I suppose that I should probably start from the beginning...which will take us back a few years. Off we go! In 2005, there was a show on TV, "The Contender." It was a reality TV show that featured professional boxers (most recognized are Peter Manfredo Jr. and Sergio Mora; as well as many others) who fought against each other to win a million dollar check. I'm not sure why I got hooked, but I did. When Matthew and I started dating in 2006, I remember suggesting to him that we watched the second season. Needless to say, we were weekly debating who we wanted matched up from the "east coast" and "west coast" teams, why one would beat the other, and who we wanted to win it all. Little by little, I started learning things about the sport of boxing. I am by no means super knowledgeable, but know enough to carry my way through a conversation.
Fast Forward to 2010.
I'll leave out all of the details, but my mother in law "reintroduced" Matthew and I to boxing. Three years later, we are avid fans, more so than we thought we'd be, and have been quite fortunate. We intensely follow the career of Edwin "La Bomba" Rodriguez, and more recently have started following Danny O'Connor. We've become friendly with Edwin and his wife (again I'll leave out the details,) and my parents and I met Danny at his fight last year; he was fighting on the same ticket as Edwin.
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| Rodriguez vs. Escalera 9/29/2012 |
My family is Irish. I don't mean "Hey it's St. Patrick's day, we're all Irish," I mean my heritage traces back to Ireland and my dad is always researching more about the family genealogy. (That's a whole different post!) When we were at Edwin's fight against Escalera (9/29/2012,) Danny O'Connor was also on the ticket. I'm not sure what sealed the deal there: that he's Irish, he had a raucous group of followers, or that there were bagpipers. My parents were done for before the first round began. Danny won his fight (thank goodness, that would've been embarrassing for my "die hard" parents,) and shortly after his fight, my parents were able to meet him. They were also lucky enough to have pictures taken with him. (Thank you Danny!) I of course was playing the role of paparazzi; probably not the greatest idea but they have to make do!
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| Danny & Dad |
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| Mom & Danny |
Less than 2 months after that fight in September, Danny announced he'd be fighting at "THE GARDEN," in Boston. It took me about 60 seconds to decide whether or not I'd be getting tickets. ...I purchased 6. Let me get slightly off track...In December, Matthew and I found ourselves dining with Edwin and his wife Stephanie. Did I mention he's 22-0...15 by way of knock out. No? Well he is. Reread that, and let it sink in. We told them about the new found interest my parents had with Danny (read as: another connection to Ireland,) and they (Edwin & Stephanie,) shared that they were hoping to attend the fight, which had been rescheduled to 1/26/2013.
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| Matthew, Me, Stephanie, and Edwin |
This past Saturday night, all decked out in our Danny O'Connor gear, we were in Boston at the Garden for boxing. Not hockey, not a concert, and not a basketball game...BOXING. It was CRAZY! Edwin was there as well, not as a competitor or as a fan, but working the corner for Danny in his bout against Derek "The Surgeon" Silveira. Read that back story here: Friend In The Corner. The atmosphere was absolutely electric. Clan O'Connor didn't fail to disappoint with their chants of "Here we go, here we go, Danny O;" the bagpipes were in full swing; and a local fighter was living his dream. Danny is from Framingham, which is pretty much a stone's throw away from Boston. The luck of the Irish was with him Saturday night (not that he really needed it,) and he won the fight, despite "odd" (I'm being nice,) scoring by one judge.
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| Fight Card |
Post Fight
After the fight, while chatting with my brother in law, it was great to see that he appreciated the sport and the talent of the men that were fighting that night. I knew when I ordered the tickets that he liked boxing, but that was it. My sister seemed to be on the fence, but I believe she enjoyed it. I completely agree with my brother in law's statement that "boxing is a fine art." I can only assume, and I'm sure those assumptions fall incredibly short; how physically exhausting going round after round with someone is. It's not only the physicality and the conditioning that is demanded of these boxers, there's the mental component. I can't begin to fathom the mental strength required to literally out smart another person while continuously keeping your body moving; especially when your every physical instinct is saying "STOP!" Or how about knowing you are going to get hit...repeatedly...very hard...and that with one blow, you could possibly be knocked out. It takes a certain person to become a boxer.
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| My Sister & Brother in Law |
Here's to the two of these local Massachusetts boxers (Rodriguez hails from Worcester and O'Connor from Framingham,) that are on the verge of becoming household names, if they're already not known in your home. So here's my challenge to all of you reading this, go to see them fight. You.will.not.regret.it. If you can't be there (geographically, financially, or whatever the reason may be,) order HBO (if that's the broadcasting channel,) for a night and watch their fight. It's just as exciting watching it on TV, and you can't say that about many other televised sports. They are talented; hard working; and have more ambition, passion, and "want" than the majority of professional athletes out there. (I'm aware I just called out the players in the NFL, NBA, and MLB; but what I said is true.) The dedication to their sport and the sacrifices they make (months at a time away from their families while they're training across the country,) are unparalleled compared to what the majority of 20 something year olds their ages are doing...myself included.
~Keep It ClaSea
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