Black Hand Productions

Last night I headed over to the Chicago Golden Gloves tournament that is held every year at the St. Andrew Gym.  When I went last year it was one of the early rounds so some of the fights weren’t really that competitive.  This year it was the first night of the Finals and all the fights were rather close.  There was at least one heavyweight fight and unlike last time, after each bout a trophy or championship belt was awarded.

For those who don’t know about the Golden Gloves, it was started back in the late 1920′s by Chicago Tribune sports editor Arch Ward.  The tournament was considered a premiere event that propelled the career of several legendary ‘fighters’ inlcuding Sonny Liston, Cassius Clay, Michael Flatley and Rod Blagojevich.

Blagojevich is the only one still ‘fighting’ competitively today.

Side Note:
* This was the view from my seat:

Last night I got to checkout the Chicago Golden Gloves tournament down the street from my place at St. Andrew Gym.  As a long time boxing fan (primarily due the exploits of Mike Tyson) it was great to finally see boxing in person.  The night included 19 bouts with almost no break in between fights.  Early on in the evening the gym was packed but the crowd started to fade as the night went on.  We got to see at least one knockout and several really good fights.

Back in the day I didn’t really mind blowing $50 on Tyson Fight that was guaranteed to be over in a couple rounds but never again. This was something else. Now Tyson loses his form half way through the second round and just starts going for the big hit. Well the big hit was never really there. Danny William knocked Tyson (don’t forget the bum knee) out in the fourth round after standing up to Tyson’s early fury. This has always been the rule with Tyson if you get him past the first 3 rounds he gets this ‘What the hell am I doing’ look on his face. As if Tyson never expects anyone to get past his early onslaught. This isn’t the Tyson from Punchout, this isn’t the Badest Man on the Planet, this was a man who has been broken too many times to care anymore.

In recent interviews leading up to his latest comeback Iron Mike has been, well Happy.

The game plan is for Tyson to fight 7 times in the next two years to regain his finical footing. I would have to assume with the current heavyweight field (besides the Klitschko Brothers Vitali & Vladimir, who is there?) and an able Tyson he could easily reunite all the belts in less than two years. He’s technically no more than three fights away. Is this the new Tyson?

This Tyson is definitely a humbled man. After all, what humbles a man worse than going broke? Where he once had expansive mansions across the country with a fleet of luxury vehicles in each garage with a pet tiger or two thrown in, he now lives in a modest two-bedroom house — just him and his pigeons.

So what’s that like, living like one of us?

“I don’t know,” says a reflective Tyson. “That doesn’t define a man. What defines a man is someone who’s failed time after time again and still has the same enthusiasm, as a winner. And those are people who are men, people who don’t stop and don’t give up and stay persistent in their goals in life. Finance doesn’t make a man, because you have a great deal of fur coats and houses and fancy cars — I used to enjoy that life, but that doesn’t make you a man.

“I could’ve accomplished that now; the only thing I have to do is just fight and I’ll be a multi-millionaire. If I fight for a year straight, then I’d have all those trinkets and toys, but I don’t think I’m that person anymore. I’m interested in raising my children and just providing for them.”

I think the story of Tyson losing it all, even his craziness and then heading out West is a truly American Story. Picture Tyson some where in the Arizona desert training for possibly the greatest comebacks of all time. Out of the Wilderness Came the Man.

The only problem I see is if and it’s still a big if, Tyson manages to obtain the unimaginable will Lennox Lewis be all to eager to take it away?

Iron Mike is at it again. The Times has a great article about where the Badest Man on the planet is and what he’s up to.

As an avid Tyson fan (or the only avid Tyson fan) I try to keep up with what the guy is doing. Tyson will be fighting Danny Williams of Brixton, England, on July 30 in Louisville, Ky. I highly recommend the spectacle. As we all know Tyson WILL be the champ once again (espicially considering the quality of the Heavyweight field).