Why Does It Have To Be the Same Day?

 

    ENTRY 506| JULY 28 /2023

.WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE ON THE SAME DAY?

September 9.

That is the day of the Cabbagetown Festival and also the annual Cabbagetown Boxing Club boxing show.

I am hoping to be part of that show as I have been training very hard. However, even if I don't step into the ring on that day I will still be going to support my co-athletes and the coaches.

I have some Paid Time Off available that I am going to use for that day. Although those are supposed to be for emergencies, this only happens once a year, so I have a hunch that there is going to be an emergency on that day.

Dammit. I hate it when that happens.

A friend in Hamilton contacted me recently as he had won four tickets to a Blue Jays game.

He invited me and my wife to join him. He will be coming to Toronto and spending the day here and going to the game. I thought it was a great idea. He wanted to know if I could get that day off.

I originally wanted to go, until I found out the day. 

The tickets are for a game on September 9.

Oh...

I'm off that day, but for another reason. I might be boxing. 

Since they are planning on coming to Toronto anyway, why not stop by and watch me box?

Something could happen and I might not, but I am a bit annoyed because there is still time to make alternate arrangements. My friends and my wife could have said that if I am not in the ring that day they would go to the game, but if I am they would watch my bout instead. Right? Is that an unreasonable expectation? 

Apparently, it is, because they are dead-set on going to the game regardless of what I do. 

I don't know. Am I being selfish about this? They are coming to Toronto anyway and my wife is already in Toronto (obviously), so I am not asking them to go out of their way. 

They would rather watch the Blue Jays lose than watch me probably win.

I think they are being very rude.

I don't care now. Go to the game. Enjoy watching the Jays lose. Enjoy the over-priced hot dogs. Enjoy being stuck in traffic to and from the stadium.

...and I hope it rains.

Reminder: Next weekend is a holiday weekend (Civic Holiday) so there will be no 'Comments From the Ring'.

NEXT ENTRY: August 11 /2023 

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ABOUT 'The Brick;

'The Brick' is a competitive boxer who has trained for over 12 years.

STATS:

9 bouts (Boxing Ontario) 

2 bouts (Ontario Boxing Association) 

1 bout (Florida State Athletic Commission) 

DIVISION:

Masters Novice

CURRENT WEIGHT:

73 kg (165 lbs.)  

 STANCE:

Orthodox (left lead)

TRAINING STATUS:

ACTIVE

TRAINING SCHEDULE:

Wed. 0900-1100

Thu. 1730-1930

Fri. 0900-1100

Holidays 0900-1030

COMPETITION STATUS:

 PENDING

NEXT SCHEDULED BOUTS:

TBA

CURRENT TEAM/CLUB:

Cabbagetown Boxing Club

Toronto

COACH:

Johnny Kalbhenn

The Uppercut Isn't Working

  

    ENTRY 505| JULY 21 /2023

.UMMMM...THE UPPERCUT ISN'T WORKING, COACH.

It has been a while since I have been able to do some sparing. Almost four weeks, but this week I was able to get in two sessions of sparring for a total of eight rounds.

I went in for the Thursday evening session which was quite busy and I did enjoy it. Although it was mostly the younger guys, there were a lot of guys fop sparring, but to get everyone in they restricted each one to three rounds otherwise, we would be there all night. 

I also went for my usual Friday morning session and was able to get in some more.

Sparring this week in general was good. I felt happy about my performance and the coaches were happy. 

I also did some target pad work with my coach and we worked on some new interesting combos. One was,: jab, right uppercut, hook, right cross. Sometimes he would add a duck or slip in there as well. Of course, he wants me to practice these while sparring and I do...try.

I tried really hard but for some reason, I couldn't get the uppercut to work for me. I don't know why but I was off with it. That is a roundabout way of saying that I missed. Although, I don't like to use that work because I usually don't miss.  For some really annoying reason that uppercut is giving make a problem bu7t that is why I practice. I will keep working on it until it works and then work on it some more. Never stop working. That is the key to being a successful athlete in any sport.

Overall, things are going well. It is all thanks to my hard work and of course, the coach who has stuck with me over the past few years.

Thank you to the coaches at the Cabbagetown Boxing Club and to my co-athletes who work with me.

NEXT ENTRY: July 28 /2023 

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ABOUT 'The Brick;

'The Brick' is a competitive boxer who has trained for over 12 years.

STATS:

9 bouts (Boxing Ontario) 

2 bouts (Ontario Boxing Association) 

1 bout (Florida State Athletic Commission) 

DIVISION:

Masters Novice

CURRENT WEIGHT:

73 kg (165 lbs.)  

TRAINING STATUS:

ACTIVE

COMPETITION STATUS:

 PENDING

STANCE:

Orthodox (left lead)

CURRENT TEAM/CLUB:

Cabbagetown Boxing Club

Toronto

COACH:

Johnny Kalbhenn

NEXT SCHEDULED BOUTS:

TBA

 

My Return To Competition Is Getting Closer

 

    ENTRY 504 | JULY 14 /2023

ITS GETTING CLOSER...

It has been a long time since I have been in the ring for competition. 

Four years and seven months to be exact, It was the Golden Gloves in Niagara Falls in December of 2018. 

It wasn't my best performance and I have been waiting a long time to "correct" it. 

I didn't compete in 2019 because of my piss-poor performance at the Golden Gloves, in 2020 something happened that prevented competitive boxing for a few years. 

Now, boxing is back, and so is 'The Brick'.

You see, I will not come right out and ask the coach if I can compete. I may drop a few hints here and there, but I figure that the coach will let me know when he feels I am ready...and it happened...today.  

One thing about Coach Johnny is that he doesn't bullshit his boxers. He will not tell you that you are doing well if you are not, and that is exactly what a good coach should do, or shouldn't do. For about the last month, he has been telling me how great my performance has been and that he has been really happy with how well I have been training and how much I have progressed. Today, Friday, was no different except that he added one important line, "We are going to get you a fight soon."

Yes. It happened. My hard work had paid off. The coach said what I have been wanting to hear for a while. Could this mean that I will get a shot at the Cabbagetown Festival show that I have been wanting to be in for so long?

I, of course, can not take all the credit.

An athlete is only as good as his coach. If it wasn't for the hard work Coach Johnny has put into working with me, I don't think I could have done this, so thank you to Coach 

Johnny Kalbhenn.

I have been saying for a while that there is a reason why I travel from The Junction to Cabbagetown to train although there are now four registered boxing clubs closer to me,

I have also dropped a couple of weight categories. I used to be too heavy which was a disadvantage for me. I have since dropped from 180 lbs. to 164 lbs. and that will be much better.

I may have to change my training schedule a bit, though. The morning session no longer has anyone for me to spar with, so the coach suggested that I attend the evening session so I can get in some sparring. 

I am going to do that starting next week, and once I have a bout confirmed I will train more often and for longer each session as is common for boxers and likely for other sports as well.

It looks like this is it. 'The Brick's triumphant return will be soon.

As soon as I have a confirmed date, it will be posted below.

NEXT ENTRY: July 21 /2023 

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ABOUT 'The Brick;

'The Brick' is a competitive boxer who has trained for over 12 years.

STATS:

9 bouts (Boxing Ontario) 

2 bouts (Ontario Boxing Association) 

1 bout (Florida State Athletic Commission) 

DIVISION:

Masters Novice

CURRENT WEIGHT:

73 kg (165 lbs.)  

TRAINING STATUS:

ACTIVE

COMPETITION STATUS:

 PENDING

STANCE:

Orthodox (left lead)

CURRENT TEAM/CLUB:

Cabbagetown Boxing Club

Toronto

COACH:

Johnny Kalbhenn

NEXT SCHEDULED BOUTS:

TBA

 

Video Killed the Boxing Star?

 

    ENTRY 503 | JULY 7 /2023

VIDEO KILLED THE BOXING STAR?  I HOPE NOT...

I received an unusual request this past week...from Boxing Ontario.

They wanted a copy of a video from one of my bouts. My very first one, from nine years ago,

Who remembers this bout from way back when I trained at Stockyards?

At first, I wondered why they wanted such old content. Why not something newer?

The reason is that the referee for this bout has started a training program for officials. The idea is to watch a bout and then score it and then see how well you did compared to the actual outcome. A good idea. 

Of course, he chose this bout because he was the referee. Also, this wasn't a poor bout. It was actually considered one of the best Masters bouts.

Okay... I guess.

This was back when I was in the 85 kg class. I am much lighter now at 72 kg.

That being said, the person I was speaking with at Boxing Ontario about this video is also scheduled to be the head official for the Cabbagetown Festival show in September. You know, the one I have been so urgently trying to get in?

Well, he is looking for an opponent for me. 

Although my coach has still not officially agreed to allow me to compete on that card, I really don't see him not allowing it. I have been training my ass off for six months and it is the only thing I have asked in return.

I still have about two months to train for this and I am getting better by the day.

I just hope that the 'Video Hasn't Killed the Boxing Star'.

NEXT ENTRY: July 14 /2023 

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Visit my WEBSITE.

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ABOUT 'The Brick;

'The Brick' is a competitive boxer and has been training for over 12 years.

STATS:

9 bouts (Boxing Ontario) 

2 bouts (Ontario Boxing Association) 

1 bout (Florida State Athletic Commission) 

DIVISION:

Masters Novice

CURRENT WEIGHT:

72 kg (163 lbs.)  

TRAINING STATUS:

ACTIVE

COMPETITION STATUS:

ALMOST READY -- PENDING

STANCE:

Orthodox (left lead)

CURRENT TEAM/CLUB:

Cabbagetown Boxing Club

Toronto

COACH:

Johnny Kalbhenn

NEXT SCHEDULED BOUTS:

TBA