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*Long Read*
I very recently went on a trip to LA. Being a boxing fan, I felt urged to go see Wildcard gym in Hollywood. So around 5 o clock, I went there. It was a bright sunny day in LA. I had it in mind to see some fighters, and train a little bit. It ended up being a lot more than I expected though. So I get there and I walk in I see plenty of fighters hitting the bag and what not as expected, you know. It was my mission to see Freddie Roach in the back room, though.
The first thing I saw when I walked into his office was Freddie Roach, shining Manny Pacquaio's jockstrap with a handkerchief and grease, and sat it on a podium next to Amir Khan's. I kid you not, he then tried to hide it behind his back when he first saw me...Umm Ok? Freddie Roach then greeted me and tripped into a gang of garbage cans almost simultaneously. I felt embarrassed for him. What a bad start.
I just walked out of his room without saying anything, leaving him there scrambling in the piles of filth and rubble on his floor. I felt ashamed to even be there and right there in the gym started re-evaluating my life. It was off to a bad start, how was I gonna train here after that? I made it for the door. But I noticed something on the way out.
Right there in the ring was Amir Khan, shadow boxing. Freddie Roach emerged from behind me with all kinds of dirt on him. I asked him "is that the real Amir Khan?" "It sure is boy, you ready for him?" I think he thought I was some kind of sparring partner sent for Khan. Some time went on and Roach looked at me and said "Say, your around 147, no? If you were to name one boxer you are most similar to and you fight like most in all of boxing who would it be?" It was a good question. And one that I was surely to give him a false answer to, I could tell it was an attempt to get me to spar with his fighter. Without ever knowing anything in the world about him just being booked to fight Khan, I replied "Luis Collazo"."Just the answer I wanted to hear" Roach said.
Just like that I was in the ring with Amir Khan, sparring! Against my discretion at that. But I was gonna make a go of it. We were wearing 16 oz gloves, and Roach said he couldnt bust a grape. And I thought he was right too. So screw it. You only live once. So we're in the ring sparring and the first thing I noticed aside from his great attributes like footwork, was that his chin looked very suspect, even with headgear on. So we're trading and BOOM! I knock him down with a swift one to the chin. It was only a jab. And he looked damn near comatose after it hit his chin.
I then looked around the gym and noticed Freddie Roach nor any of the spectators looked surprised. Freddie didnt even move a muscle or say anything. It was as if they were used to seeing it all the time or something. It was pretty much the lightest punch I have ever had thrown in my whole life, including when I was a little kid, and it all but killed Amir Khan. It must of just hit him on the right spot though.
He gets up relatively fast and we're back at it again. He hits me a few times. Im not gonna lie he had great speed. But we keep at it and we keep exchanging and BOOM! I connect AGAIN this time with a soft hook on the inside, crumples him like a jenga tower, and this time Freddie Roach gets up on the apron and to stop it. His people are all in the ring and we're done sparring. But for good measure I went over to his side and dropped him AGAIN as he stood up just because it looked so easy.
I was like wow. I Couldnt believe it. Then some time passes, and I see Amir with a cold towel on his head drinking water, when he says to me "lucky punch mate, but twas a good, good fight, isnt it?". He was on a stretcher. "Yea" I said "for sure". Meanwhile it wasnt a fight it was a sparring session and the whole ordeal lasted only about 46 seconds. I felt supremely embarrassed for Khan. I started making my way to the door again, to leave, when I heard "In another 5-10 minutes or so I'll be ready to have another roundabout yea?" from Khan. Oh jeez, I said to myself. He wants round 2 now? Smh. I couldn't leave at this point. Khan would throw too much of a hissy fit. I had to go through with it...
So we strap up and we're in the ring sparring once again for Round 2. Like nothing ever happened. I'm just sticking to all I know, which is circling and letting him touch me as little as possible. Its working though. I can see the look on his face getting frustrated. Hes catching me though plenty, but they dont hurt. Then...I dont know what really happened in the mean time but all I know is somewhere I caught him with a left hook. BAM! This one was actually pretty hard.
RIP Amir Khan (12/8/1986 - 3/24/2014)
As I was leaving I heard from Freddie "punch resistance getting better Amir, punch resistance getting better". He said that to him even as he was dead. I guess his chin was improving.
I very recently went on a trip to LA. Being a boxing fan, I felt urged to go see Wildcard gym in Hollywood. So around 5 o clock, I went there. It was a bright sunny day in LA. I had it in mind to see some fighters, and train a little bit. It ended up being a lot more than I expected though. So I get there and I walk in I see plenty of fighters hitting the bag and what not as expected, you know. It was my mission to see Freddie Roach in the back room, though.
The first thing I saw when I walked into his office was Freddie Roach, shining Manny Pacquaio's jockstrap with a handkerchief and grease, and sat it on a podium next to Amir Khan's. I kid you not, he then tried to hide it behind his back when he first saw me...Umm Ok? Freddie Roach then greeted me and tripped into a gang of garbage cans almost simultaneously. I felt embarrassed for him. What a bad start.
I just walked out of his room without saying anything, leaving him there scrambling in the piles of filth and rubble on his floor. I felt ashamed to even be there and right there in the gym started re-evaluating my life. It was off to a bad start, how was I gonna train here after that? I made it for the door. But I noticed something on the way out.
Right there in the ring was Amir Khan, shadow boxing. Freddie Roach emerged from behind me with all kinds of dirt on him. I asked him "is that the real Amir Khan?" "It sure is boy, you ready for him?" I think he thought I was some kind of sparring partner sent for Khan. Some time went on and Roach looked at me and said "Say, your around 147, no? If you were to name one boxer you are most similar to and you fight like most in all of boxing who would it be?" It was a good question. And one that I was surely to give him a false answer to, I could tell it was an attempt to get me to spar with his fighter. Without ever knowing anything in the world about him just being booked to fight Khan, I replied "Luis Collazo"."Just the answer I wanted to hear" Roach said.
Just like that I was in the ring with Amir Khan, sparring! Against my discretion at that. But I was gonna make a go of it. We were wearing 16 oz gloves, and Roach said he couldnt bust a grape. And I thought he was right too. So screw it. You only live once. So we're in the ring sparring and the first thing I noticed aside from his great attributes like footwork, was that his chin looked very suspect, even with headgear on. So we're trading and BOOM! I knock him down with a swift one to the chin. It was only a jab. And he looked damn near comatose after it hit his chin.
I then looked around the gym and noticed Freddie Roach nor any of the spectators looked surprised. Freddie didnt even move a muscle or say anything. It was as if they were used to seeing it all the time or something. It was pretty much the lightest punch I have ever had thrown in my whole life, including when I was a little kid, and it all but killed Amir Khan. It must of just hit him on the right spot though.
He gets up relatively fast and we're back at it again. He hits me a few times. Im not gonna lie he had great speed. But we keep at it and we keep exchanging and BOOM! I connect AGAIN this time with a soft hook on the inside, crumples him like a jenga tower, and this time Freddie Roach gets up on the apron and to stop it. His people are all in the ring and we're done sparring. But for good measure I went over to his side and dropped him AGAIN as he stood up just because it looked so easy.
I was like wow. I Couldnt believe it. Then some time passes, and I see Amir with a cold towel on his head drinking water, when he says to me "lucky punch mate, but twas a good, good fight, isnt it?". He was on a stretcher. "Yea" I said "for sure". Meanwhile it wasnt a fight it was a sparring session and the whole ordeal lasted only about 46 seconds. I felt supremely embarrassed for Khan. I started making my way to the door again, to leave, when I heard "In another 5-10 minutes or so I'll be ready to have another roundabout yea?" from Khan. Oh jeez, I said to myself. He wants round 2 now? Smh. I couldn't leave at this point. Khan would throw too much of a hissy fit. I had to go through with it...
So we strap up and we're in the ring sparring once again for Round 2. Like nothing ever happened. I'm just sticking to all I know, which is circling and letting him touch me as little as possible. Its working though. I can see the look on his face getting frustrated. Hes catching me though plenty, but they dont hurt. Then...I dont know what really happened in the mean time but all I know is somewhere I caught him with a left hook. BAM! This one was actually pretty hard.
RIP Amir Khan (12/8/1986 - 3/24/2014)
As I was leaving I heard from Freddie "punch resistance getting better Amir, punch resistance getting better". He said that to him even as he was dead. I guess his chin was improving.
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