A Dollar and a Dream in the South Bronx: Coming up in the Boxing Mecca (Part II.)

There is still people trying to show there the boss of the town but when there cout it is more then like they will be back to their ways once they get out of jail. Police out there is just waiting for someone to f**k up again. So when there is a fight in the gym or at the Garden that is just another day for a cop. And for minorities it is just another day of crime, nothing new. Happy you Won fight, sorry about the distraction “nothing we can do but watch”.

Boxing is a very common outline in inner city men and youth to escape the harsh realities of institutionalize poverty. Winning is all these men know losing is apart of life. Challenges are the height of what it is to overcome obstacles…Are these men still live facing jail time or being apart of the social constructed of the working class?

I am impressed, the comparison you made with veterans and boxers in the process of reintegrating to society as regular civilians was really accurate and not many of us think about that because for many of them boxing is the only thing they have known their entire lives and once they finished their careers, finding themselves performing regular activities can be really hard because it might bring them memories of who they used to be or simply can take time for many of them to have a stable regular life after experiencing in a way certain acknowledgements or awards for what they have done in the past; as was the case of Weasel, who fought so many fights and even the impediments he currently has, he said wouldn’t change anything but not because he wouldn’t like to do it, is because that’s all that he knows. I really like the styles of your writing because it makes it easier for us as reader to follow it and understand it, plus its really clear and the terms are familiar ones making it even better.

It is sad that people still think that they own the town just because they showed in the past that they can intimidate you or the community. I’m glad that you won the fight against the rapist, but as you said God works in a mysterious way and make you see that when you saw the big guy giving away the information about God.

I am impressed to see that many of those guy you mantion on the article never change their way of being, even though boxing is a sport that require people to be obedient. Also I like the part where you mantion the man you fought few mouth before and then you saw him in 3rd av and 149 st delivering pamphlet to people, I know that the last thing people might have on mind and also you was to see “Tyson” delivering pamplet from his church to others.

Boxing is a lifestyle for some but the way people handle certain situations reflects on their lives. Once you are put through tough times in life it may make you stronger or weaker it all depends on how you take it & how you decide to act upon it afterwards, just because you have seen bad things & have had a rough life doesn’t mean you have to be a “bad” person or live with anger. It’s not excuse to act the way life has acted with you with others you can change for the better and move on with life in a more positive way. It’s not always about becoming that person or event you been through. Definitely agree life unfolds in strange ways. There are questions you may never get answers to.

in this second part, you gave a different view of boxing. You gave your example to show the risk many of this men go through when boxing and how many go in to the ring to get some money to pay bills and survive. Also Larcely’s story of taking his anger in the ring which is what many of this street boxers do.

This part sums up plenty of chaotic and negative things that happen among the background of boxing. Cops coming in daily to the gym to either cuff someone up or spectate sends a huge message towards readers. In my thoughts I question what these boxing gyms do about the countless horrible people that enter them. To fight a rapist, not knowing that person was one until after, is pretty scary. Larceny is no exception, as dark as his background is, this story of him is cruelty at its finest.

Without a doubt it think this section of ” A Dollar and a Dream in the South Bronx: Coming up in the Boxing Mecca (Part II.)” Relates to me alot as a martial artist. During my senior year of high school I was the captain of my wrestling team and boy was I enthusiastic for my first  competition , not because of fear of loosing or just winning but the chance to prove myself on the matt. Hard work,sweat,  and six days of the week we’re dedicated to the grind and dieting wasn’t an option it was a requirement  . Also I too have suffered a back injury known as the inherniated disk, except I wasn’t punched by a ferocious man. Larceny was by far the person  who took my mind while reading, his attitude towards life matched his boxing; so barbaric truly this tells you what lose can do to a man if he is never helped.

Its sucks to have people who life is based on fighting , and who’s reactions is always negative. you would think going into the boxing center would be a positive place but you have cops their waiting till the bad guys finish up and leaving the place to end of messing up. As for Larceny it sucks that he had to grow up with that mentality due to losing his father and not having his mom either.

Boxing was clearly a passion for most of these men but while some found out it could not provide financially they were forced to go back to life as a hustler. Everyone shares a dream of finding some ways of making it big, while some give up others keeps on thriving hoping one day their dream would become a reality. Too bad for most that day is no where in the near future, but You are truly a fighter.

It explained perfectly the brutal elements of boxing, everything from the conditions in gyms to the trauma caused by boxing. I thought that it was crazy how you beat up the rapist but lost to the 7th day adventist . As far as larceny goes he is either in jail or dead being that no one has seen him in years. I would have never thought of you as a boxer prior to being a teacher

Many of the fighters find boxing as the only way to make money. Others box so that they can get away from the stress of society. Others are full of rage, and do not care of others feelings or if they will harm somebody they will take out their anger on innocent individuals.

The second part of the article describes everything clearer for me to understand the emotions a fighter goes thru especially the fears before a fight and the joy after a win. It’s a shame that talented people lose themselves in the road before they accomplish their dreams and also the ones whom can’t continue boxing but don’t do anything else because that’s the only thing they have seen and done. I believe you fighters out there are brave and courageous. I would be scared to death to even confront someone let alone fight as a sport. Even though I think that it depends on the situation and I have never been in the position of defending myself or a loved one.

“Boom! I don’t know if it came from heaven or hell, but I got hit with a fist-bludgeon that knocked me out.” LMFAO!!! This part had me cracking up laughing because I can see it in my head as I read it. It almost reminds me of a Tom & Jerry episode with the sound effects and the heaven and hell stuff. I like how the article gets deeper and deeper into details and the boxers, especially the Larceny dude. It’s no one’s place to judge him but I fee like he should’ve used all that frustration and anger he had dealing with what he dealt with his entire life and used it in the ring instead of all of the extra dumb side stuff he was doing. I’m guessing he probably did get arrested or he moved someplace else to start his life over with a brand new start.

This portion was an introduction of the dark side of boxing to me. I would have never guessed that the stories of some the boxers were so dark. I felt that the tone was equally as dark as their backgrounds. For you to have fought a rapist, unknowingly, was a bit scary and just goes to show that you never know what type of person you are dealing with. Larceny seemed to be a very cruel man, whom I would hate to have any sort of run ins with. I honestly hope that Larceny is off the streets or somewhere doing better than what he was doing before.

It was very hard, what you passed through just to know that you didn’t had no heater or hot water, its horrible and also not even having a window. I could imagine that situation and stoll said the same. Too hard. Even though I am not a boxing fan, I feel identify in some way when you said “I love training but going to war and the anxiety one feels when there was a fight coming up never was easy” well the same thing happens to me when I have to give an speech. I love preparing myself but its not so easy for me to perform that well. I also liked when you said “regardless of the result, the aftermath of a fight is a great feeling” comparing it to my previous personal story, after I deliver my speech it is what I present and that’s it. There were many emotions by seeing Larceny story. I met a friend like 3 years ago and one day he told me a similar story about his parents. It’s so sad and it bring me too many emotions because it reminds me of my friend that by the way I have see him for more than 2 years.

Growing up in Brooklyn and moving to the Bronx in the 90’s, I was never aware that so many boxers came out of the Bronx. What I did know was a lot of inmates took a liking to boxing as a defense mechanism inside. But to read of you boxing a rapist unknowingly, I wonder if you had known prior to the fight, would you have had more aggression towards him because he was a convicted rapist

Boxing seems to have a very dark side, it’s sometimes unknown. It’s interesting to see how Larceny somewhat overcame what he’s gone through but at the same time it also letting it interfere with his life by not letting anyone in and still holding his past over his head. Him being in boxing has its good and its bad it does keep him off the streets but his fighting in the ring might not completely take away all his anger he has towards the world. It could always lead to getting killed or in jail as you said. You can always bring more out what it is in life.

I found very ironic how a 7th Day Adventist would be a boxer. Even though I am very open-minded compared to how I used to be, I found this surprising. “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover!” I though he was a horrible man for making him not able to stand up for three months. Perhaps, he has reasons why he does boxing as many have. I am also sadden my Larceny’s background and I cannot say I understand why he turned out to be that way because I believe we can overcome certain obstacles. Then again, I am in no position to say anything since I have not gone through those hardships.

This is a good example of pure hard work. although theres a lot of negative things that happen in the world of boxing because of peoples backgrounds it shows the hustle and encounters that constantly challenge ones pride and confidence. It also shows how traumatizing events can forever haunt a person without them even knowing that’s the reason of their actions.

I think the community should care more about boxing gyms, as you said, you used to trained without AC in a not very good looking place. And that’s a reality, I live by 142 street and willis Avenue, there is an old church around here that they use as a boxing gym. By the way this location look I don’t think they have AC either, some times I see black and Latinos around wearing their boxing gloves.

The part 2 of this boxing article brought out some of the pain these boxers go through, really boxing is not an easy thing to do.the challenge of going to war with some tough and hardened people cannot be over emphasized. the pain and risk that go with it, is so much to think about and according to the writing one can hardly make it to the top.some of the boxers suffer the after-effect that could so high a price to be paid just to entertain others for instance Smokes who had lost what time of the day it is.moreover some who had suffered so much continue because they do not know what else they do for a living the article shows the example of Weasel who lost concentration after about 35 fights and still continue fighting because he believe there is nothing else he do.finally the article also shows once childhood can seriously affect once future with the example of Larceny the most stone cold heartless competitor. larceny witnessing the murder of his father and being abandoned by his mother made him to grow up in foster homes and turned him into cold heartless fighter that he is.

This part further developed the fact that anyone can be anything. A man of god with a killer right hand and an orphaned child who grew up to be a merciless fighter created from intensified rage and emotion. No one can understand another’s struggles. There are people who may be in positions 100 times worse than yours. This article teaches one not to judge be to ve wary and observant of who might enter your ring next.

You never know who you are with until you get around enough with people that you are able to see what their realities are. It was funny and impressive how those guys
who you fought with had their own “paths” even though one was related to church is still controversial, the other one is just sad. Now Larceny’s story is pretty motivational but it is actually something that many people have to face. Many times the situation of not having parents for “X” reason turns to be the reason that makes someone work hard, it does not always happen but those who do it achieve success.

We are so used to seeing one side of the boxing world and not really delving in deep to the true reality that these individuals have gone through, one quote that really stood with me was Frederick Douglas’ memoirs, how “he recalled how the slaves were barred from learning how to read and write but were encouraged to wrestle and fight for the enjoyment of their masters every Sunday.” and this is in relation to that boxing is the only thing that gives life and meaning to these individuals but one false mistake that may land them in life sentence and their freedom revoked and the sport of boxing is taken as well then they become the shell of their former selves. Stories and Testimonies such as this being presented to us really do hit home.

We are so used to seeing one side of the boxing world and not really delving in deep to the true reality that these individuals have gone through, one quote that really stood with me was Frederick Douglas’ memoirs, how “he recalled how the slaves were barred from learning how to read and write but were encouraged to wrestle and fight for the enjoyment of their masters every Sunday.” and this is in relation to that boxing is the only thing that gives life and meaning to these individuals but one false mistake that may land them in life sentence and their freedom revoked and the sport of boxing is taken as well then they become the shell of their former selves. Stories and Testimonies such as this being presented to us really do hit home.

Shaw is right when he mentions the below-luxury conditions of the gyms that train us modern day gladiators. But it’s only fitting–how can a soldier become a hardened killer, essentially, while also being fed the luxuries that are available to tech nerds and dentists? Now, anyone that wants to fight, is allowed to fight–nerds included. However, the argument I make is that gyms are a representation of the struggle to become the best fighter in the planet; the struggle is ugly and tough. It is only reasonable then, to expect that the best fight gyms are located in the inner cities, and not suburbs as much. Rent is too high for struggling fighters, and their isn’t enough grass for country clubs in the inner cities. Therefore, the physical conditions of the gym are a part of the lifestyle choice made by the fighter. And in may ways, no fighter even truly cares about A.C. or showers more than they do getting their arms raised after a several rounds of battle.

It was very baffling to know that you had won the fight with the rapist yet lost the one with the 7th Day Adventist. It shows that life does work in mysterious ways and sometimes in ways we just can’t understand. Many men were put in the situation where they had to begin to live normal lives after their careers had come to an end. It shows how hard it was for them to transition to having a normal lifestyle. This simply because they were probably already use to what they did and wanted to go back. I know for me it would be a really tough thing to do. Boxing seems to have become a lifestyle for them which helped them out a bit more. It’s shown through the descriptions of how you would train. It wasn’t something that didn’t get in the way rather made you want to go stronger.

Although boxing can be a sport where people can escape the outside world, it can also cause physical or emotional damage to fighters. Not many people are lucky to get off a ring and escape metal or physical damage. In addition, I feel that when boxing, individuals never really know their competitor. Life is a funny thing because there are times where people encounter situations or other individuals and don’t know the impact they can have on their lives. For example, the encounter with the rapist. Who knew you would be fighting a rapist or someone who has done harmful things. Overall, i believe that people who box have had experienced something that has shaped them to who they are now. It is very inspiring to see how some people choose to live a healthy and positive life and diverse that positivism to others around them.

Boxing isn’t something only one type of people do. There was a rapist, then there was a church goer in just two fights. So a hobby or a life style can be shared by different types of people. One thing was for sure, once you entered the fight world, it is hard to get out of it. I love the analogy used to compare slaves used to fight to boxers. They are trained to think a certain way with the goal to win. Then when they want to turn that switch off and not think like a boxer, the cannot.

I find it interesting that boxing is used for people to work on their selves. Many people have very different backgrounds that they don’t talk about, or not many people know that much about. Like Larz Chapman people didn’t know his background but he was a rapist, and not everyone knew about it. So it’s surprising what people are capable of. Another person Tyson he went to church you would think why is a church person boxing? So you’re never really going to know the different types of people you can encounter boxing, and why they are boxing.

From reading this article, You never know a persons background and what they are capable of. You know of a person what they want to tell you, no matter how much you think you might know someone you really do not know everything about them. People though that they knew Larz Chapman and Tyson who were a rapist and a person that is well devoted to his religion. There are people from all walks of life in boxing and you do not always know their story no matter what they tell you because their is not everyone tells you the complete story they tell you what you want to hear

This part of the story showed how two individuals may be fighting in a ring both with the mindset of winning the gold, however like mentioned in the first part, one may know their opponent but not their background. For instance, the story of Larz Chapman who after the fight got arrested for another sexual harassment charge, makes one think of the well known saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” In the perspective of a fighter, their objective is to know their opponents skills of fighting, in order to know the timing of their punches, and when to dodge them, yet outside the ring, their opponent might hold another story. What I found interesting is that this story was broken down into categories that reflected the stories of different boxing champions who were skilled at the sport, yet had different motivations to keep boxing and throw those hard punches. For example, the background story of Larceny who saw his father be murdered in front of him and say that his only warm up was thinking of his father’s death, shows how boxing is a source of the crossing of paths between individuals who enjoy boxing and who hold different motivations to succeed in it.

The boxing world can become powerful to those that are involved with it, it can result to be the only world that people know. In oppressed communities it can be acknowledge how individuals approach boxing, hoping and thinking that they will be successful in this career. This becomes their passion and a lot of their energy is put into it, because for some it is the way that they can support and provide for their families. Furthermore it doesn’t matter what the circumstances are, if the temperature it’s cold or hot those who go to the boxing gym will get through anything without complains.

this reading is a clear example of the oppressed America. It reflects not only to those fighting in the ring but also those individuals who are fighting poverty, racial discrimination and those who are the outsiders of our society.
I really like the Trauma part of the article. where you talk about the veterans coming home. I always ask myself why America send our fathers, brothers, sisters, mothers, friends to fight in a war that isn’t our war and when they come back home, if they ever come back to America it seems like they don’t care? As they don’t belong in our society? This veteran who fight for our “freedom” shouldn’t be treated as heroes? Should they have proper benefits, better health care, better support in any way for all of them and their families?

In this section of the article you get into depth about the life as a boxer. It shows how much dedication and passion boxers have, that no matter what the weather they always trained. As for the boxer that was a rapist, I believe that if you knew his background you would have demolished him. As you have mentioned boxing could get you really injured. The rapist was washed up and only felt superior by rapping others. On the other side, the adventist was able to think clear and to focus on his challenge and how to overcome it. Since, he doesn’t have a bad conscience, that he is constantly thinking about. It is clear to me now how hard it is to actually make it big in the boxing career, which is practically almost impossible. As for the health issues, you could potentially be diagnosed with parkinson’s disease, which Muhammad Ali had and died from. Some don’t know a world outside of boxing. Things could easily get out of control. Being able to Fight all these people brings courage into you and to be able to learn new skills. It is also a way to observe and understand people through their past and how it made them who they are.

After reading this article, I feel like my perspective on the sport boxing has changed. I felt the fighting that went on in the rings was very dangerous, but I had never taken into consideration just how much damage can be done to a person and the overall effect boxing can have on a person. In this article, the different ways a person can be harmed physically from boxing are discussed. Other than the negatives about boxing, there are many positives that are shown too. People learn new skills like how to defend themselves properly in a fight, how to have courage and be confident in themselves enough to actually enter the ring, and they learn how to read people. This article demonstrates that boxing can bring change into people’s lives for the better.

Even though boxing can provide an escape for some people, it can also take a physical and emotional toll on the fighters. It is not uncommon for people to have problems from boxing. Additionally, boxing brings people with completely different situations together; someone may never know who their competitor really is. For instance, the story with the rapist demonstrated how boxing allows people to be face to face with dangerous, harmful people. What interested me about this story was how it was arranged to display boxing champions and their stories. It exposed how each boxer had their own motivations for throwing each punch; specifically, Larceny thinks of his father’s death and the image of his murder as a motivation for his hard punches. Boxing can be an outlet for people with completely different lives to come together and succeed.

This portion was very enlightening on the negative aspects of being a competitor and the troubled lives of a lot of these boxers.Many view sports as a way to make it big, but many don’t have a backup plan to support themselves in cases of failure or debilitating injury. The part of the article that stuck with me the most is when you mention the slave masters using their slaves for entertainment, and compared it to the poor being used for entertainment in sports today. Often, those being oppressed fail to recognize their oppressor and they ways they are being exploited for their benefit. I still believe, however, athletics is a good method to prevent people of lower class communities from ending up incarcerated or dead, if the education system has failed them in the past. Boxing clearly has a significant impact on those who choose to pursue it. Only a dedicated person would chose to train in such rough conditions in order to perfect their craft. I’m sure others would come up with dozens of excuses why they shouldn’t, but these people the time out their own busy lives to do something that gives them hope and sense of self.

Traumatic events can permanently take a toll on one’s life. For Larceny, his father died in front of him and his mom abandoned him. This undoubtedly changed his life in a negative way. I can’t imagine the different ways this affected his life. It’s unfortunate how he carries his social life. He chooses to be numb and anti social. His “job” as a career home invader is alarming. I believe he finds it appropriate to do. Aside from all this, Larceny has a true passion for boxing. I feel that his attitude towards life is equal to his attitude towards boxing- rough.

This article seems to be a bit of a tough one. Professor Shaw starts off talking about how tough it was to workout in a gym during 98 degree weather without an ac and how cold it was in the gym. It was so cold to workout that even when they sweated it was tough to shower due to how unhygienic the showers were. Sometimes they would just turn the water on and get so water on a towel and sap their skin. Pretty tough if you were to think about it. Goes to show how tough life can be certain times. Just as Shaw continues from part 1, he dealt with murders, rapists, addicts and role models. He sparred with one guy who had just dealt with a 15 year rape charge, just got out and is now going back again right after a match. As soon as the match was over, went straight back to upstate for sexual harassment. Then Shaw ended up fighting a tough guy who owned the name as “Tyson”. Tyson was the name due to how big he was. Standing at 6’2″ and 275 pounds, thats a pretty big guy. However, Shaw was able to fight him and win in the 5th round until he was pushed to fight again in the 6th round. This was the round where Shaw got knocked out and ended up losing. As Shaw was walking down 3rd ave a few months he came across Tyson handing out brochures on church. He then thought to himself, wow, i just fought a rapist and beat him up, but got knocked out by a 6’2 adventist.

Pretty tough story towards the end with the man who witnessed his father get murdered in front him and his mother leaving him. Leaving him to grow up on his own and survive from one foster care to another, it make’s it seem like it’s a movie. Tough life ties into tough people. Having to lure others into tricking people to do certain things just so he can be slick to temporarily steal someone’s house, it was smart and clever yet wrongful of him. People face the tough life and Shaw has been there to notice it and see it all yet has escaped the wrong route of life by following the right things in life of not going down the wrong road.

Boxing too many can be considered a competitive sport, a way of exercising or a form of self-defense however, it can also leave competitors physically and emotionally injured. One loss can hurt a fighter mentally or cause heavy physical trauma to their bodies. In addition, I feel that when boxing, individuals never really know their competitor. In general, I found through experience that people who box have a back story to what they live for and how they describe themselves. In the end, the inspiration boxing gives people leads them to live a healthier life.

Boxers are unaware on what their opponents background are as they are only aware of the bit of information giving based on their advertisement. Professor Shaw went up against an offender not knowing this truth, as this could have gone many other ways. His life was at risk no matter what kind of offender his opponent was. Showing how fighters have no clue who they are fighting they should be able to know who they are coming up against or whether their life is at risk. One thing that really caught my attention was when Larceny mention that he didn’t warm up and that his fathers death was his warm up he never healed from his fathers death. As you could see his reason in fighting was his father and imagining that his killer was his opponent, with so much anger accumulated an explosion of mistakes could happen. Boxing is a very dangerous sport as a human body could not take a huge amount of beatings, so many punches to our head could be the cause of memory loss or even death. Daniel Shaw himself wasn’t aware of the injury that he had until he tried moving his head side ways, might be a sport that accepts you for who you are but can also be the sport that shows you to your death.

In part two of the article, you are taught to expect the unexpected. It is explained how you never know who your next adversary is going to turn out to be. People backgrounds one way or another leads them to box. For example Larceny , a motherless man whose father had also been murdered. Only he himself knew the pain and misery that was going on in his life. Although not much was said by him , it can be assumed that while in the ring all the pain vanishes and the past the has held on to him is gone. Those couple of minutes that is nothing but fighting to a regular person on the streets is his couple of minutes of liberation

There is a deeper meaning to what we see happening in the ring. Professor Shaw went into a match without knowing his opponent. As many boxers go in the ring, the only know of how well their opponent can fight back, little do they know the background of this person. This is exactly how life is, you may know what you have coming, but you do not understand why. Boxing is much more than a sport. I know my family watches boxing matches on tv and sit there and critique the boxers, but they have no idea of what that boxer faces day to day. I know a lot of my classmates are amazed that a guy from the church can be a boxer, but for me personally it is irritating to think that people assume that because someone goes to church they would not take up a rough sport. At the end of the day, where you come from or what beliefs you have does not define who you are. For example, Larceny, his father died in front of him and his mom abandoned him. This changed his life in a negative way. I can’t imagine the different ways this affected his life, but there he is still in the ring. Boxers can face rapist, churchmen or even professors.

I like this post in particular for the section on “Motherless” I feel like this aspect of this blog delineates a lot of people growing up in poor neighborhoods without much of a standing ground or mentality and emotionality stable parents to guide them in life. Although it is a tragedy and horrific to see, many people choose to push these neighborhoods to the bottom of the forgotten. Larceny reminded me of one of the series which I loved, The Wire . There was this one character in the show named Omar and he would use females as well as a distraction to steal corner boys’ drugs.

This article showed the reality of a boxer. Every life experience mentioned here let me understand that Boxing demands the most out of its athletes. It’s not just physical exhaustion, but also the mental concentration required in boxing. It’s the willingness to confront not only your opponent, but also your own fear. This sport is not only about the result, but the before, and the after with the challenges and traumas that Shaw mentioned.
In boxing, your opponent has one objective: to hurt you and this makes boxing one of the more difficult Sports.

I feel like the unexpected opponent’s background can be apply to other sports beside boxing. However, boxing is a sport that can contact directly to opponents body unlike fencing that I used to do in high school. Which means opponents can get severe injuries such as physically but also mentally. One of the part that I was very interested about was the part where boxing trainees are trained like a gladiator, ready to fight for costing your own life. They are trained to be professional. Unlike boxing, I some how agree how intensive the practice trainees have to go through. As a fencer, I also experience similar intensive practices. Of course, it wasn’t like intensive boxing practice, I had to wake up at 6 o’clock in the morning, running 8 laps everyday, and practice almost 4 hours without resting was like hell to me. I can still remember those days, I literally had to scream every morning because I really want to give up. Well I couldn’t give up easily because I just couldn’t give up something that I already put my half of middle school and entire high school life. At least, fencing is a sport that doesn’t threat your life, but boxing does threat your life. So, It was very interesting and some how I can agree how athletes are facing challenges every day.

Boxing is a serious sport and people are risking their lives to box for a living but when it feels like the “hood” is not giving them purpose, boxing gives them purpose. They find the means of fighting to support their family. To find out that someone you fought was a rapist must have made you want to revisit them in the ring. You just never know someone’s past or someone’s history. Till this day people want ownership over things that will never truly be theirs.

This part of the article, it specks about the unexpected. It talks about how you should always expect the unexpected. This can apply to life not just boxing because you never know what life will throw at you. It was interesting to learn the back stories boxers, and how they have coped or not coped with certain things.

This second collection of stories depict how impoverished neighborhoods are the breeding ground for the greatest of champions and respectively, the greatest of losers. For some, the greats are the products of the nurtured. For others, the byproduct of a torn home, bred by hate and grown to spread hate. Everyone has a story, not remembered for their origin but recognized by the legacy they choose to leave behind.

You truly never understand what a person may go through. Or that the way they act reflects their background. In these two articles we see backgrounds and stories of struggle and perseverance. People finding a way out.

I was speechless by all the drama that happened in the boxing world. I found it interest how you boxed in betances my grandparents lived around that area. I always wanted to box in that center. I found it interesting when you spoke about the guy you fought who was a rapist.

Very interesting series. The bronx has an incredible mixture of people. It’s really crazy that you one day would be boxing with a rapist and another with a church man, that just shows no matter how different people can be there’s always things we have in common. We all need a way to let out our daily stress and our anger.

It’s crazy how great fighters have a crazy background and know nothing but the streets to help them survive in everyday life. Who knows if your friend would have had a different story how successful he could have been I boxing; instead of robbing and killing people for money.

I never saw boxing in this way. I always thought it was something that was on tv for the audiences entertainment. In this article I see that people dedicate their life to what I would consider a sport. With all the injuries and danger that it may bring, individuals do enjoy it and take it very serious. It took me by surprise seeing that after the experience people have with boxing and what they may have lost, they would still do it again because ” it’s the only thing they know”.

My favorite part was when Weasle had screamed black power and Puerto Rican power like he was still giving his speech. Boxing is all he knows how to do.

Wow, this real life story is too real for many of my old peers. I grow up in the Bronx but family did they’re best to keep put of trouble but not from the demon that hunt my friends

It definitely describes what it hustling really means n how boxing really meant the world to some boxers. That boxing ground was a breed for some of the greatest boxers in the world. It also talked about how the boxing gym was a house for everybody.

This article was speaking as if life will soon reveals its self before you know. This article only discuss boxing but life it’s self that people need to be prepared for what’s about to come there way. It was intresting to know some peoples background and learn eventually when you do something in the past it’s come back to you before you least expect it.

This article expresses the harsh realities of life and the streets as they cross paths in the struggle of coming up in the boxing game, The one punch knockout artist was a crazy story about how he set up his victims, but at leash the pedophilia got beat up and carried off to jail. He belongs under the jail.

Now i can define boxing as ” ride or die” because a sport with many dangers and you see men like Weasel that said if they had a second chance they will do it again without hesitation means they loved it or it is all they know. In this types of sport we see many peoples with a mind full of anger with no feelings like Larceny. We can’t blame him of its attitude because this was due to his environment that he grew with. For real i didn’t even like boxing due to the costs it can give to you and this article approved what i said, i’m not discouraging boxers but like i know every sport have a costs even in soccer that i loved. It is true that when you doing the sport that you loved you want to be the best but to be that best we need to practice and practice like ever.

Boxing is always is always cited as a sport for blowing off steam or to curb someones anger, but after reading this it has come to mind that the gym is just a temporary reprieve and he/she have to go back into the mean streets of the South Bronx and to their meaningless lives thus taking them back to square one. The oppressed, poor and downtrodden are always at the mercy of their oppressors and have been used by them in one form or the other from the beginning of time. Which reminds me of the days of old when the Gladiators had to entertain the their oppressors in the Arenas. This have been happening to humanity for many centuries, some of us might get a chance to break free and move on but for others the scars runs too deep so they cannot get out from under the baggage they have been carrying since birth like Larceny. Thanks for showing us the other side of boxing, the darker side.

This second part of the article really blew me away. It seems as if everyone who is in the boxing world have a crazy background which leads me to wonder if there is anything that you are not telling us about yourself. lol! either way, if that is the case I am quite sure you have overcame whatever it was.

Never underestimate a person’s life because of what you see. Larceny’s life story is very heartbreaking. Larceny’s upbringing created a monster in I’m and destroyed his inner peace. Not having both his parents and jumping from foster home to foster home produce instability and frustration. Larceny grew without love and as a result a lot of hate build up in his heart. Boxing for Larceny was definitely a way for him to release all the anger that he had accumulated inside since childhood. Some people have it better than others, this is why we have to treat people with kindness and love because a lot of people come from very dark and hurtful backgrounds.

From what I learned from this article is boxing can be a deadly sport and have boxers thinking highly of themselves to the point where their ego gets the best of them. Fighting outside the ring can be dangerous because there is no limit and boundaries which can be deadly. Larceny is one of those boxers that are ruthless and were raised by the streets with no guidance. As well never learned from their past and established positive outcomes. I agree with the author that young boxers think they will be millionaires in just an instant and the reality is boxing in 2017 is not what it was in the late 90s and 2000s. Also the author brings a valid point to the trauma when legendary boxers retire. They have to re-adapt to normal life which can be crucial due to having those fights causing either brain damage or feel the effect of pain and exposure to health problems when they are at a certain age. Aaron Hernandez was not a boxer but a football player which Football is a deadly sport as well. After his death he was diagnosed with stage III CTE at 27 years old due to brain trauma and his brain was equivalent to a 67 year old. This was discovered by the University of Boston.

Definitely the life experiences a person go through in their lives, reflects in their present and future. Most of the time some people manage to overcome these self struggles of anxiety, anger,depression, insecurities etc.. Then we are hit with the unfairness of society and the poverty which limit us to do better. The story of Larceny really touched me because like him there are many out there. He wasn’t born with a cold heart, but grew up with one because of the hard life he had as a child. He never new what it felt to have a hug or kiss from his mother or even the word “I love you son”. Maybe, others did try to show Larceny affection but he reject it because there was no emotions develop in him. It was to late because his heart was now turn into a stone. Again, as I mentioned before the boxing ring becomes a place of refuge for those in search of a friend, family, accomplishments, employment to feed their families. It also, help them to release frustration, anger, and disappointment.

So you have beat up a rapist and got knocked out by a powerful man of God. I guess boxing is like football, when it comes to getting Injured. All you guys love the game so much that you’ll sacrifice your lives for it. To make just enough money to pay the bills. Do you guys love boxing or just being in the ring kicking ass?

When you meet someone and the way that they act doesn’t make sense to you, you just question them. You pick apart everything that they say or do and you try to wrap you head around them. But when you find out how they were raised, what they’ve seen, what they had to go through or all that they have ever known, it all makes sense. Some of these boxers’ fighting strategies stems from their childhood. It stems from who they are, and they bring who they are into the ring. It’s just interesting because through all of these stories, boxing is seen in a different light. Sometimes when you see a hurt person, or someone that has been through what may seem like the worst, you feel sympathetic toward them. But usually when you ask them if they would do it all over again they say yes. That is because the person who they are is a product of what they have been through. You know that what you have been through hasn’t killed you, so it only made you into the strongest version of yourself and came with many lessons. That experience characterizes you and even if someone went through the same thing, you could have felt it and viewed it differently. That is probably why Weasel said he would go through it again.

Here we see that nothing stops the spirit of a fighter. Heat or cold are just different challenges, ways to make you tougher. Much like temperature or a non-working air conditioner can help mold you into a specific fighter or person, so too can other people and their fighting/living style. It is also interesting that no one seems to wonder who fighters are outside of the ring, but in this reading, we get an image of several boxers alter-egos. Without these insights from the mind of someone on the inside one might remain unknowing of the fact that these “pugilists” are people as well.

In the ring, a fighter doesn’t know anything about the person they’re fighting, all they see is another fighter. From beating up a rapist to getting beat by a 7th day Adventist, it shows that anyone can enter the ring no matter what your background is. People who are professional boxers are similar to soldiers coming back from war because for them boxing is all they know at that point. They have to readjust back into society often with permanent damages done to their bodies. The different experiences that the boxers went through were rough but it was raw and honest. Like many people, life experiences are what shapes the type of person that you become in the future. In Larceny’s experience, his home life was unstable with being placed in multiple foster homes. Along with that, being brought up on the streets made him learn to defend himself. It’s easy to judge a person by their appearance but, a fighter can’t do that. They can only judge based on how their opponent fights against them.

It is pitiful having some people around us, people who really need any kind of help or rehabilitation just to have a normal life, other who had taken the wrong instead of right and even so we would like to give them a hand for them to hold, to tell them we can do it, it is all about working hard at it. But that will not always bring what we really to come, many people prefer easy things, and life is not easy, no matter from what point of view you try to see it. There will be always issues we will have to face, and that includes our families, friends and acquainted. The boxing world won’t be the exception, as I said before there is bunch of people who had gotten out of jail, others who have been in the street doing wrong and want to change, but unfortunately that change never come and those people will be back to where they have come from.

On a hand, Mr. “Tyson” is the prove that even under oppression and a horrible past, we can change our future. Our past should be used as a reference to only get wiser. Furthermore, even being on the streets for years, there’s a moment where many people realize that is not a healthy life for them. On the other hand, going through a harsh situation and being tortured under unbelievable weather conditions and not being able to say anything, it is for brave individuals. It takes lots of courage to stand up and try to change the circumstances to a positive outcome. Especially back in the days and if you did not have other options but the one you are living under on to accomplish your goals.

Larceny sounds like one of the psycho guys I watch on Criminal Minds. He had an unfortunate life growing up that damaged his mind and turned him into a monster. I agree that for people who really enjoy boxing and are boxing everyday, whether its for enjoyment or to earn money for their necessities, that is all they know. Also, it is a sport that comes with a price in dollars and in health.

Beating up a rapist and getting knocked out by a religious man proves that boxing is nondiscriminatory. Boxing is an outlet for some for a reason such as the fact that boxing knows no past, no present, no future, no color, boxing does not judge. It is solely based on the effort you put it. Yet boxing is not all glory and gore. Boxing sets people up to be a one trick pony and when boxing is all you know how can you become a regular civilian without it. But maybe these circumstances is what breeds champions and warriors maybe that is the appeal of boxing not having to think about mastering anything else but the art of boxing.

It’s very interesting to see this part of boxing, even knowing from the las article that this is a way boxers release their anger it’s incredible to see all they go through in life. Many time experiencing great losses that change them, and being put under the microscope of the police. One important aspect, one I think is the reason many boxers join this sport is that, your background doesn’t matter. You could be the worst individual or the greatest one and at the moment you step foot in the ring this all disappears, everyone is equal. Also, many individuals from specifically the South Bronx in my opinion join this sport as a way of escaping the oppression they endure on a daily basis, they see it as an easy way out not realizing that it may even be one of the hardest to accomplish.

There are many people who had found good things in boxing, they make good money and they find something to let their anger go away. In the case of Tyson, he sounded like a tough guy and not everything could change the life of a strong person but maybe he found the peace that he really needed at church and I believe that the only person that could help you in a hard time is God. Unfortunately, there are people like Edwin that never change because they don’t know God. There are many cold-hearted boxers who have a horrible background like Larceny because he had a terrible past and nobody helped them pass through it.Trauma could lead people to really dark places. On top of that, the people who go there may not have an education and they do not know how to do anything, so they need the money to support themselves and others to support their families.

Larceny seemed to have a promising future in boxing. It’s a same how our past affect our future. By him witnessing his father being killed Larceny will never be the same. Larceny should seek some sort of counseling however, our people have a sigma about seeing a psychiatrist. But, often our pass catches up with us. Larceny commuted these acts on others so he wouldn’t feel his own pain.

It’s crazy to think that a small boxing gym could’ve contain people like those of this article that have endured so much hate and have committed so much crime. I feel like if I was told to go fight a guy that had raped or murdered someone, I would run. But I guess when you’re there in the moment, nothing but the fight matters. Many of those men were probably trying to fight the reality of their lives in the ring.

The obstacles and experiences in life have great lessons on individuals. Sometimes the need of a place to escape to can make a person vulnerable snd blind to what they are going through. Some people take adantage of other because they know that they are in need. The past and the present of a person is what makes them greater in life, gives them wisdom. It is tough to go through such difficult conditions and not be able to say anything. But these tough experiences are lessons part of life that will guide you for even worst things in life. The boxing world is for individuals that have been through hardships like jail and are in need to find themselves. Only in this world will they feel free and unjudged by others because of their dark past.

Going into battle reminded me of back in my wrestling days when we were told to limit our water intake during our training to stop depending on drinking a lot of water when things got tough. It was super hot but we would do what we could to adapt to such conditions to during matches. The harder you trained, the easier it was gonna be fighting your opponents. My wrestling years where my best physical years. I found it interesting how the person you fought turn out to be a rapist, you never the past of the person you fighting in the ring. All types of people, the good and the bad, love sports. Larceny is also an interesting individual that shows the product of the environment. It is hard coming from the bottom and I hope you hear from him again and that he has better his life.

Just hearing about all these stories of people’s past and how they are treated or treat others is shocking but really really interesting. The idea of how different individuals have a significant background of where the come from is incredible from what they try to escape. Some yeah they are bad, but the way they try to cope with focusing more in boxing then what they went through helps them become we can say someone better.

No one said it would be easy. And the work-out in the gym with no AC in the hot summer sounds tough. But if we think about it a lot of great fighters came out from places like that struggling through difficulties and severity of life. We see them when they are on the top and the hardest work is already done. We cannot even imagine what they get through to make their way out of poverty. And as everything in this life boxing takes its toll too. Fighters get injuries which results in sufferings. But nonetheless they do not complain. Weasel said that he would go back and do it all over again. Because that is all their life and all they know.
But the thing is that we never know where people come from and what brings them where they are. Different reasons bring different people to the gym where they are all equal. But the problem is that you cannot be aware of the cause of their training. Someone has a good reason and intentions but others might not and take it in the wrong direction. We cannot know what people go through: poverty, oppression or even something worse. Those things make people go mad and do bad things.

I find this piece very interesting because we are diving into real-life stories of many of these boxers. Larceny story startles me because he is a representation of many young children that are left forgotten and put into the system that meant to destined them to send them in a prison cell and it is really unfortunate that we still continue to see that today. To many, boxing becomes more than just a sport but rather a lifestyle. To some, it becomes a distraction away from the outside world and the only thing they see is their opponent, boxing doesn’t discriminate you represent the fighter, not the color of your skin or where you come from.

I found part 2 to be that you just never know what type of people are around you and what their background could be. It is bazaar to know that according to boxing, you just never know whos really the opponent you facing.

This second part of the article just blew me away, I got surprised that you lived all this stories and experiences while you was a boxer. I got in shock the same way you got when you said that you fought with a rapist, sometimes we make conversations and we know some people but in reality we do not know them enough and sometimes people surprise us with all the bad things they had done. I could imagine why Larceny was the way he was, I mean just think about it his father got killed and his own mother blamed him. He never had a family, he never knew what love means, I mean people can live knowing that the rest of the world does not love them but his own mother did not love him, instead she hated him, that is very painful.

Part two shows a lesson of why people with various backgrounds and stories have them the person they are today – even if the background or story is not as perfect as it supposed to be. In reality, life is not easy to begin with. Its not about how you started, it’s how you finish it.South Bronx was showing the melting pot of people just like in other various places with not only with race, but various stories of their lives. And we know that it’s not always pretty to hear. But a voice should be heard. With the experiences you had when you were a boxer and meeting the individuals who were in the same sport as you, goes to show that not only these men do the sport for the sake of it, but found a way bring out their anger, pain and many more. For instance, the larceny story shows that there are people, especially kids feeling alone in the world with no one to turn to. These people need all the help they can get so they can a better person he or she can be.

Being raised in the Bronx one learns that no one really is who they say they are. You never really kmow the stuggles or conflicts that people really go through.

This part of the blog, opens more experience of other characters. It was more about their life and their convictions than of boxing. It made me feel as if I was reading the story of a movie that was about to come out, and invisioning the scenes in my head. The story of Larceny was one that made me grimace, when reading how he had to eat out of cat litter because his mother made him. It really makes you understand why he was the way he was in the ring, and why he didn’t have any emotions. Heck, growing up in those conditions anyone would be the same.

The other story that was an “Aha!” moment was that of Tyson, how life did a complete 180. He went from being so fearless, and seen as the meanest, and ended up as a 7th day Adventist. It shows that people do one of two things, continue on from their bad experience growing up and staying that way like Larceny, or changing for the better and seeing the light at the end of tunnel like, Tyson.

Both stories are impactful when seeing how you can change for the better, or keep going down the wrong path.

As I read these stories, the more my thoughts go from boxing is a positive outlet to it is a negative outlet. It may be the people within or outside the gym, but either way, boxing is an aggressive sport. There are many people who look to sports to release their anger, as they do not want to take it out in other manners that can land them back in trouble. Is boxing really helping with aggression though? It is a sport with a referee and willing participants, but does it necessarily mean it is positive? With positive outcomes? When someone with a damaged past finds one thing to truly love, such as boxing, it can become their world, an escape from all the so-called “bullshit” in their lives. Boxing is seen as a hobby or sport when just training, but when it becomes bigger than that with tournaments and fights, it becomes more of a job than a hobby. It is also the people who choose which fighter to love more, no one wants to be the fighter everyone is booing at when he feels like he has been booed at his entire life. What once was a positive outlet for aggression, becomes more an aggressive job that follows someone home. The aggression extends from the ring into the community as they fight over who is the top boxer. Then the boxer becomes more aggressive trying to live up to a status that everyone else wants him to be in, therefore he will participate in more fights, and lose his anger when he does lose.

Acting with good sportsmanship after being knocked to the ground from one punch says a lot about you. Training or fighting with people in the same place and not knowing the life they live is not a thought in your mind until you know about them. You could be in a room full of different people with horrific experiences and pasts but not know a thing because you guys have something in common.
“Trauma”, it’s true when you live life depending on a dream that never comes true, time passes you by and you end up with nothing, reminds me of all those who believe in the music industry without a backup to hold them down if all does not go well. You live life depending on a miracle that you don’t realize how fast life passes you by.

Boxing is a life-style hard to leave. For many boxing is a job, like going to work at an
office or delivering pizza. Boxing is what puts the food on the table. Professor Shaw realized
when he faced Tyson, that what makes a fighter strong is not their personality or their beliefs. It is hard to think about boxing as a great sport because of the cause effects of the participants later on in their life. Boxing is more than that, it is an escape for people with harsh realities. When people are involved in boxing it shows their toughness’s and their weaknesses. Larceny’s toughness was his anger, but it also turned out to be his weakness.

Part two was a very shocking for me. The part that shocked me the most was that
many fighters were criminals or ex-criminals. Some of this criminals practice boxing as a
way to readapt to society. Boxing makes this individual feel real humans in a society
that punished them. Boxing makes them feel integrated into society and interacting with
other people without feeling guilty or judge. I think boxing is somehow a therapy that
can help many ex-convicts to integrated to society again and give them a second
chance.

I’ve heard of people saying not to undermine your opponent because you never know who your up against and I have always thought about it in the physical sense. I had not imagined it to mean how someones upbringing may affect their chances in the ring. Although boxing is an aggressive sport I think this blog really opened my eyes to the fact that sometimes no matter how good of a fighter you are, and to what level of boxing you reach, have you not the right mindset the possibility of having an identity other then a fighter is slim. You live through that glory, that feeling that you can fight your way to happiness. When in reality boxing can only fill a small part of the void left by past experiences.

Boxing taps into the primal of our instincts. It is not surprising to hear you Professor Shaw refer to boxing as a “war” because you are literally using you mind, body, and spirit to defeat your opponent. Similarly, war usually involves many people from different walks of life. Sometimes it can be hard to tell that even the person fighting the war with you or against may have much more in common than you think. At times they may surprise you and be worst than you can imagine. The story of Larceny really hit home for me in this manner. When I played football in high school, one of my teammates was a beast literally on the field and outside the field. The crazy part was I never knew his persona out on the streets. It wasn’t until I went to a classmates house for a party. During the let out there was this commotion that someone was getting robbed down the block and it so happens it was on the way to my boys car I rode with. Needless to say, on our way there we encountered the “goons” robbing people and one of them was my teammate! If he wasn’t there I’m sure we would’ve gotten into an unfavorable situation. This is the same dude that I shed blood, sweat, and tears with. After that night, I realized that you never know who you really know. The greatest takeaway from this is football like boxing, can bring people together no matter who or where they came from.

How cruel the life of a Boxer was back then in the south Bronx? very harsh I would say when there was no heat in below freezing weather, no AC or fan in hot Summer days, typical landlord that didn’t care how other live life, but the dedication and urgent to fight made guys wanted to keep on with training. Its truth About this line “Life unfolds in strange ways sometimes.” At times life can hit us with something that we weren’t even expecting. Ex: The opponent Tyson turned his life around by becoming religious after losing a fight, I think it’s was more of a life learning experiences.

The part of the article that intrigued me the most is where you said that, “if I knew about his past would I have still fought him?” That to me was a power statement. I feel that stereotypes are present anywhere even in the boxing world. For example, Tommy Morrison. Once he was diagnosed with AIDS, everyone no longer looked up to him and forgot he was a champion. No one wanted to be near him or just be in his presence. People with a past that is unchangeable are often judged and looked upon as their mistakes. But of course if the mistakes are being continuously repeated then the person becomes the label of what others have said like the individual you fought against.It is crazy to see how there are so many different pasts that go into these fighters. These fighters all have one thing in common and that is the passion, the glory and the happiness to fight.

This second part of the article depicts how hustling within the neighborhood really is. The article shows the harshness and reality of street life and the struggle most boxers go through in the boxing game. But then again, it also shows how different people from different backgrounds can have one thing in common. An example can be seen from the case of Larz Charpman – a sex offender and Elijah Thomas (A.K.A. Tyson), they both have one thing in common which is boxing.

You be surprised where some of these boxers comes from. Some come from broken homes, some are charged with crimes, some are drug dealers. They use boxing as a form of escaping their dark past and making a name for themselves. Just like a fresh start. Then you have boxers who just love the sport of boxing. For example, Tyson, he probably just loved the sport. But he also loves and serve for the lord. Just shows your background doesn’t matter, boxing is a platform for all kinds of people. Should they do a background check when it comes to being a rapist, possibly. But in the boxing world we are treated with respect and we are equal.

Life in general can be difficult for most of us. The experiences we gain can change us to become a better and stronger person, however, not all experiences can bring positive change. Your article mentions a few individuals who share their experiences and how these experiences affected them. Boxing is a sport that truly entertains the masses, yet for Edwin Viruet and Larceny, boxing was used as a vehicle as the only way to cope with their past and to come to terms who they have become. You stated how Tyson is a strong competitor but he chose a different direction instead of boxing. When you asked Smokes, “if you could go back and do it all over again, would you?” He responded, “Of course. What else would I do? This is all I know.” Most people like Smokes, are able to accept the results of their decisions, regardless if they were good or bad experiences. These people can move on and live with the results, unfortunately, there are others who can’t accept their results. Life ends up being tragic; full of regrets.

It is really cool how you share your journey as a boxer and growing up in the Bronx. the persistence you show is great for all youth and our incoming generation. For if you make it here, you can make it anywhere! The violation of boxing you have endured is a bit crazy, for there are many war stories, glad you got up. The trauma is scary just as a football player. As a boxer you do train your entire free time and space around the sport trying to be the best at it. Once someone can not continue, the unfortunate part of the journey is that they are left with not much professional experience in the world if boxing was all you did or knew. one of the great aspects of boxing is that it could be very helpful in releasing any form of anger but with the exception to not kill your opponent yet the sport can tend to make others more aggressive as if fighting is all they can do. The disappearance of the gentleman you mention, Larceny, is quite shocking. For a man who grew up in poverty, racism and inequality was giving his own payback to the world from his own views, whether right or wrong, I’m not quite sure if that hatred that was produced in him was just as meaningful to produce out. We must not let the oppressor continue to oppress.

As I’m reading your story i cant help but feel the same fear and uncertainty i had when i was a child. From growing up in the South Bronx to the everyday struggles of being bullied in school,the heroin addicts nodding along my route to and from school, the drug dealing in the building and the unstoppable shootouts; everyday was and still is a struggle for many and can make anyone grow with anger and i believe the trauma will always be within us all! Life is definitley what you make of it and only oneself can create something possitive out of so much negativity.I also believe life is full of choices and if a person choses to stay on the wrong path because of “not knwing anything else” or “being angry” is also a choice because noone is born knowing anything or full of hatred! we create or lessons as we make choices.