[BobbyBrez]

What did you think about Kirkland?

[Mr. Sinister]

We haven't looked at that one, yet. Tomorrow.

[Diego Lara]

Thu 5/22: Kirkland vs Albert was a quick little brainbuster. Nigeria's Albert was simply no match for Kirkland, who floored and wobbled him with a knockdown, then as soon as Albert stood up, Kirkland came right back in and finished him off. All this in one round. Also watched the Angulo/ Gutierrez fight from Gamboa/ Jimenez undercard.
2m run.

Gym Time:
Mike had a family emergency, so we flew solo today.
1 round ringjacks.
2 rounds shadowboxing.
4 rounds bodysnatcher.
4 rounds heavybag. Nothing big, just working on keeping my knees bent and coming in low.
2 rounds speed bag.
2 rounds skip rope.

Conditioning:
2x10 lat pulldowns.
3x10 med ball incline twist ups.
So kind of a light day at the gym. Just taking it easy before the last day of the week....

[Diego Lara]

Fri 5/23: Watched Michael Carbajal vs Chiquita Gonzales, which was a long, painful to watch, arduous brainbuster. These guys are both amazing punchers, and delivered a classic Latino bloodbath.
1.5m run.

Gym Time:
Mike was absent again today, but that didn't stop Liu, Jr, and I from getting in our work:
1 round ringjacks.
2 rounds shadowbox.
Watched Liu and Jr go 3 rounds. Jr is a very surprising fighter, who is more of a skilled boxer than his disposition would suggest. Then Liu and I did 3 rounds of work. It was fast and harder than we usually go, and of course I had the unfair advantage of sparring fresh. I felt good during the sesh, I have definitely sharpened my pressure skills.
THings I Did Well:
-Stepping in with punches. I've started coming in a lot deeper. Landing the cross to the chest and body alot more.
-Throw numbers. I was working alot more 4 and 5 punch combos, taking advantage of my stamina to keep pumping out punches.
-Footwork and body movement. I was taking little steps in and out when necessary, standing my ground more when punching, and changing elevation frequently. I felt like I was harder to hit today.
-Catching and countering. I stopped a lot of punches with my hands and arms. I've also gotten better at countering off of these.

Things I Did Not So Well:
-Rolling. I started doing it in the last round, but I still get hit too much with hooks. Remembering to bend my knees helped me do this in the last round.
-Keeping my hands high. I get hit to the face too easily, I should focus more on guarding this part instead of my body, which is very hard to hit.
-I still feel a little too one dimensional when I'm throwing. I think I'm still too 1-2 dependent, and I wanna start throwing more lead rights and more varieties of punches. That's my goal for the next sesh.

2 rounds double end.
2 rounds speedbag.
2 rounds skip rope

Conditioning:
2x10 lat pulldowns, front and back.
3x10 leg lifts.
3x10 med ball ab twistups.
Nice end to the week. I busted Liu's lip in sparring, so I guess I did alright for myself today. I should start sparring more people my size, so I can get a taste of what it's like to move with guys closer to my weight class. Firefox out.

[Diego Lara]

Tue 5/27: Watched this amazing documentary on the Cuban Junior Amateur Program, and the struggle of these boys who come from nothing to try to make it to the top of their sport. This is a nation where sports, especially boxing, are a matter of national pride and advancement, so they do not take this journey lightly. It's amazing and tragic how much pressure rests on these boys' shoulders, for their success in the nationals could mean the difference between a secure future and a life of continued poverty. Amazing doc and I highly recommend it; the film's called "Vitcory is Your Duty",see Liu's log for the link.
1.8m run.

Gym Time:
1 round ringjacks.
2 rounds shadowboxing.
2 rounds bodysnatcher.
3 rounds heavybag.
2 rounds speedbag.
2 rounds skip rope. Cisse gave me a replacement today. It's short, like me. Works wonderfully.
3 rounds mitts. I had to wait till after Liu and Stephan (Mike's heavyweight) to finish their rounds. I used Liu's new Pugilist gloves for the last 2 rounds. These are what are commonly referred to as punchers gloves. All the padding is in the front of the glove, so it took a little getting used to from the huge ass Everlasts, but I liked them. I'm gonna get a pair soon. Nothing big today, worked on power punches and a few new variations of combos with lotsa uppercuts. My right upper is especially tricky. I can almost always land it on someone standing a little square to me.
2 rounds double end bag.

Conditioning:
Gonna try to be more organized in my conditioning, as well as do some extra at night. Today was abs:
3x10 ab machine pyramid.
3x10 leg lifts (the kind with 2 movements per rep; first tuck the legs up to the chest, then lower them, then lift again, fully extended).
2x10 twistups. Twas all for Tuesday folks, see ya next time for another installment of "The Top Rank Runt".

[viel cazzo]

I can't wait to hear about you sparring people more your size. They better watch out for EL inferno!

[David Bolton]

You still going to have some amateur fights? Or are you going straight into the pros?

[viel cazzo]

I think I want to do an Ammy or two and maybe golden gloves. If I fare well then why not try my hand at pro. I'm doing this for me right now with no real intention of ever becoming a pro fighter but if I win my intentions may change. We shall see.

[Diego Lara]

Aw man, by the time I get in the ring with Sharif and some of the other lightweights, it's gonna be a damn war! Sometimes it's hard to get sparring with the lighter guys, who tend to come and go after a short while. I give it a week or 2 more, next week I'm gonna ask Mike about getting me some lightweight sparring, if not a TR then at another gym. I'm getting strong as fuck...

[Diego Lara]

Wed 5/28: Liu was sick as a dog, so I flew solo for the day. No video today, I leave it up to Liu to choose the viewing fare for the morning.
1.8m run.


Gym Time:
It was basically just me and Stephan, Mike's heavyweight, at the gym today. No Liu, no Jr, and Mike didn't show up till late, so it was kind of a quiet workout. Except for Tye Fields, Jesse's star heavyweight, and his partners sparring and banging the hell out of each other all morning.
1 round ringjacks.
2 rounds shadowbox.
3 rounds bodysnatcher.
3 rounds heavybag.
2 rounds double end.
2 rounds speedbag.
2 rounds skip rope.

Conditioning:
2x10 pushup circuit.
2x10 dips.
2x10 lat pulldowns, front and back.
That was fun. No gym tomorrow, Jesse's star heavyweight, Tye Fields (insert Michael Buffer's booming voice here), was having media day at the gym, so it was closed half the day. Still did a good conditioning workout at home. Here's how it went.

Thu 5/29: Liu was still sick as a dog, so I flew solo for this home workout.
2m run at the park.
4x10 leg lifts, in between laps around the park.

2 rounds skip rope.
2 rounds shadowboxing.
4x10 twistups.
Came up with a variation of side crunches for great torture, to work the hell out of the obliques. 2x10 standard side crunches, but while lying balanced on my punch shield. Had to keep the muscles flexed the whole time to stay on it. My abs and sides still hurt. Oi vey.