No average Joe

They have been waiting for this very moment for their entire lives; not a second earlier or later. Two identically unique gladiators walk down a narrow path with their heads held high. Both, with an identity and swagger of their own, walk down the gallows to a chorus of ruckus and chaos, only to meet at the nexus of truth and war — a secluded circle where only the men who have worked so hard to acquire such an honor can hear the loud sound of silence that interrupts their heavy heart palpitations. To the naked and jejune eyes of the spectators, they are violent performers who are trained to destroy the man who stands across from them whenever they hear the cue of a bell. But for these gladiators, they are truly artists who have eloquently mastered the art of courage, discipline and athleticism. This isn’t merely a war — they are artist who paint awe inspiring moments on the canvas of history as they slide their soles across the unforgiving canvas. This is more than a sport, it’s a science — the sweat science. When men step into that scared-circle, they are submitting themselves to a cataclysmic clash where judgment meets history.

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http://blogs.democratandchronicle.com/youngprofessionals/?p=3548

Frmo the Pressbox: Ortiz v. Berto

Thirty-five years ago, boxing fans sat on the edge of their living room sofas to see the once indestructible “Big” George Foreman make his grand return against Ron Lyle, 15 months after falling prey to Muhammad Ali’s Rope-a-Dope tactics in Zaire. On paper, Lyle v. Foreman appeared to be the perfect equation for an all-out slugfest, with the majority of fans assuming that Lyle would eventually succumb to Foreman’s trademark power.

But every boxing fan knows that this was hardly the case — the so-called “measuring-stick” bout quickly transformed from a mundane welcome-back showcase for Foreman into one of the greatest heavyweight brawls of the century.
“A good right by Lyle!” the late sports commentator Howard Cossell bellowed in that round. “Lyle’s all over him, he has Foreman in trouble! Foreman is down.”

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http://www.campustimes.org/2011/04/21/from-the-pressbox-92/

Pacquiao packs a powerful punch

As published in the Campus Times

It’s tough to find a single sports fan who likes a lopsided league. Whenever there is a shallow pool of competition, fans will often highlight the dominant teams’ unfair advantages — such as the Yankees’ bank account — or a certain athlete’s run-ins with law enforcement. But, unlike baseball, basketball and even football, one sport exists in which dominance is all but a prerequisite to attract a large audience. In boxing, a pound-for-pound king is all the sweat that science needs to reel in the attention of the masses.

But if that’s the case, we may be inclined to ask why boxing is not at its pinnacle now — after all, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao has utterly destroyed every obstacle that can possibly fit into a ring. His immortal résumé of recent opponents is frightening to look at. With victories over Mexican legends Erik “El Terrible” Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Antonio Margaritto, and Miguel Cotto — all fighters destined for the hall of fame someday — Pacman has proven that a 108-pounder can defeat any man who is within 50 pounds and five-inches of his size.

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http://www.campustimes.org/2011/02/10/pacquiao-packs-a-powerful-punch/

Best of all time?

As published in the Campus Times

Whoever still thinks that size matters obviously hasn’t seen the Filipino phenomenon Manny “Pac-man” Pacquiao at work. On Saturday, the 5’6”, 147-pound Filipino slugger turned congressman shocked his critics in yet another annihilation of a naturally bigger man.

This time, Pac-man pounded the controversial power-puncher Antonio Margarito, who had a five inch height and 17-pound weight advantage, in front of a crowd of 41,700 roaring fans in the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, as well as 1.4 million pay-per-view buys. The 12 round beating was so severe that Margarito needed to undergo reconstructive eye surgery for a broken orbital-bone on Tuesday — a potentially career-altering injury for any athlete. Meanwhile, Pac-man spent his Tuesday performing at a concert at Lake Tahoe, Nev. for his adoring fans. The victory improved Pac-man’s record to 52-3-2, while Margarito fell to 38-7

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http://www.campustimes.org/2010/11/17/best-of-all-time/

Snoop Dogg concert nuthin’ but an RIT thang

As published in the Campus Times

Last Saturday, a bus full of UR students pulled up outside of the Rochester Institute of Technology’s Gordon Field House where there was a seemingly endless Disney World-sized line of locals and college students. Who could possibly draw this size of a crowd? Could it be the RIT Tigers, Jessica Simpson, Kris Kringle or Snoop Dogg? If you guessed Snoop, then you probably have a decent GPA.

RIT has hosted rappers like Nas and G-Unit, but neither of them managed to pack the Gordon Field House like Snoop. With a career that spans over 19 years, the 38-year-old West Coast rapper drew a diverse crowd of old and new school cats.

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http://www.campustimes.org/2010/04/15/snoop-dogg-concert-nuthin-but-an-rit-thang/

Jones vs. Hopkins II teases fans for 17 years

As published in the Campus Times

The eighth season of the ’80s television series ‘Dallas” produced one of the worst finales in the history of drama: The protagonist, Pam Ewing, wakes up and sees her once late husband, Bobby Ewing, alive and well. Devoted fans pissed their pants and foamed at the mouth as they were left with the lackluster conclusion that the past three seasons of ‘Dallas” were all a part of one long dream that Pam had on a rough night. Fans had followed the plot, night after night, season after season, just to discover that their anticipation was all in vain.

On Saturday at the Mandalay Bay, Bernard Hopkins, 45, and Roy Jones Jr., 41, were victims of the “Dallas’ Syndrome.’ However, two seasons weren’t good enough for Jones and Hopkins. Instead, the two boxing legends bickered for 17 years, teasing their adoring fans with a potential rematch of their 1993 title bout in the Middleweight division. They promised that their bitter feud would end one day in fireworks, jabs, atomic bombs and, most importantly, answers. The only reason that the fight never happened was because the fighters’ egos were too big to agree on who would get the larger half of the purse.

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http://www.campustimes.org/2010/04/07/jones-vs-hopkins-ii-teases-fans-for-17-years/

Boxing for a purpose

As posted in the Campus Times

In boxing, they say when the bell rings, the truth comes out. If you aren’t well prepared and ready to apply your hard work to the obstacle that lies before you, it’ll all be exposed. For most boxers, their obstacle is the athlete who sits in the opposite corner. But for one UR boxer, a bachelor’s degree is the primary feat.

UR junior Jonathan Vazquez is anything but your typical boxer. Vazquez has been able to channel his routine drills and dedication in the boxing ring to attend college. However, UR originally seemed to be a finance that he would never be able to manage on his own. But, the very education that was once out of his price range was made possible through an annual $40,000 scholarship that is funded through the Rochester National Grant for boxers at the Hills’ Geneva Boxing gym. While each UR student has a unique journey leading up to his or her enrollment, Vazquez’s is one student that’s been catching the eye of local news channels and publications alike.

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http://www.campustimes.org/2010/01/21/boxing-for-a-purpose/

From the Pressbox: Olympic boxing

As published in the Campus Times

While watching Sylvester Stallone’s ‘wrinklerific” performance in ‘Rocky Balboa,” my roommate said to me, ‘I wonder why boxing isn’t an Olympic sport.” I was somewhat taken aback, but I later came to find out that the majority of my Rochester peers were in the same boat. More than half of the residents of Crosby Hall had no idea that boxing was an Olympic sport. As an advent fan and participant of the sport, it was a shame to see how a sport that has historical significance and even biblical reference could shadowbox its own self into a dark corner.

Olympic-style boxing involves a unique scoring system. The two boxers have white circles on the ends of their boxing gloves. To score a point, the white portion of the glove has to land cleanly on the opponent. Five world-class judges are situated around the ring so that they can see the punches from different angles. When a judge sees that the white portion of the glove has landed cleanly, he must press a button within three seconds of the punch. The punch isn’t recorded unless three out of five of the judges press the button for the same punch within three seconds. Under those regulations, it doesn’t take a boxing expert to realize that combos and many other punches go unrecorded. It is simply unlikely for five guys, sitting at five different spots, to hit a button three times for a three-punch combo within three seconds of each other. My tongue is tied just by imagining the odds.

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http://www.campustimes.org/2008/09/11/from-the-pressbox-152/