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Andrew Golota shadowboxed in a ring inside the Chicago Boxing Club on the city's South Side as other clients came in and out of the spacious renovated second-story environs for an aerobics class and a women-only boxing lesson.
Now 40, the Polish-born Chicago heavyweight was training for his trip to China to face another veteran, Ray Austin, on Friday in what Golota hopes will be a stepping stone back to being a title challenger.
After 16 years in pro boxing, including four failed chances to win a world title, Golota understands he's in a must-win situation. When he's asked what keeps him in boxing after so many disappointments, his answer is simple: "I have won no major title," Golota said. "I want a title belt."
[+] EnlargeJamie Squire /Allsport
Many boxing fans thought they'd seen the last of Andrew Golota after he was blasted out in one round in 1997.
But there's more to it than that. Golota is well known in his native Poland, where he rose to elite status as an amateur and in his early days as a pro. These days, however, he's best remembered for embarrassing knockout losses to Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Michael Grant and Lamon Brewster. Polish media have been especially critical of their once-promising heavyweight, and the criticism has stung Golota.
Sparring partner Marcellus Brown once teased Golota about the Polish media critics -- and regretted it later. "He beat my ass badly," Brown said.
Against Austin, Golota isn't in it for the money, but rather for a place in line for a shot for a heavyweight title down the road. "There's no money in this fight," Golota said. "But there's a chance for a title fight if I win."
Indeed, promoter Don King's chief spokesman, Alan Hopper, said King wants to put Golota in against Nikolai Valuev, one of the three current heavyweight titlists, perhaps before the end of the year. "Don doesn't want to talk about matchups before contracts are made, but he likes that fight," Hopper said.
A dozen years have passed since Golota burst onto the heavyweight boxing scene via a most infamous entrance.
Actually, he went through the same door twice. He was outboxing Rid**** Bowe twice in 1996 bouts before being disqualified both times when his repeated low blows dropped Bowe in pain.
Fascination with the nicknamed "Foul Pole" convinced Don King that Golota's losses to Bowe earned him a net gain in marketability. Since that time, Golota has fought four title opportunities with mixed results, ranging from first-round knockout losses to Lewis and Brewster to a narrow loss to John Ruiz (who was knocked down twice) and a draw against Chris Byrd.
Net result: All four champions prevailed, and Golota never became heavyweight champion.
Now, with a record of 41-6-1 at age 40, Golota is in Chengdu, China, to face Austin, another heavyweight who has been to the championship ledge and fallen off, knocked out by champion Wladimir Klitschko in 2007.
"Ray's performance against Klitschko was his worst," said Austin's trainer, Dale Edwards, who reminds critics that his fighter battled to a draw against top contenders Sultan Ibragimov and Larry Donald.
Of Golota, Edwards said: "He has proven that he has the wherewithal to be there. He transcends what his age is because of his training and experience."
That experience includes a previous visit to China, where he knocked out Marcus Rhode on the first major American fight card there -- an April 2000 bout in Guangzhou.
Like Golota, Edwards and Austin believe Saturday's winner should get a title shot. "I will see what I can exploit," Austin said.
AP Photo/Ron Frehm
Andrew Golota caused a riot after repeatedly hitting Rid**** Bowe under the belt in their first fight in 1996.
Austin has watched the tape of Golota's first disqualification against Bowe, which ended in a melee in the ring and a riot in Madison Square Garden. "I was being entertained because of the ruckus," Austin said.
Austin isn't concerned about Golota's fouls in long-ago fights, which also included biting Samson Po'uha's neck in 1995 and head-butting Danell Nicholson a year later.
For his part, Golota tries to forget the worst of his showings, including quitting against Michael Grant after a knockdown and against Mike Tyson when he felt the referee and his own corner weren't protecting him against fouls.
Instead, he focuses on his triumphs, like his fifth-round knockout of Po'uha in 1995 -- Golota's most satisfying victory to date.
"In the fourth round, he hit me with the hardest right hand I'd ever felt, and he must have hit me 40 times in that round," Golota said. With a split cut on his forehead, Golota bought time by biting Po'uha before stopping him a round later.
Asked about Golota's checkered history and image as a man who has blown repeated chances to be a champion, Golota's trainer, Sam Colonna, said he feels his man should already have been awarded the decision in title-losing efforts. "If he had gotten the decisions against Ruiz and/or Byrd, bouts we think he won, nobody would have complained," Colonna said.
If Golota wins Saturday, he will go right back to the gym to be ready for bigger things. "One thing about Andrew: He might be a little crazy, but he stays in condition," Colonna said.
Golota's wife, Mariola, is torn between wanting her husband's dream come to fruition and wanting him to hang up the gloves for good.
"I'm kind of ambivalent about it," Mariola said as she watched him working out in the Chicago gym. "On one hand, I want him to retire. On the other hand, I know he is unfulfilled. I need to be supportive."
Michael Hirsley received two first-place Barney awards for his columns in 2006.
Now 40, the Polish-born Chicago heavyweight was training for his trip to China to face another veteran, Ray Austin, on Friday in what Golota hopes will be a stepping stone back to being a title challenger.
After 16 years in pro boxing, including four failed chances to win a world title, Golota understands he's in a must-win situation. When he's asked what keeps him in boxing after so many disappointments, his answer is simple: "I have won no major title," Golota said. "I want a title belt."
[+] EnlargeJamie Squire /Allsport
Many boxing fans thought they'd seen the last of Andrew Golota after he was blasted out in one round in 1997.
But there's more to it than that. Golota is well known in his native Poland, where he rose to elite status as an amateur and in his early days as a pro. These days, however, he's best remembered for embarrassing knockout losses to Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Michael Grant and Lamon Brewster. Polish media have been especially critical of their once-promising heavyweight, and the criticism has stung Golota.
Sparring partner Marcellus Brown once teased Golota about the Polish media critics -- and regretted it later. "He beat my ass badly," Brown said.
Against Austin, Golota isn't in it for the money, but rather for a place in line for a shot for a heavyweight title down the road. "There's no money in this fight," Golota said. "But there's a chance for a title fight if I win."
Indeed, promoter Don King's chief spokesman, Alan Hopper, said King wants to put Golota in against Nikolai Valuev, one of the three current heavyweight titlists, perhaps before the end of the year. "Don doesn't want to talk about matchups before contracts are made, but he likes that fight," Hopper said.
A dozen years have passed since Golota burst onto the heavyweight boxing scene via a most infamous entrance.
Actually, he went through the same door twice. He was outboxing Rid**** Bowe twice in 1996 bouts before being disqualified both times when his repeated low blows dropped Bowe in pain.
Fascination with the nicknamed "Foul Pole" convinced Don King that Golota's losses to Bowe earned him a net gain in marketability. Since that time, Golota has fought four title opportunities with mixed results, ranging from first-round knockout losses to Lewis and Brewster to a narrow loss to John Ruiz (who was knocked down twice) and a draw against Chris Byrd.
Net result: All four champions prevailed, and Golota never became heavyweight champion.
Now, with a record of 41-6-1 at age 40, Golota is in Chengdu, China, to face Austin, another heavyweight who has been to the championship ledge and fallen off, knocked out by champion Wladimir Klitschko in 2007.
"Ray's performance against Klitschko was his worst," said Austin's trainer, Dale Edwards, who reminds critics that his fighter battled to a draw against top contenders Sultan Ibragimov and Larry Donald.
Of Golota, Edwards said: "He has proven that he has the wherewithal to be there. He transcends what his age is because of his training and experience."
That experience includes a previous visit to China, where he knocked out Marcus Rhode on the first major American fight card there -- an April 2000 bout in Guangzhou.
Like Golota, Edwards and Austin believe Saturday's winner should get a title shot. "I will see what I can exploit," Austin said.
AP Photo/Ron Frehm
Andrew Golota caused a riot after repeatedly hitting Rid**** Bowe under the belt in their first fight in 1996.
Austin has watched the tape of Golota's first disqualification against Bowe, which ended in a melee in the ring and a riot in Madison Square Garden. "I was being entertained because of the ruckus," Austin said.
Austin isn't concerned about Golota's fouls in long-ago fights, which also included biting Samson Po'uha's neck in 1995 and head-butting Danell Nicholson a year later.
For his part, Golota tries to forget the worst of his showings, including quitting against Michael Grant after a knockdown and against Mike Tyson when he felt the referee and his own corner weren't protecting him against fouls.
Instead, he focuses on his triumphs, like his fifth-round knockout of Po'uha in 1995 -- Golota's most satisfying victory to date.
"In the fourth round, he hit me with the hardest right hand I'd ever felt, and he must have hit me 40 times in that round," Golota said. With a split cut on his forehead, Golota bought time by biting Po'uha before stopping him a round later.
Asked about Golota's checkered history and image as a man who has blown repeated chances to be a champion, Golota's trainer, Sam Colonna, said he feels his man should already have been awarded the decision in title-losing efforts. "If he had gotten the decisions against Ruiz and/or Byrd, bouts we think he won, nobody would have complained," Colonna said.
If Golota wins Saturday, he will go right back to the gym to be ready for bigger things. "One thing about Andrew: He might be a little crazy, but he stays in condition," Colonna said.
Golota's wife, Mariola, is torn between wanting her husband's dream come to fruition and wanting him to hang up the gloves for good.
"I'm kind of ambivalent about it," Mariola said as she watched him working out in the Chicago gym. "On one hand, I want him to retire. On the other hand, I know he is unfulfilled. I need to be supportive."
Michael Hirsley received two first-place Barney awards for his columns in 2006.