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There were many fighters that I had the pleasure of meeting and working with. Many would take me to the side as I grew teaching me this and teaching me that. These were the guys when I was fighting whose voices I could clearly hear in the yelling of the crowd cheering me on and yelling instructions. In each of these guys was a great fighter.
Ka-dy King - I was around Ka-dy pretty much from the time that I started boxing. I was just a little guy but he would always spare time in his workouts to work with me in the ring. While he played with me as a cat would a mouse he was one who helped me greatly while I was coming up. In my bouts Ka-dy was always the most vocal and he cheered me on even when I was fighting a guy from the Kronk stable (Ka-dys gym). I remember watching him work, so smooth and skilled, a style similar to Alis except Ka-dys jab had some pop on it, no slaps from him. He was a hero in my young eyes, one of the top fighter in the state as an amatuer. They had to bring Jeremy Williams in to fight Ka-dy in the Diamond Gloves because frankly he was head and shoulders above what was in Detroit at the time.
As a pro I was certain that Ka-dy was a world champion just waiting for his chance. The perfect build, great skills and a personality that would light up a room when he walked into it. He never quite fought to his potential for one reason or another losing in a bid for a title against Darrius michelzski (spelling?) and dropped decisions to fighters who were far below Ka-dys standards.
No matter what happened with Ka-dy I will always love him like my big brother. While he might not have set the world on fire he brought so much into my world that I never would have known. Like I said he didnt set the world on fire but he will always be a champion in my eyes. Ka-dy is one great guy and was one hell of a good boxer in his time.
Marlon Thomas - When we were young Marlon and I would often spar. He was more experienced and was fighting out of the Kronk stable but he would come down often with Ka-dy to our gym to work. Marlon was another that I picked to be a champion one day. He was fast, he was slick and he was skilled. Marlon was another voice in the crowd that I could decipher out of all the yelling and screaming. Always yelling and pushing me forward in my bouts.
Marlon was another with extraordinary skills, but again for some reason he seemed to come up short when big chips were on the table. He fell short in his first 10 round bout that at the last minute was changed to a 12 round title fight when he faced Vernon Forrest. Marlon came up short but really made no excuses in defeat.
Marlon was another that helped me grow as a fighter. We would have some viscious throws down in the gym with Marlon nearly always coming out on top. But he was one who believed in me and always tried to help me whenever he could.
I remember after I retired I went down to Kronk to get a work out in. Going to the gym was always done in the hopes of sparring and this trip was no different. I went up to Walter Smith and asked him if I could spar abit with somebody, Walter looked at me like I was crazy and started tearing into my a$$ verbally. Thats when Marlon came up to Walter telling him in my defense that he was one of us (I was one of them). Marlon was like a brother growing up and this made the notion concrete in my mind.
While he never won a title Marlon was one of the most naturally gifted fighters that I have come acrossed. Even though he never won a belt he will always be a brother and champion in my eyes. I really wish that you could have seen his work in the gyms, a smaller version of Ray Robinson, he could do it all. And talk about personality, just like Ka-dy, Marlon could have a room full of people in hands as he joked about and in general just had fun. But ring a bell and that personality turned to a stone cold fighter as he should be.
I thank both Ka-dy and Marlon for their help, encouragement and brotherhood that they gave me through the years. Ka-dy used to tell me that I was a black kid trapped in a whiteboys body because of the way that I used to fight. I would always laugh and take it as the compliment that it was meant to be. These are examples of the brotherhood of fighters. We'd fight eachother and anybody else around who was game for it. The respect will always be there no matter how far we got because we grew up around eachother as fighters out of The Motor City. Ka-dy and Marlon are not my brothers by blood but we are bonded with the punches that we threw and painfully excepted as we grew. I will never forget Ka-dy or Marlon, thanks guys............Rockin'
Ka-dy King - I was around Ka-dy pretty much from the time that I started boxing. I was just a little guy but he would always spare time in his workouts to work with me in the ring. While he played with me as a cat would a mouse he was one who helped me greatly while I was coming up. In my bouts Ka-dy was always the most vocal and he cheered me on even when I was fighting a guy from the Kronk stable (Ka-dys gym). I remember watching him work, so smooth and skilled, a style similar to Alis except Ka-dys jab had some pop on it, no slaps from him. He was a hero in my young eyes, one of the top fighter in the state as an amatuer. They had to bring Jeremy Williams in to fight Ka-dy in the Diamond Gloves because frankly he was head and shoulders above what was in Detroit at the time.
As a pro I was certain that Ka-dy was a world champion just waiting for his chance. The perfect build, great skills and a personality that would light up a room when he walked into it. He never quite fought to his potential for one reason or another losing in a bid for a title against Darrius michelzski (spelling?) and dropped decisions to fighters who were far below Ka-dys standards.
No matter what happened with Ka-dy I will always love him like my big brother. While he might not have set the world on fire he brought so much into my world that I never would have known. Like I said he didnt set the world on fire but he will always be a champion in my eyes. Ka-dy is one great guy and was one hell of a good boxer in his time.
Marlon Thomas - When we were young Marlon and I would often spar. He was more experienced and was fighting out of the Kronk stable but he would come down often with Ka-dy to our gym to work. Marlon was another that I picked to be a champion one day. He was fast, he was slick and he was skilled. Marlon was another voice in the crowd that I could decipher out of all the yelling and screaming. Always yelling and pushing me forward in my bouts.
Marlon was another with extraordinary skills, but again for some reason he seemed to come up short when big chips were on the table. He fell short in his first 10 round bout that at the last minute was changed to a 12 round title fight when he faced Vernon Forrest. Marlon came up short but really made no excuses in defeat.
Marlon was another that helped me grow as a fighter. We would have some viscious throws down in the gym with Marlon nearly always coming out on top. But he was one who believed in me and always tried to help me whenever he could.
I remember after I retired I went down to Kronk to get a work out in. Going to the gym was always done in the hopes of sparring and this trip was no different. I went up to Walter Smith and asked him if I could spar abit with somebody, Walter looked at me like I was crazy and started tearing into my a$$ verbally. Thats when Marlon came up to Walter telling him in my defense that he was one of us (I was one of them). Marlon was like a brother growing up and this made the notion concrete in my mind.
While he never won a title Marlon was one of the most naturally gifted fighters that I have come acrossed. Even though he never won a belt he will always be a brother and champion in my eyes. I really wish that you could have seen his work in the gyms, a smaller version of Ray Robinson, he could do it all. And talk about personality, just like Ka-dy, Marlon could have a room full of people in hands as he joked about and in general just had fun. But ring a bell and that personality turned to a stone cold fighter as he should be.
I thank both Ka-dy and Marlon for their help, encouragement and brotherhood that they gave me through the years. Ka-dy used to tell me that I was a black kid trapped in a whiteboys body because of the way that I used to fight. I would always laugh and take it as the compliment that it was meant to be. These are examples of the brotherhood of fighters. We'd fight eachother and anybody else around who was game for it. The respect will always be there no matter how far we got because we grew up around eachother as fighters out of The Motor City. Ka-dy and Marlon are not my brothers by blood but we are bonded with the punches that we threw and painfully excepted as we grew. I will never forget Ka-dy or Marlon, thanks guys............Rockin'
Rockin'
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