- Joined
- Feb 22, 2005
- Messages
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- Reaction score
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First and FOREMOST:
I will absolutely not address my former log here, or what happened over a year ago. Part of moving on is achieving closure, and peace of mind. What's done is done, and there will be no re-hashing of old things.
Now, onto the actual story here. For the past year just about, I've had to establish myself here in Vegas. Getting settled into my job, moving to a better place to live, etc. Because I am who I am I never lost the desire to train, therefore not only did I maintain what conditioning I had, but I actually got in better shape than I was in before once I was better-adjusted. As of right now I live with another Fighter, and we're both dues-paying members of Top Rank Inc.'s private gym here in Vegas. Here's what it looks like:
http://www.toprank.com/gym.htm
To be a member of this gym you have to at LEAST be a sparring partner for a Pro. They don't let people walk in off the streets and start hitting the bags. We got in at the request of a Professional Boxer who has become a good friend, this guy:
Kofi Jantuah
As of right now we're training under this guy:
Richie Sandoval - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
He's a good trainer, very very old school and very tough to please. But a nice guy who really cares about his Fighters. We're part of a stable with another kid who was a pretty decently decorated Amateur, who hopes to go to the Olympics or win the Nationals in his weight division, but this guy fights like a Pro, and wants KO's on his record.
The first day at the gym we spent being berated by Richie. Telling us (me specifically, the other Fighter friend is 21 years old) that we're too old, don't have enough experience, that the most we're going to be is bodies, punching bags, etc. And he was telling everyone who'd listen "Hey, you guys need some bodies let me know." But the thing about Richie is that his last fight really took something away from him. He's very hot and cold, Jekyl and Hyde despite being a good natured person. So he'll berate you, and forget he berated you within an hour of doing so. We almost parted ways four days in, when he told us he felt he wasn't getting anything out of training us. But then Tuesday of this week we spoke and he said he understood he couldn't treat us like we're him, and that he HAS had Fighters like us go on to do good things. Since then it's been all good.
My first sparring session in this gym was pretty funny. I got put in against that decorated Amateur. We both did. Diego backed him up (Diego's Mexican, backing people up is what he DOES) and got a "He's strong" out of the guy. Meanwhile I stood toe-to-toe. I didn't win any rounds but I wanted to show them I ain't no punching bag. Punching bags don't hit you back. Quickly Edgar (the Amateur), Diego, and myself had a bond of respect for being willing to get in there and work. Richie still had a lot of complaints about things like mobility and defensive liabilities, but that wasn't the point of that session to me. It was all about showing I wouldn't be backed-down, and would take a beating for the opportunity to train there.
After that day I noticed the other Fighters who train there being more friendly. I routinely get to talk to guys like this:
Mike McCallum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mike seems to like me well, always asks me if I'm feeling good, and like to talk the fights with me. If he wasn't so damn expensive I'd like to train with him sometime. Another guy who seems to like me because I ask about his Fighters a lot is Terry Carter:
http://www.boxrec.com/list_humans.php?human_id=399583&cat=manager
If you click on his Fighter Rodel Mayol (who is a friendly guy, but fierce in sparring), he's preparing for a World Title fight coming in August. Check youtube for Mayol's fight with Eagle Kyowa for the Minimumweight Title. VERY good fight which I felt Mayol won, but in Japan you have to knock a guy like Eagle out to win.
So needless to say everyone's friendly as everyone at Top Rank is basically part of the same stable. I'm not signed yet. Currently my Official Title would be sparring partner and nothing more. However I hope to get at least a paid gig as a sparring partner by the end of summer.
And I can't say enough about the atmosphere of this Gym. Because it's Private, and exclusively for Pro's, there's no scrubs, no bullshit. You go in and do your work. It's a small place so you're always rubbing elbows, and if you're going to chat no one is going to get up your ass about it, but basically what happens is everyone is on the outskirts of the two Rings, you got your bags to work, some basic gym equipment (complete with a resident Conditioning Coach), one round timer that everyone is abiding by, and eventually two guys agree to spar and you either do your work or watch the show. No one faults you for watching either, because when guys like Mayol and Mercito spar, you can learn a lot. There's a lot of shit-talk, especially from the Veterans like Richie, Mike, Boza-Edwards, the Mayweathers, all the grizzled guys who train people now, but you just go with the flow, or fire back and they like you more. lol
From now on in this log I'll be posting with my alternate account, which has a more appropriate Title.
I will absolutely not address my former log here, or what happened over a year ago. Part of moving on is achieving closure, and peace of mind. What's done is done, and there will be no re-hashing of old things.
Now, onto the actual story here. For the past year just about, I've had to establish myself here in Vegas. Getting settled into my job, moving to a better place to live, etc. Because I am who I am I never lost the desire to train, therefore not only did I maintain what conditioning I had, but I actually got in better shape than I was in before once I was better-adjusted. As of right now I live with another Fighter, and we're both dues-paying members of Top Rank Inc.'s private gym here in Vegas. Here's what it looks like:
http://www.toprank.com/gym.htm
To be a member of this gym you have to at LEAST be a sparring partner for a Pro. They don't let people walk in off the streets and start hitting the bags. We got in at the request of a Professional Boxer who has become a good friend, this guy:
Kofi Jantuah
As of right now we're training under this guy:
Richie Sandoval - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
He's a good trainer, very very old school and very tough to please. But a nice guy who really cares about his Fighters. We're part of a stable with another kid who was a pretty decently decorated Amateur, who hopes to go to the Olympics or win the Nationals in his weight division, but this guy fights like a Pro, and wants KO's on his record.
The first day at the gym we spent being berated by Richie. Telling us (me specifically, the other Fighter friend is 21 years old) that we're too old, don't have enough experience, that the most we're going to be is bodies, punching bags, etc. And he was telling everyone who'd listen "Hey, you guys need some bodies let me know." But the thing about Richie is that his last fight really took something away from him. He's very hot and cold, Jekyl and Hyde despite being a good natured person. So he'll berate you, and forget he berated you within an hour of doing so. We almost parted ways four days in, when he told us he felt he wasn't getting anything out of training us. But then Tuesday of this week we spoke and he said he understood he couldn't treat us like we're him, and that he HAS had Fighters like us go on to do good things. Since then it's been all good.
My first sparring session in this gym was pretty funny. I got put in against that decorated Amateur. We both did. Diego backed him up (Diego's Mexican, backing people up is what he DOES) and got a "He's strong" out of the guy. Meanwhile I stood toe-to-toe. I didn't win any rounds but I wanted to show them I ain't no punching bag. Punching bags don't hit you back. Quickly Edgar (the Amateur), Diego, and myself had a bond of respect for being willing to get in there and work. Richie still had a lot of complaints about things like mobility and defensive liabilities, but that wasn't the point of that session to me. It was all about showing I wouldn't be backed-down, and would take a beating for the opportunity to train there.
After that day I noticed the other Fighters who train there being more friendly. I routinely get to talk to guys like this:
Mike McCallum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mike seems to like me well, always asks me if I'm feeling good, and like to talk the fights with me. If he wasn't so damn expensive I'd like to train with him sometime. Another guy who seems to like me because I ask about his Fighters a lot is Terry Carter:
http://www.boxrec.com/list_humans.php?human_id=399583&cat=manager
If you click on his Fighter Rodel Mayol (who is a friendly guy, but fierce in sparring), he's preparing for a World Title fight coming in August. Check youtube for Mayol's fight with Eagle Kyowa for the Minimumweight Title. VERY good fight which I felt Mayol won, but in Japan you have to knock a guy like Eagle out to win.
So needless to say everyone's friendly as everyone at Top Rank is basically part of the same stable. I'm not signed yet. Currently my Official Title would be sparring partner and nothing more. However I hope to get at least a paid gig as a sparring partner by the end of summer.
And I can't say enough about the atmosphere of this Gym. Because it's Private, and exclusively for Pro's, there's no scrubs, no bullshit. You go in and do your work. It's a small place so you're always rubbing elbows, and if you're going to chat no one is going to get up your ass about it, but basically what happens is everyone is on the outskirts of the two Rings, you got your bags to work, some basic gym equipment (complete with a resident Conditioning Coach), one round timer that everyone is abiding by, and eventually two guys agree to spar and you either do your work or watch the show. No one faults you for watching either, because when guys like Mayol and Mercito spar, you can learn a lot. There's a lot of shit-talk, especially from the Veterans like Richie, Mike, Boza-Edwards, the Mayweathers, all the grizzled guys who train people now, but you just go with the flow, or fire back and they like you more. lol
From now on in this log I'll be posting with my alternate account, which has a more appropriate Title.