SJC Boxing

Happy birthday today to "The X-Man," Xavier Toliver, former top-notch exciting, crowd-pleasing welterweight from Atlanta. He fought on my amateur shows in Fort Myers many years ago. This picture is from then. May your day be as special as you are.

Special birthday wishes today to Walter Alvarez, FBHOF Class of 2014 Inductee.

Walter, Miami-based promoter, worked with some of the biggest names in the sport during the 1980s. Among his many promotions was the epic Pryor vs. Arguello fight at the Orange Bowl in 1982. It is the largest live gate ever promoted within the state of Florida.

Walter was also the largest Florida closed circuit television exhibitor in the years when no PPV existed. He ran regularly scheduled club shows for many years and was the owner of the famed 5th Street Gym after Chris Dundee passed it on to him. Happy birthday, Walter and many more my friend.

Happy heavenly birthday to Jimmy Williams, born on this date in 1927. We miss you. Rest in peace.

Thinking of and missing Arturo "Thunder" Gatti who died 17 years ago today. Rest in peace my friend.

Happy birthday today, July 10, to Don Balas. His dad introduced him to Boxing with the Gillette Friday Night Fights on black and white TV. His dad and uncle were big Boxing fans and they would take him to the Felt Forum in Madison Square Garden, The Commack Arena, and Sunnyside Gardens to watch live fights.

Don started scoring the fights at around age 8 with his dad and uncle. Fast forward to 1969 when Don was stationed at Ft Bragg in the 82nd Airborne. In the evening, he would work out with the Boxing team. That ended, after getting knocked unconscious his 3rd time in the ring. Then off to Vietnam. After the Army, he moved to Florida. He would made up his own scorecards, and score all the TV fights - volume turned off; and his wife knew not to bother him when he was “working.”

Don attended all the Alessi Boxing events and was on their “preferred customer list,” for two ringside seats. He wanted to judge boxing, so he contacted Col. Porter in Tampa. He told him to introduce himself to Don Hazelton at the next event, which he did. Don started using him as an inspector, which he did for the next three years. He kept asking about judging but there were no openings for judges. It was different then. Don made him the Chief Inspector for the West Coast of Florida, which he did for 5 years. But judging was his goal, so he relinquished the Chief Inspector position, and became a trailing judge for about a year.

In June 1992, Don Hazelton gave him his first license to judge. Like others in the business, his life revolved around Boxing. Vacations were planned when there were no events scheduled. He had agreements with his employers that allowed him to leave work early to work an event. He has an earned reputation of always being impartial, no hometown decisions.

Don has judged fights in Columbia South America, Mexico, England, Germany, S. Africa as well as Connecticut, Iowa, and Georgia in the States and has worked title fights for IBO, WBC, NBA, WBO, NABU, NABF, WBF, IBC, WBU and The Mohegan Tribe. Don has been involved in boxing for 31 years, 23 as a judge. He also judges Pro MMA and Amateur Muay Thai. He has never turned down an assignment anywhere.

He was inducted into the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame Class of 2018. Happy birthday my friend and many more,

Wishing a very happy birthday today, July 10, to Michael “Cold Blood” Clark, who, many years ago, trained for a while in our SJC Boxing Gym in Fort Myers.

He twice won the IBC lightweight title. He has also held the NABF and WBC Continental Americas lightweight titles and was a challenger for the WBO lightweight title.

Michael grew up in Columbus, Ohio and still lives there. He began boxing at age 7 and soon became a top amateur. At 19 years old after winning the 1992 National Golden Gloves Featherweight title and losing in the semifinals of the U.S. Olympic trials, Michael turned pro, going 24-0 his first 6 years.

His first loss came from Artur Grigorian in a WBO World lightweight title match. He finished his fine career with a record of 44-18-1-1, with 18 K.O.s.

Beyond the ring, he has also made a name for himself as a mentor and role model. He inspires and encourages young athletes, sharing his experiences and imparting valuable lessons about perseverance, discipline, and the pursuit of excellence. Hope your day is as special as you are my friend.

Happy birthday today, July 7, to Jeff Gibson, a former world heavyweight Kickboxing Champion. Jeff saw a great opportunity in South Florida while visiting Palm Beach for a seminar in 1999 and shortly after moved there.

Jeff is an 8th degree black belt, 5X national karate champion, 2X golden glove boxing champion and an inductee into the International Karate Hall of Fame. He has been involved in both martial arts and boxing as a student, instructor, business operator, and promoter. He has had the opportunity to work with and produce many world champions.

Jeff founded Elite Promotions in 2000 and has promoted many great events on Florida’s east coast ever since. More than 40 fighters who fought on his events were or ended up becoming a world champion. He even promoted an all-female card packed with world champions. Fighters from Don King, Lou Duva, Tuto Zabala Jr. and the late Howard Davis Jr. all had success with their fighters fighting on his shows. Romanian born Lucien Bute, who fought out of Canada, referred to Jeff as his first American promoter.

Jeff was inducted into the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame Class of 2020. Happy birthday my friend and many more.

As I think about Emanuel Steward, who would have been 82 today, I find it interesting that two guys who would go on to become great friends for over 40 years would share such a remarkable occurrence just a few years before they met.

In 1963, at the age of 18, Emanuel won the National Golden Gloves Championship in Chicago. In 1965, at the age of 18, Steve Canton won a European Championship in London.

Their stances, after scoring knockdowns, is identical from the opposite angle.

Note that Emanuel is in a three-roped ring. 1963 is the last year for that and they changed to the four-roped ring. In our gym is a 16' three-roped certified ring which is the oldest ring still in use in the world.

Missing you, especially today, when I would be calling you for your birthday.

Today would have been Emanuel Steward's 82nd birthday. We were friends for over 40 years and for over 30 years I would call him on his birthday (July 7) and he would call me on mine (July 11). He was two years older.

Sadly, he passed away from colon cancer on October 25, 2012. He was 68.

Emanuel had called to say goodbye but didn't want me to tell anyone. He didn't want the "parade of emotions, the tributes, 'the bothering over me.'" He just wanted to go quietly and peacefully when the time came. It came much too soon.

That day I hung a picture of Emanuel and I in the gym and everyday I go there I look at that picture. I miss him terribly as many others do. He touched people that way.

In my book, Tributes, Memories & Observation of the Sweet Science, I have a chapter on him. It was the last chapter I wrote for the book and the hardest one to write. It was written on the 1st anniversary of his death. It is called, Emanuel Steward: Everybody's Best Friend - and he was! Rest in peace my friend!