Boxing and A World-Wide Health Issue

The Chicago Park District has been closed since late March. The latest news is that the place will be closed until the end of this month. The spring session was canceled entirely. There are plans to have a shortened summer session, including the summer camp. I don't see how that's going to happen in light of social distancing rules. Regardless of what happens, it's unlikely that I will be allowed to continue there.

Steve, my supervisor, and everybody else noticed me using a cane for a little over three years and seemingly had no problem.  All of a sudden, me being on a cane became an issue. Way back in February of this year, I was ordered to see the company doctor. The doctor released me to go back to work on light duty. Human Resources refused to listen to the doctor's advice nor make an effort to place me elsewhere in the organization.  I've been in limbo ever since the last of my PTO (paid time off) ran out in March.

Not long afterward, COVID-19 rolled through and put everyone's plans on ice.

The boxing world is shut down. Oh, there's a lot of talk about staging pro fights without audiences to cut down on the spread of COVID-19, but in general, the sport is down for the count. The Chicago Golden Gloves were canceled. There's talk of rescheduling that for later this summer, but I have my doubts that will happen this year. However, the way things were going at LaFollette Park during the winter session, I probably would have come up empty-handed again when it came to having participants in the Gloves.

During my self-quarantine, I've been watching a lot of boxing videos online. One of my favorites is The Fight with Teddy Atlas, where the boxing analyst gives his thoughts on the sport. Just today, I saw a video by Shane Fazen where he offers a video sparring session to keep boxers on their game. It appears that the Chicago Park District has given up on me; however, my love of boxing remains. I need to figure out what to do with that love now.

No Remorse -- To An Extent

During the finals of the most recent Chicago Golden Gloves, Andres had told Alan that he talked a little with the guy whom he fought for the championship.  Alan half-joked along the lines of "why be friendly with the other guy?'

I've been told that too before bouts I've had.  But try as I might, I can't stir up any hostility against someone across the ring from me.  I never knew any of the people I fought before I stepped in the ring with them, so I had nothing to hold against them.  During the fights, I tried to keep my mind on anticipating their next moves, figuring out how I was going to counter those moves, and score points.

But I do agree that fighters can't have a whole lot of remorse about the damage given out.  Boxing is a chess game, and it involves outwitting opponents as much as outlasting them.  But boxing is also a sport of hurt.  People get cut open, bruised up, and knocked out.  When people step into a ring for a bout, or even for sparring, that has to be understood.  If there's a constant worry about getting hit or hitting back. . . .well, there's always aerobic boxing where only the equipment takes the punishment.  Or taking up a non-contact sport.

Steve, the former coach at Loyola Park, used to get on me for apologizing to people during sparring sessions after I had punched them.  Once in awhile, I still say "I'm sorry", if I stepped on somebody's foot or if I had thrown a hard punch during sparring.  Sparring is not a contest to see who is better; it is for practicing skills. But in the middle of an actual boxing match, feeling sorry for the other person can be inappropriate.  It would be like feeling apologetic for slapping the hell out of someone out in public who tried to pull something dangerous like a robbery.

But if someone really became seriously hurt during a match. . . .that is when fighters have to learn to back off.  Most likely, they've already won, but depending on how much time is left on the clock, work still has to be put in.  But it has to be done within the rules.  There are few boxers walking around -- both in the amateur and professional ranks -- who are carrying remorse for permanently injuring or killing someone in the ring.  People are quick to blame referees for not stopping contests, and in some cases, like the 1962 fight between Griffith and Paret, a strong argument can be made for that.  But remember, the fighters are in the ring, too, and have say so in maintaining control.

If I Owned A Private Boxing Gym

1.  Everybody would have to be there to work. I've been in health clubs that were little more than singles' bars without the alcohol.  There are also gyms where it appears that a constant show is going on daily to determine who is the most well-dressed and well-toned.  I've seen guys too busy flirting with their latest girlfriend of the week to hit the equipment.  However, there's not much going on in terms of getting a workout done. Chatting with people, having laughs, and having fun while in the gym is not a problem.  But always using the place as a social club instead of for its real purpose is not.

No one would be allowed to spar unless I saw they have been consistently putting in a workout.  Sparring alone without doing anything else: roadwork, shadow boxing, jumping rope, etc., is not going to win fights.

2.  No special treatment allowed.  Everybody who walks through the door of the gym gets treated the same.  No red carpets rolled out, none of this "I want to monopolize the coach and/or the assistant coach's time each day regardless of the fact there are 50 other people here because I'm special."  I'll do some hand-holding up to an extent.  But after a minute, I'm going to expect adults to act like adults.

3.  No kids under the age of 18 unless it's their time to be in the gym.  Before people get up in arms (especially the ones who know I'm childfree), let me explain.  If I had a private gym, I would have kids' boxing classes during the week and on the weekends.  But under no circumstances would I accommodate kids in the gym at other times.  I would have to consider safety issues.  My mother was a single parent; I understand about babysitting issues.  However, the last thing I would want to happen is some kid getting injured in the gym because they wouldn't stay in one spot while their parents were working out.

I also don't want to be put in the position of telling grown folks to watch their language and their conversation around kids who shouldn't be there.

4.  No using the ring to settle grudges.  There are times I won't spar because I'm ticked off at someone outside of the gym, and I don't want to take my anger out on a sparring partner in the gym.  That's what the equipment should be used to do.  Now I'm aware that there are some gyms who will allow people who work out their arguments with each other during sparring sessions.  In my opinion, that's a dangerous situation because two people stepping into the ring already have it in mind that it's not going to just be a sparring session.  There's no need to have anyone going to the hospital.  People have to find another way to settle their differences, preferably not in my gym.

5.  No tolerance for sexism.  I would have a co-ed gym.  Both men and women can learn from each other when it comes to boxing.  I would create an environment that was welcoming to all.  But the first time some guy exhibited an attitude about women being in the gym, let alone about me coaching, the door would be held open for them to exit.  I'd even refund their money.

6.  No free rides.  A private gym is a business.  If I let one person walk in for free, word will get around, and several others will want the same favor.  If people can't afford the yearly fee, then they can pay the monthly fee.  If paying the monthly fee is difficult, than people can pay a day fee to work out.  However, I can't keep the doors open by giving out freebies.

7.  I'd think twice about offering other fighting arts.  Many gyms that were strictly about boxing have added MMA, standard martial arts, and self-defense classes in order to stay competitive and remain in business.  It works in some gyms.  In other gyms, more emphasis may be put on one fighting art over another, ending up in quality of instruction not being as it should.  People say women are excellent at multi-tasking, but I'd rather focus on one thing at a time.

Inquiring Minds Want To Know About Females Who Box

Here are various comments and questions that I get most of the time:

1.  Why?
2.  Doesn't it hurt to get punched?
3.  Hillari, can't you find something else to do? (my late mother asked me that several years ago)
4.  I just don't have that kind of anger (aggression, toughness, etc.) to throw punches at another person.
5.  Hillari. . .you could get hurt!
6.  Hillari, you need to stop that.
7.  Hillari, be a lady!
8.  Ooh, I'd better not mess with you!
9.  Women shouldn't box! (usually said by males over the age of twelve)
10, When is the boxing season over?  (then I have to explain it's not like football, baseball, etc.)
11. When is your next fight?
12. And. . . .how OLD are you?
13. Do you spar with guys? (followed by a gasp when I answer affirmatively)
14. How many women are in the gym?
15. Girls don't box! (usually said by males who are under the age of twelve)
16. Hillari, have you been knocked out?  (followed by looks of horror when I answer yes)
17. What made you interested in boxing?
18. Work the jab! (my late Uncle Willard told me that)
19. People die from that! (my late younger sister told me that)
20. I'm glad to see women in boxing.  (once in awhile I get this one)

Have any to add to this list?

Some Sunday Boxing Thoughts

There have always been reports about fighters ducking and dodging opponents.  When Laila Ali was still competing, she was often accused of avoiding certain boxers like Lucia Rijker, Christy Martin, and Ann Wolfe.  Ali did fight Martin.  I remember a press conference where Martin got up in Ali's face, and Ali referred to her as "little mama" and asked what did Martin think she was going to do to her.

I also remember watching an interview with Lucia Rijker where she was showed some fight footage of Ali.  Rijker was asked something about if she saw some skills in Ali.  "I see nothing in her style," Rijker quickly replied.  I would have loved to see that fight, but unfortunately, it never took place.

That would have been a heck of a fight if Ali and Ann Wolfe ever had stepped into the ring.  Personally, I would have had second, third, and forth thoughts about taking a bout with Wolfe.  It's been reported that Wolfe was so rough that she was knocking out men during sparring.  Alas, both Ali and Wolfe are now retired, so that's another fight that will never be seen.

Speaking of missed fight opportunities, the hype around the upcoming Mayweather and Alvarez match seems to be muting any more talk about a battle between Mayweather and Pacquiao.  I was watching an episode of Showtime's "All Access" on the internet earlier.  As usual, Mayweather was arrogant.  Alvarez was shown as a young, hungry fighter with focus.  Very little footage of Mayweather training was shown, but viewers were there were scenes of women hanging around "Money", who each had some job they were doing in his camp.  "We tend to hire attractive people because they make things happen," Mayweather explained as I rolled my eyes.

I don't think it's going to be business as usual for Mayweather.  I hope it's not.

"Money" Schools Guerrero

I found out late last night that a nearby fast food place had brought the PPV of the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Robert Guerrero fight.  They were charging five bucks to get in.  That was way less expensive than the $20 that Alan told me Rivers Casino out by O'Hare Airport was charging to see it.  I really didn't want to go all the way out to that casino via public transportation.  Neither did I want to go to the fast food place which is in walking distance from my house.  By that time of day, I was worn out from having to deal with my extremely sore left knee.  Something had went "pop" in that knee shortly after I woke up Thursday morning.  I had errands to run on Saturday, and I struggled to shuffle down streets and on and off buses and trains.  Enough was enough.

A buddy of mine on Facebook posted a link to where people could watch the fight online.  The picture could have been a little clearer, and an ad blocked part of the screen.  Sometimes, the audio and visual went in and out.  But I could see enough to view the action.  When it was all over, I was glad I hadn't paid for it.  It was another of Mayweather's usual shutouts against someone.

But say what you will about Mayweather's personality and past run-ins with the law -- the fight was an excellent boxing lesson.  Unfortunately, Guerrero didn't pass the final exam.  There was the anticipation that something might jump off.  Remember, Manny Pacquiao got knocked out during a fight by Juan Manuel Marquez back in December.  It's not that Pacquiao hadn't lost fights before, but people had gotten used to him not having lost a fight in a long, long time.  Pacquiao was thought to be practically unbeatable, then we all discovered there was a dent in the armor.  Mayweather had been rocked in a previous fight he had with "Sugar" Shane Mosley.  Mosley had "Money" stumbling, but could not capitalize on that punch for the rest of the fight.

Robert Guerrero came out of his corner at the beginning of the fight looking as if he was all about business.  Perhaps the recent battle he and his wife fought against her leukemia had given Guerrero an extra boost that would translate into some real power against Mayweather.  Indeed, Guerrero looked good in the first round, popping "Money" with head and body shots that riled the crowd up.  He won that round.

But now knowing what Guerrero was about, Mayweather fully committed to his own game plan.  Guerrero fought the way Mayweather wanted him to for the rest of the match.  It was painful to watch Guerrero hitting air most of the time, as Mayweather deftly darted out of the way after giving out hits.  Many times, it seemed that Guerrero had ample opportunities to jump Mayweather whenever the undefeated champ had been backed into corners.  But there was too much waiting to see how Mayweather was going to react.  By the time Guerrero thought to throw more than one punch at a time, Mayweather easily slipped out of the corners and sped away.  Guerrero kept getting tied up with Mayweather, punching on the inside and to the sides.  But referee Robert Byrd foiled Guerrero's efforts to stay in the pocket each time.

As Guerrero walked back to his corner for the rest period in-between the sixth and seventh round, there was a beaten look on his face.  The boxer's frustration with trying to catch Mayweather became even more apparent in the later rounds.  Guerrero never made any adjustments to what he was doing.  Meanwhile, Mayweather kept ducking, dodging, turning, and getting off clean shots.  Guerrero raised his hand after the 12th round, but it was unclear as to why.  Mayweather had shown no ring rust, and despite being in his mid-30's, the reflexes and movements were just as sharp as fighters a decade younger than he.

Of course, Mayweather can be beaten; I believe that based on the punch that Mosley gave him that one time. Unless he retires -- again -- undefeated, sooner or later someone is going to figure out how to get around him.  But Guerrero didn't figure it out last night.

Windy City Fight Night 21

Last night, I went to the UIC Pavillon to see boxing matches sponsored by 8 Count Productions.  There were seven fights on the card.  JJ's fight (in the light heavyweight category) was the third; Paul L.'s fight (in the super middleweight category) was the fifth bout.  Many of the familiar faces of the Chicago boxing scene, including Antonio, Rick, and Barry, were present.

All of the bouts moved along quickly.  The first bout, between heavyweights Curtis Tate and Alejandro Otero, ended in a knockout.  I believe Tate was the one who ended up on the canvas.  The second fight ended fast too, with Juan Bustamante taking out Ryan Strickland.  Strickland laid on the canvas near the ropes for awhile before getting up -- that was a super featherweight fight -- and still needed help to get back to the locker room area when he was on his feet. 

(P.S.) There is a correction:  Tate won the heavyweight fight.  Otero was knocked out.  Thanks to Boxer Girl for the information!

JJ's opponent walked to the ring brimming with confidence.  Covan Graham looked a little bigger than JJ in size, but JJ has bulked up.  The announcer stated JJ's weight was at 183 pounds.  I knew that I'd better pay attention and stay in my seat, because I had a feeling the match wasn't going to last long.  JJ's backed Graham near the ropes with straight punches.  Graham was hitting back, but throwing wildly.  Graham's right side was wide open.  JJ stepped around and dug a left hook into Graham's side.  Graham's crumbled to the ground, and did not beat the referree's eight count.  The bout was over in the first round.

Dimar Ortiz, a cruiserweight, had a lot of fans in the crowd on his side when he steamrolled over Emmanuel Wright, yet another fight that did not go the distance. 

I noticed that Paul L. had a tattoo on his chest that I hadn't seen previously.  It looked new.  He fought Cesar Martinez.  Martinez looked older than Paul L. from where I was sitting, but I couldn't be sure.  Martinez tried to hang in there, but was eventually overwhelmed by the bombs that Paul L. was throwing.  I learned later that was Paul L.'s second professional fight. 

Edner Cherry was the big name at the show Friday night.  The 29 year old was named Boxer of the Year in 2006 by ESPN, and had previously won the NABA and NABF lightweight titles.  Cherry fought Guillermo Sanchez in a super featherweight match scheduled for eight rounds.  After somewhat of a slow start in the few few rounds, "Cherry Bomb" unleashed his energy on Sanchez.  When Cherry won, he fell to the canvas on his knees and gave honor to God. 

The most exciting fight was between two hungry guys, Adrian Granados and Jamie Herrera, both of whom had a large crowd of supporters in the audience.  During their eight round welterweight bout, the two fighters took it to each other in a major way.  A guy sitting behind me told his friend that he thought the fight would end in a draw.  I couldn't guess who would be the victor, because the fight seemed very close to me.  When the eighth round ended, most of the spectators gave the boxers a standing ovation.  The referee raised Granados' hand as the winner.

Better To Walk Out Than To Be Carried Out

Another friend in the boxing world, Lisa Creech Bledsoe, who runs a blog called The Glowing Edge, posted the fight above on her blog and commented on it.  This was a fight between Holly Holm and Anne Sophie Mathis.  I agreed with Lisa's assessment of how badly this bout was handled by Holm's corner as well as the referee.

Francisco Rodriguez died in the ring around Thanksgiving in 2009, and the month before, Rita Figueroa suffered a near-fatal hit during a match.  Both of those professional fights happened near the tail end of the Chicago Park District's amateur boxing tournament season.  I remember a lot of fights I saw after that were stopped at the first hint of a boxer being in trouble.  I was in a fight with Meg in December of that year that was stopped because I was taking too many hits.  People complain about fights being stopped all the time, as the one between Holm and Mathis was, eventually.  Blood lust gets the best of some spectators, and they just want to see someone stomped down.

I like to see a good beat down as much as the next person.  I cheer on the antics of professional wrestlers, despite the fact that the outcomes of all those type of matches were planned long before the wrestlers came into the ring (but pro wrestlers can and do get hurt for real sometimes. . .some have even died due to injuries).  When my siblings and I were kids, we'd fall out laughing at the fisticuffs between roller derby players, some of which were fake, and some of which were real.  I appreciate the moves I see in MMA.  I only pay attention to mainstream sports when I've heard that a brawl broke out on the playing field. 

However, I'd rather see a boxer walk out of the ring after a match than be carried out.  I usually don't bat an eye at the brutality in some matches, but the Holm/Mathis had me wincing.

As I watched the post-fight interview, I felt bad for Holm.  I even got -- and this is something I seldom admit to, folks -- teary-eyed.  I know the feeling of being on the losing end of a match, feeling embarrassed, frustrated, and angry about "Damn, I wish I could have done better!", while still trying to exhibit good sportsmanship.  I know we should all be adults about losing, but I sometimes go back to being that little girl on the schoolyard who just took a beating from two or more kids (which I did on a near daily basis back in grade school).  The ref and/or Holm's corner should have never let that fight go on that long.  Holm shouldn't have had to be knocked through the ropes and her cheek cut open before people finally woke up and decided enough was enough.  She could have been seriously, maybe even permanently hurt.  I give Mathis credit for not gloating over Holm's prone position in the ring. 

Boxing is a rough sport, but common sense among officials and corner people should never disappear once the bell to start the round begins.

Danger and Forgiveness

I have written here many times about how some people have admonished me over the years for participating in boxing.  One of the best came from Ma, who told me back in 2001, "Can't you find something else better to do?"  It has been pointed out to me more than once that boxing is, well. . .dangerous.  I tell people how much I love the sport, and I laugh it off, but they're right.  Precautions are taken (especially in the amateur ranks), but sometimes, things go wrong. 

One of the most horrific tragedies happened on March 24, 1962 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  Emile Griffith, a boxer from the U.S. Virgin Islands, fought Benny "The Kid" Paret, a Cuban.  It was the third time the two had fought, and the match was aired on national television on NBC.  The first time they faced each other, Griffith won the welterweight title by knockout.  The second time, Paret regained the title.  The other night on ESPN Classic, I watched a documentary, Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story, which detailed what happened that night. 

During the sixth round, Griffith backed Paret into a corner and pounded him with punches.  Some of the people in the documentary differed as to how many punches Paret took.  Now I've been hurt myself in the gym and in the ring.  I've seen others, both professional and amateur boxers, get injured on TV and during matches I've seen in person.  The footage of Griffith beating Paret however, had me cringing with my mouth open.  It was one of the most brutal beat downs I had ever seen.  The referee, Rudy Goldstein, jumped in too late to stop it.  Paret had been knocked unconscious while still on his feet, then he slumped slowly down to the canvas.  A reporter interviews Griffith, who regained the championship, right after the mayhem.  Griffith and his corner people look cautiously over at the corner where Paret, who was still out of it, was laying.  Griffith commented that he hoped Paret "is feeling very good." Paret never regained consciousness, and he died ten days later, leaving behind a wife and a young son.  Paret's widow is interviewed throughout the film.  Several times, she is wiping away tears. 

Boxing doesn't have a patent on deaths.   Cars spin out of control during races, jockeys fall off horses on the racetrack and are trampled. Luges crash, bulls stomp on their riders, and skiers slam into trees.  But people are more scandalized about a boxing death because animals, sports equipment, and machines didn't contribute.  It was purely at the hands of another human.  It does not matter if the fight was sanctioned, or what the referee observed, or how the judges saw the bout.  People will cry, "Murder!", and the calls to have the sport banned will be raised -- again.  Indeed, that fight was the reason why boxing disappeared from network TV for the rest of the 1960s, not to be seen again until the 1970s. 

Some thought that Griffith may have intentionally beat Paret like that due to Paret using a gay slur towards Griffith during a weigh-in.  Griffith seems to admit to being bisexual during the documentary, but there seems to be confusion about that, even on Griffith's part.  He said that the slur didn't bother him.  Footage of him being interviewed in the ring after the fight shows Griffith looking at the playback of the action.  He appeared to be surprised at the intensity of his punches on Paret.  Griffith gives the impression that he got caught up in the moment, and just followed the directions of his trainer to keep punching. 

As harsh as that night was, as well as some other messy aspects of Griffith's life -- a brief marriage, an assault that nearly killed him, dealing with puglistic dementia -- the documentary offers a most poignant and hopeful coda at the end.  Paret's son, now an adult,  finally meets Griffith.  Initially, Griffith has trepidation, as anyone would in that instance.  How will Paret's son react to him?  What can Griffith say to the son of the man he killed?

The two men meet in a park.  Paret's son tells Griffith that his mother still has a hard time about his dad's death.  But the son has no hard feelings.  Griffith hugs the younger man and cries on his shoulder.  Forgiveness is a hard thing to do.  I am not fond of the concept, and I admit that I'm guilty of carrying grudges.  I'm not the only one.  But the documentary taught me that it not only can be done, but it is necessary for closure. 

Boxing's Problems In My Opinion

I was reading an article in The Ring about a bit of feuding between Top Rank Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions involving the possibility of a fight between J.C. Chavez Jr. and Miguel Cotto.  The writer of the article, Ivan Goldman, stated, ". . .feuds are dumb.  And they hurt business."  He's right.  More dissension is not needed in boxing.  Instead, many improvements are needed:

1.  A national boxing commission, the idea of which has been brought up by ESPN boxing analyst Teddy Atlas and Sen. John McCain many times.  It would cut down on professional boxers who shouldn't be fighting for various reasons including major health issues and loaded hand wraps, for example, attempting to get their licenses reinstated by commissions in different states whom they think will help their cause.  If everyone is on the same page concerning the rules, then the sport is safer and fair for everyone.

2.  One definite champ for each category.  There was a time in boxing history when this was the case.  Somewhere down the line, all the alphabet sanctioning bodies (as The Ring magazine refers to them) got involved.  So we have several heavyweight champions, several middleweight champions, and so on.  A few years ago, I had a guy tell me that was why he didn't the follow the sport any more; it was too confusing to keep up with which boxer was at the top.

3.  Follow the lead of Cuba and other countries where boxing is regarded as a top-tier sport.  Cuba has long been known as having an excellent boxing program that trains up world class fighters.  I hear people complain that there are no major American heavyweight boxers, and most of the ones now are from the Ukraine and Russia.  Obviously those countries still have a major respect for pugilism.  Boxing used to have that kind of respect in the good ol' USA, but when was the last time you heard a major boxing match be the lead story on the sports segment of local or national newscasts?  Every once in awhile, I hear of some college that has a boxing program as part of their overall sports program, but that's rare.  I have yet to see the sport included in the physical fitness programs in grade and high schools (while the football, basketball, and soccer teams get top billing). Private gyms and city-run recreation centers offer boxing, but often times, the young people who really want and need to get to them can't afford to pay the gym fees. 

4.  Stop ignoring and dismissing the presence of women fighters, managers, promoters and trainers.  I've mentioned on this blog before that the road to being a professional female boxer is not smooth.  Males often start training younger and have more avenues to get experience.  Before the boxing analysts start complaining about the quality of some the female boxers they see, they need to think about that.  The boxing magazines rarely mention anything about female boxers, managers, promoters and trainers, and they certainly aren't doing full-blown articles about them.  Despite the fact that there are plenty of female boxers -- both amateurs and professionals -- some still treat the women as jokes, or worst yet, insinuate that they should stay in their place, wherever the hell that is.  A key to seeing that boxing survives is to acknowledge and celebrate everybody in it.  The "old boys club" mentality is so 20th century.

5.  Put boxing back on the TV networks.  Hey, if I'm not able to pay my cable bill for any reason, then I don't get to see any boxing matches on TV.  Don't get me started on those high pay-per-view fees for some of the bigger matches.  I listen to those older than me talk about boxing matches regularly aired on the major television networks (ABC, NBC, CBS) back in the day, and I envy them.    There has been efforts to have the major matches shown in movie theaters (Mayweather v. Mosley, for example), but not every movie house is -- or will -- show the fights.  That could be a reason why the audience for boxing has shrunk over the decades because the fights are not accessible to everyone who want to see them. Personally, I can do without the constant football/baseball/basketball go-round on the TV networks.

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.

Scrapbook of Scrapping

The crowd was light Wednesday night.  Earleatha, Patrick, Stacy, Toya, Eric and Demond were not in attendance. Cynthia didn't come in, but Matt did.  She sent along a holder with him to keep my mouthpiece in.  It's great because it allows air to circulate around it, unlike the case it originally came in. 

Carlos did his usual several rounds, including a couple with Alan.  Alan caught Carlos dead-on with a few overhand rights.  What really amazed him was when Carlos took a few hard body shots and didn't flinch.  "I expected him to go down, but it seemed they didn't affect him at all," Alan said after the bell rang. 

I found myself sparring a couple of rounds with Ralphie.  Before I put my gear on, Matt asked who I was going to spar with.  I didn't know at that moment.  Ralphie was in with Carlos, and Alan hadn't decided who would remain in the ring for me.  "Ralphie's very slick, and Carlos just keeps charging," I told Matt.  "I think you're slick.  I've seen you on the heavy bags.  You have some secret punches," Matt smiled.  He had been in the ring with Jeremy earlier.  The experience wasn't bad for him, but Matt had trouble with the idea of punching someone back.  "I'm a pacifist, and it's hard to get my mind around inflicting pain on someone else," he admitted.

Jumping rope more has been helping with my stamina.  When I sparred with Earleatha on Monday, I wasn't as tired as I usually am afterwards.  I didn't sputter out during the first round with Ralphie.  I was exhausted after the second round, so I need to jump rope more.  I've caught yet another cold today, but I think I'm going to move around in the church's gym anyway, if only for a short time.  I don't want to get out of the habit of exercising extra days -- again.

Alan brought in a envelope filled with pictures and clips from when he fought as a young man while attending college in Arizona.  Alan was basically built the same way he is now, but he had hair and a full mustache.  "You were good looking," I grinned.  Ralphie laughed and said, "Alan had that John Holmes thing going on," making a reference to the popular porn actor of the 1970's.  Back in the day, shirts and headgear were not requirements in the amateur ranks.  There were many pictures of Alan fighting bare-headed and bare chested.  He had a chance to go pro, but as he was still going to school at the time, his parents frowned on the idea.  Alan thought about resuming a run for the professional ranks when he returned to Chicago after college.  "I was too late.  I had a solid reputation built up in Arizona, but I would have had to start again from scratch here," he explained.

Miss Laila Silences Her Critics

People have often disregarded Laila Ali, but she looks like the real deal here, in a sparring match against a guy. . .

Vintage Knockout

I always appreciate a good knockout. Not necessarily on me (smile), but a beautifully executed one is a thing of art. Here's Vonda Ward and Ann Wolfe.