I'll say this about the Sport of Boxing:
When I wake up in the morning and don't give a fuck about life, this World, the people in it, and just wish I had a grenade big enough to pull the pin, drop, and end it all...being in that ring, throwing hands, coming home with red knuckles, a headache, and a sore cheek, being so tired I can hardly think...that makes me happy.
Saturday and Sunday off. Hooray for Israel Vasquez, and for Morales going out like the Veteran Tiger he is, Viva El Terrible!
Monday:
6:30am - Watched Rodel Mayol, my gymmate, get smoked by Ulises Solis. He had Solis down and hurt, though, and I've never seen Solis hurt like that because the dude is a little cyborg. But Rodel was just too slow, and not heeding his corner, relying too much on one big punch, and got walked into the PERFECT 1-2. He even smiled as the ref counted and he wobbled up, because he know he'd been beaten.
7am - 2.6 mile run.
10:30am - Gym time:
I was talking to Mike McCallum and let him know that when Kofi talked to him about training a couple of guys he meant Diego and myself. Mike didn't know. He said "I didn't know it was YOU! You should have come talk to me." He asked what I could afford to pay, and offered to train for a reasonable price should things not work out with Richie. He also don't give a shit about the age. In fact he kind of liked that I'm older and in the gym, as he didn't go Pro until he was 24.
4 minutes dynamic stretching.
1 round Shadowboxing.
Sparring - Mexicans hit hard, and that's all you need to know about that.
I was supposed to spar Edgar but Mike wanted him to work with Whoopie because Whoopie is training for a fight and I guess Mike likes the work Edgar does. So it was Diego and I for 4 rounds, and this time Richie was in the ring with us.
I was working on establishing my jab a bit and setting up the left-hand, I want my left to be like a guided-missile. Diego's getting a lot faster and hits hard, just needs to tighten the defense. Richie broke the action up to instruct Diego on moving side to side, dipping, and throwing the right with mustard on it. He said "that's the venom for this guy, this Southpaw, that right-hand". Meanwhile I'm also making mental notes. lol
Somewheres in round 2 Diego caught me with a hellacious shot to the solar-plexus, then like 20 seconds later or so he caught me with a well-placed liver-shot. My whole damn torso was hurting for the second half of the second round. He also threw a NICE counter-right and caught me flush.
3rd and 4th rounds I wanted to work mostly defense and let him put the pressure on me. Didn't help that my whole torso was still hurting. I forget if anything significant happened, but afterwards Richie nodded at me and didn't correct any of my work really.
Then Edgar sparred Whoopie. They must have earned each other's respect because they weren't going for blood this time, more working technique. Well, Edgar mostly working at being a damn bull-dozer. The dude fights like LaMotta I swear. I told him what I saw of Whoopie, how he likes to box, not FIGHT, how he postures a lot and uses a beatiful jab to set up the uppercut, which Edgar walks into frequently. Edgar knocked Whoopie down in the 3rd with a left hook. Didn't see how it ended as I started on my bag work.
But one thing that makes me proud is apparently Whoopie is a Titlist. My guess is he's got some regional belts, but still I haven't gone down from Edgar's punches, and I ain't gonna.
5 rounds Heavybag. Working off my jab mostly, setting up power shots. 30 second punch-outs at the end of each round.
3 rounds body-snatcher. I think my right uppercut is the goods, it always feels good when I land it. And my left was better today....BRANDON.
4 rounds Shadowboxing.
Edgar was working the speed-bag when I was Shadowboxing and telling me how Whoopie has 4 Titles. I said "so what's that mean? You'll have 6?" He said "Nah, 10." I said "Alright, you'll have 10 and I'll have 6 because I work with you." He said "Deal, I like that."
50 push-ups.
Around this time another Amateur turning Pro (first fight at the end of the month I think), wanted to work in with me on my conditioning as he saw me doing some T-ups.
30 T-ups.
20 pull-ups.
30 twist-ups.
Apparently Baby Ganigan is pseudo-joining our squad. He don't have money for a trainer, so Richie is gonna work him a bit...I thought he was training with Mike but apparently he bounces around wherever he can, the Top Rank ho'. Richie made mention of him working in on sparring with Diego and myself.
That's it for today. I stayed at the gym long because I hoped to see Kofi, but that dude's never on time. So tonight I'll be doing my mini-workout before bed.
EDIT - This guy said to me today "How you feelin' Champ?" Then when I was packing up he said "Game over? Exercise, check your weight, see you tomorrow."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Mustafa_Muhammad
DOUBLE EDIT (Boxing makes you forget shit) - Our boss said he'd pay for Diego and I's Licensing and physical exams, as a Sponsorship type deal. So now it's just a matter of going through the motions and we'll be Licensed.
