Fighting Before The Fourth

Monday evening's sparring matches featured Paul and Alex. . . .

Jason and Alex.  . . .

Alex and Tommy. . . .

Gene and Alex. . . .

and  Big Andres (that's the right spelling of his name) and myself.  Now you really see how much bigger he is than I.  Alan kept telling me to "Dig deep!  You're not hurting him!"  "I know!" I replied.  Andres threw a left, and I leaned back to avoid it.  I was pleased with myself, then Alan cracked, "Finally.  After three and a half years."  Afterwards, Andres said he felt the wind of a hook I threw that just missed him. 

Jason has good form; he threw his jabs very well against Alex, who took it easy on him.  Alex also appeared to go light on Gene as well.  Alan asked Alex about taking a fight at Garfield Park next Friday, and he may be able to do that. 

Andres would like another chance in the ring, too.  He lost the fight he had out in Addison, IL last Friday.  Alan said that Andres and his opponent were evenly matches in terms of size.  But the other guy had a few more fights than Andres, and a little more experience.  Andres said he was beating his own chest like King Kong at a point where the referee was giving him an eight count.  "I was talking to the ref, asking him why.  I was fine!" Andres said. 

Marcus, who hadn't been in the gym since he had a muscle injury months ago, came in.  He looked well, and he told me everything was healed.  "I was hoping there wasn't going to be that many people in the gym today.  I'm just easing back into this," he smiled.  "I'm surprised there's more than a few here myself, especially right before a holiday, and in this heat on top of that," I said. 

The pictures above show Alan and Paul working out with the wheel, which is a great tool for working out the stomach muscles.  "What else can I do besides using the wheel to get my stomach down?  I look like I'm pregnant!" I told Alan.  "The only other thing I can think of is to stop eating -- which is something I can't do," he smiled. 

DJ sprayed Lysol on some headgear that her husband Jason was to put on before he sparred.  It reminded me that I need to clean my own headgear.  The last time it got some airing out was last week when I accidently left it behind in the gym.  I went in Thursday to get it, and someone had hung it up on the rack along with the headgear that belongs to the gym.  It can't go in the laundry, so I need to seriously spray it down with something like Febreeze.