish that fight was happening tomorrow.  I don't feel that I have enough meanness most of the time to get things done during a match.  However, I would have had a good focus point, because unfortunately, I'm still dealing with the fallout from the disagreement I had with a guy at church recently.  I could have visualized that guy standing in front of me in the ring.  I'm very sure that would have helped me win.  Pastor has a problem with the fact that I just won't take someone coming to me the wrong way.  I have a problem with logic that believes I should show up groveling with my hat in my hand when I wasn't the one who started the static.  There was a short window of time when I was younger when I put up with all kinds of mistreatment.  There was a point where I stopped doing that, and as old as I am, I'm not going back to being a doormat.  Nobody should make it their problem that others have chips on their shoulders and are clueless about stepping to the wrong people at the wrong time.  For the most part, I've stopped apologizing for having a temper and unleashing it when it is warranted on who is deserving of it wherever that may be.

No Fighting After Eating

I usually try to eat something a couple of hours before I go to the gym.  I want the food to be digested long before I start hopping around on the canvas.  I ate too close to the time I normally go there.  A handful of granola was my only meal earlier that day, so I was starving by the time I got home. Four (!) hot dogs were still sitting on my stomach when I got to Loyola Park.    There was no way that I was going to spar.  Johnny told me he felt the same.  He had wolfed down a bowl of chicken noodle soup just before he came in.

The cup of energy drink that I had with the hot dogs pushed me to have enough get-up-and-go to have good workout.  I spent several rounds working on defense, since that is a weak spot of mine.  I also worked on a left uppercut-right uppercut-left hook/right hook combination. 

Jamil, Leon, Vic, Carlos, Missy and Alan asked about the other fights that took place at Hamlin Park last Thursday (Carlos and Alan had gone, but didn't stay for the entire boxing show).  I told Alan about Meg's fight with a woman who appeared to be bigger in size than her.  "You could have had a fight with the bigger gal," Alan said.  That's true, but that is not how things worked out that night.  The Brooks Park boxing show is the day after my birthday in December, according to the calendar.  Meg and I are supposed to have a rematch there.  I have a little over a month to train for that. 

Carlos sparred with Leon.  When Carlos took his headgear off, I noticed a spot of red on his right cheek.  "You've got some blood on you," I pointed out, thinking that he had a cut on his face.  The blood was actually coming from his right nostril.  "I got hit in the face again," he said.  "Dad, you're really bleeding," Justin told him, but it wasn't that bad.  "Yeah, I didn't keep my hands up.  I didn't do the thing that I tell you to do all the time," Carlos replied.  Lately, he's been teaching his son some boxing techniques. 

Carlos told Alan that he liked the idea of getting into professional boxing.  Alan explained that amateur boxers get paid when they fight at private shows (show fights).  Boxers must have a license, however.  Park District boxing shows are about the only place amateur boxers can fight in Chicago without a license, which explains how I was able to have a fight last month.  Sometimes, if a boxer arrives at show fight without a license, the money that would have been paid to him or her will go towards their license.  The last I checked, amateur boxers get paid $25.00-$30.00 for fighting in private shows.  The coaches get paid, too, but not much more than the boxers. 

Ricky Hatton and Other Topics

I would have been mad if I had actually opted for the pay-per-view of the Ricky Hatton/Manny Pacquiao fight. It only lasted five minutes! Pacquiao stepped around Hatton and caught him with a left hook. Before that, he had jacked the Englishman up with a left-right-left-right hook combination. Now people are suggesting that the 30-year-old Hatton retire.

Not very many people came into the gym last night, so it was quite, even with the radio on in the background. I actually missed seeing little Markel there; I've gotten used to him hanging around. Oscar, John, Katie, Sadiq and Kevin were in attendance.

The round punching pad, or "doughnut" as Steve used to call it, was missing on Monday. It was back in its usual spot last night. I held it for John, who wanted to work on his lateral movement.

Kevin told me that he wants to sign up for the Golden Gloves next year. "I want to get six months of good training in," he said. He asked me about getting fights other than through the Gloves and the Park District. I told him about the show fights that take place at bars and private venues like golf clubs. I have good memories of when I used to attend a lot of those type fights with Steve and the other guys that used to come into the gym. I'll have to ask Alan if he ever takes any boxers to those shows.