The Kid Has Heart & A Killer Right Jab

Here's a helpful tip. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you want to "savor the moment", capture it via photographic lens, then don't put your buddies in charge of the photo snapping. They will become too distracted and fail miserably. Or in my case, they will photograph the wrong subject - the ring girl's ass between rounds instead of my match. This is what happens when you hand your cell phone to your friends and instruct them to "get a couple good shots". Sure, they got good shots alright...good shots of all the ring girls! Needless to say I have few fight photos to share, but I do have a ton of thong images. So in a way, it's not a total waste...at least not to me. However, they did manage to capture a couple of me in action, but they aren't nearly as crisp as the zoom in shots of an unknown hottie holding the Round 2 card. (Ignore the moblog photo below for right now. I'll explain who that is shortly.)

I know all of my loyal blog readers are disappointed. A) You either wanted to see half naked shots of me all sweaty (hah) or...B) You wanted to see those ring girls in their thongs! I could very well upload a few images from both categories, but A) you won't be able to even tell that's me boxing because they are taken from far away and...B) The thong images may cause a problem for some who read my blog at work. I say that because there are alot of "flesh tones" which may cause your network to block my blog URL, thinking it's a porn site. So until I decide how I want to handle this (to post, not to post, to edit, ect), I am going to leave you with a short tale of my mini apprentice you see photographed above. Meet Evan.

Evan is just 10-years-old. He's a shy kid with a good sense of humor and a very big heart. He's a fighter. Not just inside the ring, but outside the ropes as well. There's only one problem. Evan has a hole in his heart, literally. He was diagnosed with the medical condition at birth and I don't know all the details, but I do know that his situation is not life threatening. Although that is good news, Evan still struggles with his illness. However, I feel this struggle has made him stronger - emotionally, psychologically. Back in November I noticed him hanging out at the gym. He would watch the boxers train and on one occasion I saw him mimicking combinations, shadow boxing. A skinny kid in baggy sweats. He stuck out like a sore thumb. He looked nothing like a boxer, nor athlete. Physically, everything about him was wrong for the sport. Mentally, he was the perfect fit. Someone with courage and strength to overcome the odds. To fight thru tough times and never give up even when he's backed into a corner.

It wasn't long before I picked up on the fact that Evan was absorbing the atmosphere around him like a sponge. It was obvious he was eager and willing to learn. More importantly than skill or talent, you could see the passion in this kid's eyes. He found something he loved. Something he had not yet done, but was ready to embark on. That is when Evan walked towards me. For such a shy kid, I was surprised that Evan was the one to first initiate conversation with me. He approached me to ask if I could teach him how to box. I've never coached anyone before, but I thought this might be a good challenge for myself. In the process I would be helping someone experience what it feels like to overcome the odds outside of a doctor's office. To never get discouraged and quit. To encourage his competitive drive. To show him that hard work and dedication does pay off. To show him how to triumph in victory and be humble even in defeat. Boxing can teach you so much about yourself. Your character. Your heart. It brings out things inside you that you didn't even know existed. Good things. Positive things. Things a boy like Evan could really use.

The moblog photo you see above is not Evan's first fight, although this was taken from his first win! I'm really proud of the kid. He's come a long way in just 6 months. He very well could be a diamond in the rough. Maybe one day he will grow to be a great fighter. Maybe not. One thing is for sure, he will get to grow-up. The most important fight is the fight Evan has battled since birth - the fight for his life. A fight he is winning and I'm confident he will continue to win. Ropes or no ropes, I'll be cheering from his corner. Evan has found his passion. He is filling that hole in his heart with boxing. When the doctors look at Evan's heart, I wonder if they see it the same way I do. If they see what I see. What shows up on a hospital scan is not a true picture of Evan's heart. Evan's heart is truly seen when he boxes. It shines thru his eyes. Nothing short of brilliant.

***UPDATE***
Last week in the comment section I was asked about my fight and I replied there, but for those that didn't see it and are wondering, here is the scoop. It was scheduled for 6 rounds and I won with a TKO 1:12 into the 3rd round. Not too bad of a performance for not having a fight for sometime. Although I think I was more excited about Evan winning awhile back than I was about my own match.