By Scoop Malinowski: Status: WBA # 3 ranked junior welterweight boxes on Thursday night in New York City at the Roseland Ballroom on the undercard of the IBF Junior Bantamweight title fight between champ Dimitri Kirilov and Cecilio Santos. Record: 27-0-1 (15 KO’s).
First boxing memory: My gym wars with current super middleweight Curtis Stevens at Starret City Boxing Club. Also the nice cars double parked outside the gym. It meant a famous pro was training inside..
Pre-fight meal: Grilled Chicken with sweet potato.
What do you do to relax: Hang out with my family, friends. In the summer I like to go to the beach or walk the boardwalk on Brighton Beach, Coney Island.
What training do you do between fights (if any): I always stay in the gym in between fights is the time to learn. I do more strength and conditioning training in between the scheduled bouts.
Typical breakfast: Eggs and pancakes with some fruit.
Toughest part of being a boxer: To be given the opportunity for your skills to be seen and your hard work respected. Because of my background often times I get stereotyped and stamped even by the people in power. That is tough.
Favorite music: Hip Hop, Matisyahu, Sade, some light rock and pop.
Last book read: ‘No Man Stands Alone: The True Story of Barney Ross.’ (Good book?) Awesome book, I really like biographies and this was one of the best ones.
Favorite film: I recently saw Crash and still can’t get over how good it was.
What car do you drive: 2005 Lexus ES 330 (black).
Where do you train: Starret City Boxing Club, Brooklyn, NY.
Training routine: Run in the morning followed by an afternoon boxing session sometimes mixed in with a strength and conditioning session in the evening.
Toughest man you faced: Myself, it’s hard to make your body do the necessary work when it doesn’t want to get up at 6 am.
If you weren’t a boxer what would you be: I like business and law. Something to do with the two.
Last vacation: Miami Beach.
Boxing inspirations: Oscar DeLa Hoya, Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali, Roy Jones and Floyd Mayweather.
Hobbies/Interests: I like to read books, biographical and historical. Music, movies.
First job: At the age of 10 I use to shovel people’s front yards when it snowed in the winter, I also remember during that time I use to pack bags for people in big grocery stores – don’t remember which one came first.
Favorite meal: Sushi
Favorite ice cream flavor: Chocolate
Pre-Fight feeling/mindset: It’s time for all the hard work to pay off and perform.
Funny boxing memory: At the J.O. Nationals I was hanging out with John Scully and he told me he had Muhammad Ali’s number that I should call him and say hello. He called a number and it sounded like Ali on the other side I left a message “Mr. Ali you are a great boxer it’s such an honor etc. I hear Scully and the crew laughing their heads off. It turns out it was Scully’s answering machine at home and his impersonation of The Greatest.
Greatest sports moment: Winning the Nationals the the Golden Gloves, as a pro winning the NABA title.
Most painful moment: Not getting the opportunity to fight Gavin Rees for the WBA Jr. Welter weight title
Worst injury: A cut from a head butt – 16 stiches.
People qualities most admired: Honesty, hard work, professsionalism and kindnesss.
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