Public Workouts at Roberts Off Ten, July 11

Due to an inability to secure a ring doctor to work the July 11 fights at Roberts Off Ten in Mounds View, promoter Tony Grygelko has announced that the event is being changed from a professional boxing card with two fights and an exhibition, to a series of  six public sparring sessions featuring the following boxers:

• Willshuan Boxley –vs- Ismail Muwendo
• Jeremy McLaurin –vs- Ronnie Peterson
• Jon Schmidt –vs- Charles Meier
• Caleb Truax –vs- Mohammed Kayongo
• Joey Abell –vs- Jim Maurine
• Tony Grygelko –vs- Michael Faulk

Of his own matchup with new pro Michael Faulk, Grygelko says, “Mike’s one of only two guys that beat me twice in my boxing career…I just want to prove to the world that he can’t really handle the pressure and power that a fighter like myself brings!”  Grygelko compiled a record of 5-2 (3 kayos) as a pro fighter, his last fight a first-round knockout loss at the hands of undefeated prospect Henry Crawford in November 2005.

The Fistic Mystic says: This should be an interesting spectacle. If I were going to be in town I wouldn’t miss it!

Book Preview: Jake Wegner’s “Land of 10,000 Bruises”

Recently there’s been growing chatter about Jake Wegner’s work-in-progress book, a retrospective on 100 years of boxing rivalries in Minnesota titled “Land of 10,000 Bruises.”

Because his publisher asked him to do so, Wegner recently shared some excerpts from his unfinished book with several local boxing writers – and I was lucky enough to be chosen to share in the bounty.  After reading two chapters (on the two bouts between Duane Bobick and Scott LeDoux), I’ve come away with a greater appreciation for the substance of Wegner’s research as well as the creativity with which he writes.

The 33 pages I have read are a sufficient sample size for me to make the following observations:

• Wegner stuffs his writing so full of newspaper clippings and reminiscences from fighters and boxing personalities that the reader feels transported – or at least, the reader feels as if the writer experienced it all firsthand.  It is particularly interesting to learn how these celebrities of the past were thought of and written about in their own time.
• In an attempt to convey the significance of the events about which he writes, Wegner resorts to a lot of promoter-like hyperbolic language.  This isn’t a criticism on my part, although it could tend to put off some less enthusiastic readers.  When the writer’s enthusiasm is genuine, that kind of language can be appropriate.  Hopefully a skilled editor will make only essential changes in Wegner’s prose, allowing the voice of the fan to come through in the final draft.
• Although this is going to be a book that the casual Minnesota sports fan will enjoy, fans of the local boxing scene are going to be thrilled with it.  If you already know who Jackie Graves, the Flanagans, the Gibbons, Duane Horsman, Rick Folstad, Pat O’Connor, and Raphael Rodriguez are, then this book is going to captivate you.  If you start out not knowing who these men are, then having read the book, you will know and you will care.

Land of 10,000 Bruises: 100 Years of Minnesota’s Greatest Boxing Rivalries is expected to be published in 2011.

Self Diagnosis

A true story from the book From the Barber’s Chair by Vernon Swanson:

One time…I had a fella come in to me and he says, “I got somethin’ when I was here last time.”

I says, “What was that?”

“Cirrhosis.”

“No,” I says.  “You didn’t get cirrhosis.  You got psoriasis, and you didn’t get that here.  That comes from your own body.”

When boxing people try to identify the underlying problems that have enfeebled their beloved sport, they have a similar tendency to misdiagnose.

Recently I got a call from a promoter who was angry because someone suggested to him that I was going to write something negative about him.  Not because of anything I had written about him, but because an untrue rumor had been repeated to him that I might write something.

Unfortunately, the incident wasn’t all that unusual.  It seems that everyone in boxing has their own idea about what’s ailing the sport, and all too often, it seems that everybody is wrong.  Promoters feud with one another, believing (or pretending to believe) that they’ve been disrespected or somehow slighted in past promotions or negotiations.  Insignificant geographical delineations become fuel for regional feuds.  Fighters resent criticism, however gentle and fair.

Here’s a clue, everybody.  The problems with boxing are that it isn’t all that popular, it doesn’t get enough media coverage, the promoters are undercapitalized, and the quality of competition is uneven at best.

These are problems that are mitigated by cooperation, aggravated by feuding.  Cooperating in your efforts will increase the potential fan base, could make shows bigger and more frequent, will allow you to share expenses, and hold the potential for better matches of fighters of similar talent.

It’s time for the Minnesota boxing scene to take a step up to the next level.

Matt Vanda -vs- Phil Williams: September 26 at Target Center

Matchmaker Cory Rapacz, working on behalf of promoter Midwest Sports Council (MSC) wants you to know that Phil “The Drill” Williams has signed to fight Matt Vanda at a 165# catch weight in the co-main event of a September 26 boxing card at Target Center in Minneapolis.

Williams, coming off an impressive 7th-round TKO win against former contender Antwun Echols, has talked freely of his willingness to fight anyone and his ambition to own a world title someday.  A win against 40-9 Vanda would certainly advance his cause.  “The Predator” Matt Vanda, long known for his willingness to engage any foe, is coming off a controversial April 18 win against Tocker Pudwill (40-6).

Said Rapacz on Friday morning, “We’re extremely excited to put this fight together. We received Phil’s signed contract late last night and are getting to work on the rest of the card right away. A match-up between a fighter from Minneapolis and a fighter from St. Paul is something that hasn’t yet been seen main eventing at the Target Center. Matt is ready to show that he is in fact the baddest man in the state and Phil is looking to become the new face of Minnesota boxing.”

Williams’ commitment to fight Vanda will at least temporarily squelch talk of a grudge match between Williams and Zach Walters of Duluth.  Walters, billed as the “Jungle Boy,” improved his record to 24-4 with a second-round knockout of James Morrow in Duluth on Thursday night.  Speculation had been rampant that Walters and Williams would fight in the fall.

Quincy Miner Speaks Up

Quincy Miner has issued a short statement about his abrupt departure from Saturday night’s boxing show at Robert’s Off Ten.  The unannounced abandonment left opponent Rocky Graziano Jr without an opponent and left promoter Tony Grygelko of Seconds Out Promotions in the lurch.

Miner’s statement, alternately belligerent and contrite, is below.

“Ain’t no way in hell that I can fight for a few dollars – which was because my corner man was going to take over half my purse. But I will admit I should not have walked away from that fight like a did. It caused a few problems and I have to take it as a learning experience. Tony Grygelko, the promoter, had no idea I was going to walk away from the fight. My corner’s actions that made me mad had absolutely nothing to do with Tony. I will fight for him again, if Tony would be willing to accept my apology. And, I would definitely like to give Rocky Gruciano Jr. a real good boxing lesson, because I did not leave because of Rocky either. It was all a personal issue between me and my corner.”

Boxing Results: June 13 at Roberts Off Ten in Mounds View

Results will be posted here as they become available.  The Fistic Mystic can’t make it to this show, so initial reports will be second-hand.

Joey Abell (now 25-4 with 24 kayos) defeated Larry White (now 3-7 with 2 kayos) by KO in round 2 of 8 scheduled

Jon Schmidt (now 9-1 with 6 kayos) defeated Dan Copp (now 0-1) by TKO in round 2 of 6 scheduled

Rocky Graziano Jr (4-1 with 3 kayos) -vs- Quincy Miner (3-3 with no kayos), heavyweights, scheduled for 6 rounds – This fight evidently did not take place, though Quincy Miner did make the drive up from Kansas City.  Consequently, Miner still has not fought since suffering a separated shoulder against Brad Laffin in Sioux Falls last November.

Jeremy McLaurin (now 4-0 with 3 kayos) defeated Harold McLeod (now 0-2) by TKO between rounds 1 and 2 in a fight scheduled for 4

Charles Meier (now 2-1 with no kayos) defeated Ryan Stock (now 0-1) by TKO in round 3 of 4 scheduled

A couple of MMA bouts also came off, neither of which (I am told) lasted two minutes.

Quincy Miner Added to Saturday Show

Kansas City heavyweight Quincy Miner (3-3) has notified the Fistic Mystic that he will be fighting on Saturday night at Roberts Off Ten in Mounds View, against 4-1 (3 kayos) Rocky Graziano Jr, the 46-year old heavyweight from St Paul who is riding a streak of three straight first-round knockouts.

The show is scheduled to feature local heavyweight Joey Abell (24-4 with 23 knockouts) against Larry White (3-6), with Jon Schmidt, Vlad Ustimchuck Jr, Jeremy McLaurin, and Charles Meier also penciled in.

Phil Williams: Ready for Jungle Boy

Fistic Mystic: First of all, congratulations on a great performance.  You guys put on quite a show.  I hope you got some ice afterwards!

Phil Williams: Oh yeah, a little bit.  I didn’t need much ice though.  My hand is real good.  Doesn’t bother me at all.

Fistic Mystic: Phil, tell me what you thought of your opponent, Antwun Echols.  And did you get a chance to talk to him afterwards?

Phil Williams: Yeah, we talked a little bit.  I was glad he came to fight me.  I hope he’ll come to spar me and help me get ready for my next fight.  He said he appreciated me fighting him clean, and I appreciated him giving me a chance to fight him.  You know, in a way I was glad that Jaidon Codrington dropped out.  Because when he gets hit his whole body gets weak and he falls apart.  Echols gave me a much better fight than I think Codrington would have.

Echols his me with a good punch in the fourth round but I was more tired than hurt.  I’ve never been in a fight like that before, where we kept going back and forth like that.  But now I have, and it felt good!

Fistic Mystic: Now we have to talk about Zach Walters.

Phil Williams: He don’t want no part of me.  It isn’t personal, Zach is a nice guy, and I always say that every time I talk about him.  But he don’t want me.  He’s running scared.

Fistic Mystic: Have you heard what they’re saying up in Duluth now?  According to Todd at Mnboxingleague.com, Chuck Horton and Jungle Boy are on board.  They want this fight to happen, too.  But now, if it’s a state light heavyweight title fight, they’re probably going to claim the right to defend in their hometown.  Would you be willing to go to Duluth to fight him?

Phil Williams: That fight doesn’t deserve to be in Duluth.  Even though I could come up there and knock him out in his back yard, that fight needs to be in Minneapolis.  That fight should be at the Target Center.  Let’s get the biggest crowd we can get, and that isn’t going to happen in Duluth.  I don’t have a specific home territory where I fight at.  The casual fan wants to see this fight.  Jungle Boy and I, as fighters we need to make this fight happen.  We’ll be cheating the Minnesota boxing fans if we don’t fight.

The Fistic Mystic says (part 1): Both The Drill and the Jungle Boy are moving down from light heavyweight to super middleweight.  Both men say that super middle is their natural weight, and as Williams is pleased to point out, he outraced Walters to their new division.  So why would the Minnesota light heavyweight title need to be at stake in a meeting between the two?  It would make more sense for them to fight for the (presumably) vacant Minnesota super middleweight title.  Then there would be no point in making the fight in Duluth.

The Fistic Mystic Says (part 2): Williams is self-managed, so he wants Chuck Horton or Zach Walters to contact him directly to begin negotiations for a fight.  Chuck and Zach, if you don’t have Williams’ phone number, please contact me and I’ll give it to you.  You both have my email address.

Caleb Truax: Ready to Move On

Fistic Mystic: So you beat Durrell Richardson on Friday night.  How do you feel?

Caleb Traux: I felt fine afterwards, man.  I wasn’t even tired.  I went eight rounds with a guy who didn’t really want to fight.  I was frustrated the whole time.  He didn’t want to fight, he just wanted to be a track star!

Fistic Mystic: Please share your thoughts on your win.

Caleb Truax: I’ve never fought anyone who was more interested in getting away than in fighting.  Even when I had him caught in the corner, he would make like Barry Sanders and juke and then run away.  That’s the story of the fight.  Obviously I didn’t agree with the one judge, but in the end I got the win, and that’s the important thing when you have an ugly fight like that one.  (The scores are reported as 80-72, 79-74, and 77-75 for Truax)

Fistic Mystic: Do you know when you’ll fight again?

Caleb Truax: I think I might fight the end of July in Saint Paul.  I’m not sure, I haven’t gone to the gym and discussed it with Tony and Ron yet, but hopefully on the 25th of July, which is a Saturday.  They’ve been talking about maybe Robert Kamya, I think he’s 16-10 or something.

Risk/Reward and Other Thoughts from “Cornered”

The title of tonight’s boxing event at Grand Casino Hinckley was “Cornered,” but the underlying theme seemed to be Risk and Reward.  Several fighters were taking big big risks and hoping for great results – not all got what they were looking for.

Willshaun Boxley took on a 10-1 opponent from the East Coast, and it did not pay the dividends he was hoping for.  Boxley is an extremely talented boxer with exceptional power and an engaging personality.  He can still go far in boxing, but he’s going to have to dust himself off and start over.  Boxley lost an important fight for a bad reason: inactivity.  I thought that Willshaun was going to get the decision because his opponent was on the retreat for at least half of their bout.  But he just didn’t generate enough offense  to secure the win.

Caleb Truax fought a tentative and uncertain bout but still got the win against his most pedigreed opponent.  Durrell Richards claims a 46-4 amateur record and carried an 11-2 pro record into his match with Truax.  Combine Truax’s performance with Richards’ penchant for technical boxing, and you get a real snoozer.   But a win is a win, and though some will say this fight proves that Truax isn’t ready for Andy Kolle, all it really proves is that Truax can beat Durrell Richards.  Tack another win on Truax’s record and he’s still an undefeated prospect.

Phil Williams is obviously the big winner here.  He put on a hair-raising display against a nationally-known opponent with lots of power.  He took the punches he had to in order to deliver his best shots, and he got the big win.  Not only that, but he got an enthusiastic endorsement from his vanquished foe.  And not only that, but he got some great highlight footage to put in his portfolio.  Williams saw his stock rise dramatically tonight, and as a result he might not have been bluffing when he said that he isn’t interested in Jungle Boy Zach Walters any more.

Marcus Oliveria, though he isn’t a hometown guy, deserves an honorable mention here.  He fought the highest-profile opponent of his career in Otis Griffin, and he won in definitive fashion.  He threw an uppercut that landed flush and was astonishingly effective against a tough and well-traveled pro.  Oliveria’s stock rises for another reason, too – his win against Phil Williams last August will get him a lot more mileage tomorrow than it did yesterday.

Congratulations to Michael Faulk on his first professional win.  Probably the first of many.  I wanted to talk to my friend Sean Hickman about his young charge afterwards, but I couldn’t find him. Personal to Sean:  Your man has respectable power and a good chin. But could you ask him please to not let future opponents hit him so easily?

I apologize to boxing fans who were following my round-by-round account of the fights.  I was using a computer with a diminished battery that didn’t last like it should have.  It must have been a comical (or exasperating) sight for those around me, as I kept darting for the power outlets after every fight (and during a couple of them as well).  In addition I suffered some connectivity challenges that I haven’t had in previous visits to Grand Casino Hinckley.  At one point I lost my connection completely and had to log back into the Grand Casino wireless system while a fight continued without me.  Consequently two rounds worth of description disappeared into oblivion, never to be seen again.  Hopefully this is a one-time thing.

I also want to apologize to Antwun Echols for the low-rent behavior of some local boxing fans.  A few taunted him from the safety of the expensive seats, some even shouting foolishness like “Nigger keep your hands down.”  Echols showed a lot more class than some of the fans at this event.  I didn’t turn around to look when it happened, but I wonder whether the clown who splashed his drink on my back was one of these jerkwads.