It's On!!! Round 2 of the Buffalo Golden Gloves, February 28, 2015

Saturday, February 28, 2015 at the Tralf Music Hall in beautiful Buffalo, New York, the Buffalo Golden Gloves will make it's triumphant return. It's the second round of this historic event. If you haven't bought your ticket, I would make it happen as soon as possible. If you're a true boxing fan, you can not miss this event. I, Rugged Rob, will be in the "house" with my camera in hand, ready to capture all the excitement on video. So, "Let's Get Ready to Rumble"!!!!!

What's great about this year's tournament is that the bout sheets are available before fight night and I can give you a short preview. "Let's Go!!!"

•  Returning in the second round is 132lbs. kingpin, Sequan Felton. He will be stepping in the ring for a match bout against, Canadian amateur standout, Bradley Wilcox of the legendary Steeltown Boxing club. Bradley Wilcox is a strong competitor that will give Felton a good challenge. I've seen Bradley fight in the past and this kid is no joke.
• Fan favorite 141lbs. Mike Hajad of the Northwest Buffalo Community Center boxing club, steps back into the ring against Jake Isenor of St. Catherine's Boxing club. Mike is a non-stop puncher that doesn't quit. He has a huge heart and by the end of the fight, the crowd is usually rooting him.

• Saturday will mark the return of Daniel DeJesus of the Westside Boxing club. The first time I saw DeJesus fight, he was 16 years old and he was ferocious. In 2015, he's a monster. He takes on CJ Marston of the Steeltown Boxing club. I don't know a lot about CJ, but coming out of the Steeltown Boxing club, he will be a tough customer.
• Mike Vega, 132lbs fighter out of the Casal's Boxing club, takes on Steven Wilcox (brother of Bradley Wilcox) in another match bout. Mike Vega is coming off a first round loss in the tournament, so he will be out to prove he's still the "beast" I know he can be. Steven Wilcox is from a fighting family and has the experience to give anyone some serious problems. You can look forward to an awesome contest for dominance.
• Two gyms that go toe to toe in the women's division are the UB Boxing Club and the Casal's Boxing Club. Saturday night will be no different. Two words...Wendy Casey... of the UB Boxing Club. She's been off the scene for a few years, but she was "THE" female fighter in Western New York. Wendy was strong and mauled her opponents with ease. I'm glad to see her back, but what kind of fighter is she in 2015? Her opponent is a game and ready, Stacy Costanzo of Casal's Boxing club. Stacy has national experience and also took some time off from boxing. I interviewed her for my upcoming television show on the Western New York fight game and she was brimming with confidence. She has no fear of Wendy Casey. This has the potential to be "Fight of the Night".
• At 165lbs. Wilmont Wood will be representing the St. Martins Boxing club out of Rochester, New York. Wilmont is the 2014 Buffalo Golden Gloves champion at 165lbs. He went to the National tournament and advanced to the semi-finals. He accomplished this after a 2 year layoff and only 2 or 3 fight under his belt. He has to be the most talented amateur fighter I've seen in years. When Wilmont was fighting frequently, before his layoff, he was unstoppable. He glides across the ring and his offense smothers other fighters. He's the odds on favorite to make it back to Vegas. His opponent is Isreal Hayward of Team Ultimate Fitness out of Syracuse, New York. I've seen Isreal fight in the past, but I have to be honest, it will be an uphill battle for him. What he lacks in experience, he makes up with the inspiration he will get from his coach, Frank Alagna (Frank's a wildman in the corner).
• Rochester's Lawrence King has gone unchallenged in this tournament for the past 3 years at 175lbs. He's an opposing figure that walks through the competition in Western New York. He extremely entertaining to watch.
• Last but not least, Michael Christopher (UB Boxing Club) vs Anthony Woodruff (Westside Boxing club) in a 152lbs. contest. This year, the 152lbs. open division may be the most competitive it's been in years. All the fighters left in the tournament have power and they all come to fight. This is going to be a good one. Christopher battered last year's finalist Michael Stevens and Woodruff KO'd his opponent in the opening round of the tournament. This may be a "Don't Blink" moment.

Saturday night will be packed with action. The fore mentioned bouts are only a portion of the fight card and you can look forward to exciting night of boxing. Don't miss it. Doors open at 4:30pm and the fights start at 5:00pm. C U there.

For more information go to www.buffalogoldengloves.com

My Rocky Moment

It saddens me that so many fighters feel entitled to a boxing career just because they lace up a pair of gloves. If you train two times a week and spar once every other month, please do not call yourself a fighter. Boxing is more than telling people that you're a fighter, when you don't put the "work". I have to admit, I had my "Rocky" moment back in the day. A "Rocky" moment is when you watch boxing on television and you really think that you can compete. In 1996 I walked into the boxing gym at the University of Buffalo and started to train to lose some weight. After watching some of the fighters spar, it looked like something that I could do. This was not the case, sad but true. I started to spar with guys half my size and some fat guys that came through the gym. I did well in those sparring sessions, so I decided to compete in a sanctioned fight. My first fight was against Jamel Barnes. At the time Jamel was an accomplished amateur light-heavyweight that was turning pro that year. I didn't find this out until they introduce him before our bout. Being the warrior that I am, I gave it the old college try. Needless to say, I lost that fight. I had to get pretty creative in my fight plan, so there was a lot of bull-rushing on my part. In my second fight, I tangled with "Gansta" Frankie Knuckles. He was a good amateur heavyweight that I thought I could honestly beat. WRONG!!! I trained a little harder for the fight, but not nearly enough to last three rounds. (side note: you shouldn't smoke Newports during training camp.) I sold about 50 tickets to the fight to my co-workers and they all showed up. I did well in the first 60 seconds of the fight, but then my breathing became compromised. I didn't catch my breath until I got home that night. I finished the fight and lost by decision. It was a humbling experience. I gained a new respect for "real" fighters. I must say, not at any time was I in danger of getting knocked out. Don't get it twisted, I wasn't hurt in either fight. When I got out of the ring, my "Rocky" moment was over.

If you intend to compete in ANY sport, there is a level of sacrifice that you should expect. Sacrifice comes in the form of pain, injuries, loss of a social life, free time, and the list goes on. Sports involve high risk for high returns. When I played football in high school and college, I put in the "work". I trained over the summer to be a better player in the fall. I ran by myself, weight trained, and respected my body as a teenager. Some of the greatest moments in my life came through sports. The emotional recall on my greatest sports moments are burned in my head. My final thought is that you have take take boxing seriously. It is not a game, your life could be on the line. 'Nuff said.    

Lucas Matthysse vs Ruslan Provodnikov update

While you're waiting for the Mayweather-Pacquiao super-fight, don't sleep on some great match-ups. This is one in the works and it has the makings of a real war. Fight fans, choose your fights wisely. Before you wait to pay $75 for the Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight, do your research and get the best bang for your buck.

Lucas Matthysse vs Ruslan Provodnikov update via Fightnews.com (click here)

Lucas Matthysse

Ruslan Provodnikov

Sequan Felton vs Hector Bayanilla 132lbs Open division

"The CHAMP is here!!!!" In the Buffalo Golden Gloves 132lbs. Open division there's one name that rings louder that any other, Saquan Felton. He's the reigning and defending champion that is on a quest to defend his title. What makes him special is that I've seen him climb the ranks, from underdog to champion. Saquan is a Rochester, NY native, that fights out of St. Martins Boxing Club, led by, the well respected, Don Simpkins. I think almost every amateur fighter out of Rochester started their boxing careers with Mr. Simpkins. My connection with Saquan is, he's from my hometown and he went to the same high school I did (big up to Benjamin Franklin high school). Saquan has traveled across the state to find competition that will make him a better fighter and it has worked for him. In the 2015 Buffalo Golden Gloves, Saquan is one of the most experience fighters in the tournament.

On the other side of the ring is Hector Bayanilla of the Northwest Buffalo Community Center (NWBCC) boxing club. He also comes from a great boxing club that has a strong history of excelling in this tournament. Bayanilla is trained by Juan DeLeon, another well respected coach. If you don't know, Juan is credited for taking Buffalo's own "Baby" Joe Mesi close the mountain top of the professional heavyweight division. Juan is one of the great coaches out of NWBCC. He trains amateur fighters from around the country and some of them fight in the Buffalo Golden Gloves. Juan had a 141lbs. fighter, that won the New York State title a few years ago, went on to the National tournament, and had the competition running for their lives (shoutout to "Pinky"). He lost on points to the fighter that eventually won the 141lbs. National title. So I knew that Bayanilla was no regular fighter. In my mind, the stage was set for a war.

Round one was Felton's best round. His attack was filled with great ring generalship and punches in bunches. Everything was clicking in the first round and that was evident from the lead uppercut that landed on Bayanilla's chin. Bayanilla applied pressure, which left him open for Felton's check-hook that landed on several occasions. Felton glided across the ring like a profession and he was stacking up points at will. Bayanilla was a game fighter, but movement kept him chasing the illusive Felton.

In the second round, after some spanish spoken instructions from Juan, Bayanilla looked like a different fighter. He landed some strong shot that got Felton's attention, but Saquan has a strong chin. I've never seen Saquan, not finish a fight. His experience and craftiness held Bayanilla off enough to win the second round.

Round three was a perfect example of why Felton is the 132lbs champion. Between rounds two and three, I looked over to Felton's corner and his 3 cornermen worked on him like he was having a heart attack. They massaged his arms and legs, put water on his head, and I almost thought they were going to stop the fight. On a side note, fighters outside of Rochester say that it's typical of a fighter from the ROC to fade in the later rounds (please don't kill the messenger, but I hear that all of the time). In the third, Bayanilla was charged and ready to go. He continued pressuring Felton with a vengeance, but Felton landed combinations and smothered Bayanilla against the ropes. There was a lot of complaining to the referee by both fighters, which play into Felton's hands. After an exciting final round, Felton walked away with an unanimous decision.

I would like to congratulate Saquan Felton for defending his title and advancing to the next round of the 2015 Buffalo Golden Gloves. Also, I would like to congratulate Hector Bayanilla for a great effort and I hope to see more of him in the future. I'll see you at the second round of the 2015 Buffalo Golden Gloves, February 28, 2015 at the Tralf Music Hall in beautiful Buffalo, New York.

Muhammad Ali...the Greatest of All Time.

 Muhammad Ali was not just a fighter, he was a movement. Ali came along at a time when African Americans where blatantly treated as second class citizens. In the 60's, the media would only accept black athletes that were humble in the eyes of America.They where not allowed to speak highly of themselves or the black community they were from. Ali changed how young black men viewed themselves and their place in society, Black Pride. He was the fighter that changed the heavyweight division. He broke all the rules of the day and that is why Muhammad Ali is the Greatest of All Time. Enjoy the footage below.

Click here for Muhammad Ali highlight reel!!!

Mayweather vs Pacquiao: Is it too late to care?

Since the Maywether-Pacquiao conversation is heating up and no one really knows what is going on, I thought I would weight in on the matter. Personally, I've been waiting for this fight for about 7 years, when they both were closer to their prime. In 2015, we're still waiting. What is the state of boxing, when we have to wait on fighters to get in the ring and entertain the fans? Are boxing fans a second thought in the minds of promoters? Are Al Haymon or Bob Arum to blame? These are are questions that may never get answered and I'm sick and tired of watching the deterioration of boxing. So often, we are fooled by a over the top marketing campaigns, that convince the novice boxing fan that they're going to see an epic fight. That's not always the case. I remember when Bernard Hopkins fought Winky Wright, back in 2007. It was bill as a match between two defensive master. If you think about it, who wants to see a fight where the combatants are focused on defense. I was fooled too. The fight was a huge "hug-fest" that should have been broadcast on the "Lifetime Network". The marketing geniuses have been hired by boxing promoters and their sole purpose is to sell a fantasy. Are we being duped again by the Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight? 

Let's start this discussion with Floyd "Money" Mayweather. I truly feel that Mayweather will go down in boxing history as one of the best fighters to ever lace up a pair of gloves. His accomplishments as an amateur and as a professional is what legends are made of. He fought and dominated in the 1996 Olympic games at the age of 17. He also won his first world title at 19 years old, making him a fighter ahead of his time and a rare commodity. He was fast and he had power. The majority of his knockouts came in the 1st half of his career. In the last 10 years he's recorded only 5 knockout. He's not the power puncher he used to be. His hands may be in the worst condition of his career. He's had only 8 fights in 6 years, which may be due to his hand problems. Mayweather is at a point in his career where he can carefully choose his fights. As champion, it's not uncommon to choose their opponents, but where is the competitiveness in that? I would compare this to the New England Patriots choosing their opponents after the start on the season. Choosing your opponent does apply to sports in general, it weakens the integrity of competition.

I don't question the validity of Mayweather or Pacquiao as boxing icons and two of the greatest fighters of their generation. I'm questioning the effect that this fight has on the future of boxing. Will this become the standard for future boxing icons, to dominate the attention and basically blackout the rest of the boxing world. The Mayweather vs Pacquiao conversation has been going on for too long and its damaging the sport, where the fan refuses to pay attention to boxing until this fight happens. This is sad, but true. Boxing is often compared to UFC in many ways. For example, if their match makers hints of a great fight the UFC makes it happen. I know that they are, pretty much, the only game in town, and who else could their fighters go to, but it works out extremely well for the fans. Let me repeat that, the fans. Until boxing can create a business model similar to the UFC's, I don't know how boxing is going to get out of this hole. They have to let the match up happen at will. I would definitely like to see Adrian Bronner fight Brandon Rios, or Danny Garcia fight Ruslan Provodnikov. If you don't know any of these fighters, Google them. I'll see you at the second round of the 2015 Buffalo Golden Gloves on February 28, 2015 at the Tralf Music hall.
Suggest Reading: Click the following links

Amir Khan says Mayweather-Pacquiao will never happen.

Is Manny Pacquiao's Promoter Sabotaging The Floyd Mayweather Fight?

Home Sports Story TV executive: Mayweather-Pacquiao fight closer to reality.

New controversy in Mayweather-Pacquiao bout

Buffalo Golden Gloves 2015: Drew Grazadei vs Brandon Lynch Superheavyweight Open

The main event of the first round of the 2015 Buffalo Golden Gloves tournament was a heavyweight affair, between Buffalo's own Drew Grazadei and Brandon Lynch of Albany, New York. It was the last fight of the night and after 20 fights, usually, most of audience has left the venue. Not tonight. The crowd heard the buzz that Drew Grazadei was going to close out the show.

If you don't know Drew Grazadei, here it is. Grazadei is a fan favorite. He's a little off in the ring and that scares people. Two years ago, in the Buffalo Golden Gloves finals, he fought Eric Rogers, a strong heavyweight out of Northwest. It was an anticipated match up.Right before the bell to start the first round, Drew got into a 3-point football stance, that turned the crowd into a bunch of screaming maniacs. It got loud. He brings that type of excitement to amateur boxing. Three years ago at the Gloves, he took straight shots to the head at the end of the second round, with his arms down and shook his head at his opponent like "you can't hurt me". That is who Drew Grazadei is. Needless to say, I like to see this kid fight. He is the 2014 Buffalo Golden Gloves Super-heavyweight Champion. I was there when he competed in the 2014 Golden Gloves National tournament in Las Vegas, NV. In Vegas, his was focused and actually scouted the other heavyweights before his fight. He went out in the first round of the tournament, but he turned a lot of heads in his fight. Drew left Vegas with the respect of the other fighters, because he fought a good fight against a good fighter.

In the other corner was Brandon Lynch of Albany, New York. I don't know too much about Lynch because he fought in the, highly competitive, New York Metro Golden Gloves tournament in 2014. What I do know is, he won the 2014 New York Metro super-heavyweight novice division and he fights out of the legendary Quail Street Gym in Albany, New York. The head coach is Jerreck Jones and he's coached some the best fighter in the country. Such as Amir Imam, a nationally ranked amateur and an undefeated pro. Jerrick wouldn't travel to Buffalo from Albany, to bring a kid that couldn't fight.

I watched this fight about 10 times, because I never seen Drew get put on the canvas. I really wanted to see what went wrong. I seen him fight quite a few times and he wasn't the "Drew" I'm use to seeing. It all started at the stare down before the fight. Drew gave Brandon that mean mug, but Brandon was not phased. At that point, I knew it was about to "get good". In the first round Lynch showed off some great offense. He was scoring with his jab and he was landing his left hook. Drew ate some good shots, but he landed a few hooks and a straight right-hand. Lynch set himself apart from Grazadei by going to the body and he was consistent. His body attack was the game-changer in this Super Heavyweight fight. If you've never been hit in the body by a well trained fighter... it's like diving on the floor with your hands out, stomach first. Grazadei fought back, but Lynch had good head movement to avoid Drew's counter punches. By the end of the round Grazadei was breathing heavy from the body shots. I stop filming when the fighters get to their stool and I watch their breathing. You get 60 seconds to drink water, get instructions, and catch your breath. You're in trouble if you're still breathing heavy at the end of those 60 seconds. At the start of the second round Lynch continued his "body-head" attack on Grazadei. By the end of the round Grazadei fell into ropes and when he bounced off he threw a hook at the same time as Lynch threw his. Lynches' hook got there first. Lynch wins by TKO in the second round.

I would like to congratulate Brandon Lynch on his victory and advancing in the 2015 Buffalo Golden Gloves. Jerrick Jones and the Quail Street boxing club and their entries in this tournament. I would like to thank Drew Grazadei for defending his title and bringing excitement to the ring. I know we will see him again, leaner, meaner, and ready to rumble. See you at the second round of the Buffalo Golden Gloves, February 28, 2015 at the Tralf Music Hall.

Buffalo Golden Gloves: January 24, 2015 continued coverage

Featured Bouts of the Day: Opening Round January 24, 2015

• Michael Christopher (UB Boxing Club) vs Michael Stevens (Buffalo P.A.L.): 152lbs. Open Division 

When I saw the match-up of Michael Christopher (UB Boxing Club) against Michael Stevens (Buffalo P.A.L.) on the bout sheet I knew it would be an exciting fight. This is a rematch from last year, where Stevens won a 2-1 decision over Christopher. I filmed one of  Michael Christopher's first fight about 4 years ago at the 2010 Buffalo Golden Gloves tournament. Even in his early fights, he prove to be a game fighter that willing to mix it up. Christopher has been one of UB Boxing Club's premier fighter for the past few years. If you're not familiar with his camp, they are coached by Dean Eoannou, a fired up and inspirational individual that has been a part on the local boxing community for a while now. The UB Boxing Club has produced several amateur champions through the years. Such as Wendy Casey and Todd Atkinson. On the other side of the ring was Michael Stevens out of the Buffalo P.A.L. He hasn't been on the scene a long time, but he has made an impression on those that have seen him fight. Stevens is a strong fighter with a granite chin. I've seen him win fights because his opponent just could not break him down in the fight. His coach, is former professional boxing world champion, Ross Thompson. Ross is also a former National Golden Gloves champion, so he knows what it takes to win this tournament.

I usually give a round by round account of the fight, instead, I'm just going to give you the highlights of the bout. Michael Christopher, technically, is a better fighter than Michael Stevens, but Stevens is a tougher fighter. I heard in a Rocky movie that "it's not how much punishment you can give out that makes you tough, it's how much punishment you can take that makes you tough". Christopher was landing hard shots throughout the fight, but Stevens continued to walk right through them. When a fighter gets hurt from a punch, their legs buckle and that's how you know they're really hurt. Although Stevens was getting rocked at every occasion, he was still in the fight. In the first and seconds rounds Christopher was landing his shot at will and he took every opportunity to end the fight. You could see that Christopher getting frustrated that he could not put Steven on the canvas. Between rounds Dean Eoannou urged Christopher to put his man away, but it wasn't as easy as it looked. Ross Thompson was yelling instructions and inspiration to Stevens during the fight. He yelled"he can't hurt you". Steven fights hard for his coach and refused to go down because that's the type of fighter that Stevens is. In the third round Christopher started to slow down, but he still was getting off huge shots. Stevens did better in the last round and this is the round he usually take over a lesser opponent, but Christopher was ready. He went on to win by unanimous decision.

In my final analysis, I think Michael Stevens is a competitor and he deserves all the praise in the world for his accomplishments. In my opinion, his skillset does not match his heart, yet. His technique rarely wins him fights. He wins with an iron chin, strength, determination, and guts. My only suggestion is, perfect a style that works for you, defensively,  and you will be the man to beat... at 141lbs. Just saying.

I would like to congratulate Michael Christopher and Dean Eoannou of the University at Buffalo Boxing Club for their win the 152lbs. Open Division and advancing in the 2015 Buffalo Golden Gloves tournament. Also, congratulations to Michael Stephens for another exciting effort and competing in the tournament to finish what he started in 2013, winning a state title. Congratulations to Ross Thompson and the Buffalo PAL for their competitive entries in the tournament. I will see you all at round 2 of the 2015 Buffalo Golden Gloves tournament.

On this Day in Black History: February 27, 1988

In the spirit of Black History Month I would like to share my personal contribution to Black History. On February 27, 1988 I promoted the 1st Rap Concert on the Campus of Edinboro University entitled "Tri-City Explosion", with the help of the Minority Students United(MSU) campus organization. 1988 was a special year in Black history. Jesse Jackson was running for president, Public Enemy lead the Hip Hop movement with a message of black pride, Spike Lee hit Hollywood hard with his movie"Do The Right Thing", and I met Bobby Seals, co-founder of the Black Panther Party when MSU brought him to Edinboro as our keynote speaker for Black History Month. At no other time in my life did I feel the obligation to support the Black Movement and let my voice be heard as a young black man. In 1988, Hip Hop was not a genre, but a movement. Hip Hop still thrived in the underground and those of us who were soldiers in the Hip Hop army preserved the integrity of the art form with deadly accuracy.

The story of the "Tri-City Explosion" Black History Month Concert began in 1987 when I met the crew, in Rochester, New York, that would become my Crew in this Hip Hop journey. CJC Productions was led by the dopiest producer, at the time, in our hood, Freddy C. Back in the day rap music originated in some roughest neighborhoods of the inner city. The same rang true for us in the "ROC". We represented "Hudson & Avenue D", "Goodman Ave", "Central Park", and "950 Norton Street". This is where we drew our inspiration for the lyrical content that would form the sound of rap music on the Eastside of Rochester. CJC Productions had a strong stable of MC's which featured The United MC's, Moski, Def D, Doc Smooth & DJ Red B-One of Ill-A-Mision Posse. I can remember my first visit to their homemade studio in Freddy C's garage that was equipped with the classic 808 drum machine and an M-1 synthesizer. I started out as a determined MC, "K6 the Killa", but my career as an MC was short lived. After being kicked off the mic on several different occasions, I decided to become the promoter of our crew. Some of my contributions to the CJC Productions music catalogue were "Yeah Nigga", "Pop the Truck", and "Kick Dat Azz", all of which were vetoed by the producer. My philosophy has always been... "Get in where you fit in".

In 1988, I was on a football scholarship and I had just completed my senior campaign as an Edinboro Fighting Scot. This left a huge void in my campus life. One day I found myself sitting in the student union with my best friend and former teammate, Bill Clark, when we notice a bevy of beautiful young black female students heading up stairs to a Minority Students United meeting. Of course we followed them to that meeting. We sat in and was moved by what they had going on. As it would happen they were having elections for new officers the next week. We put our names on the ballet and I became the treasurer and Bill was voted vice-president (not bad for only attending two meetings). One of my duties as treasurer was to create fundraising opportunities. Rather than having a bake sale, I decide to put on a concert with a $250 budget. There's was doubt in my mind, I could pull it off. On a break from school, I returned to Rochester and presented the idea of doing a Rap concert on the campus of Edinboro University, in the heart of Western Pennsylvania, 20 miles away from Erie, PA to the Crew. With my enthusiasm about project, I convinced them that I could make it happen. At the end of the break I returned to campus and went to work. Working in my favor was that from 10:00pm to 2:00am on campus radio station WFSE the student DJ's played Hip Hop, which was the only station in the county that did. It's a fact, in 1988, Erie, PA got their Hip Hop from us, Edinboro University. I played the CJC Productions collaboration demo on the radio for about 3 months and the rest is "Black History". The buzz hit the city of a Hip Hop concert coming to campus. I reserved the Memorial Auditorium on campus which held about 700 people and on the night of the show we had an estimated 850 people in the audience.

The line-up was the Black Magic, an R&B group from Cleveland, OH, opened the show, Moski & Def D, the United MC's, and Ill-A-Mission Posse (Doc Smooth & DJ Red B-One) headlined the event. One the highlights of the show was the United MC's remix of the James Brown classic, "I'm Black and I'm Proud". Being Black History Month, that song drove the crowd into a frenzy. The Hip Hop portion of the show put CJC Productions on display and we did not disappoint our audience. At the height of the event, Ill-A-Mission took the stage. They opened the show with a blistering display of turntablism by DJ Red-B-One. He was a certified battle DJ tested in the streets of Rochester. His legend was reinforced by his mixed tapes, FM187 (Fast Moves 1st in 87) WRED. DJ Red B-One was ahead his time in that he had mixes and guest MC's on his mixed tapes. Not many guys did that in '88 in our town. When Doc Smooth hit the stage, he took off his jacket revealing a fake 357 Magnum handgun (I guess he was channeling his inner Gansta). I was positioned at stage side with head of security, an off duty police officer, which went ballistic when he saw Doc Smooth's antics. After an earful from our student advisor, Larry Meredith, I convinced the police officer not to shoot him with his "real" gun. Ill-A-Mission Posse ended the show with an unforgettable performance that left the crowd with their jaws dropped. The after-party at Miller Research center was crazy with Erie, PA's best dee jay, DJ Buggy.

Although the 1988 Edinboro University Black History Month concert was my brain child, there's a lot of people I would like to thank for making this event possible. First, I would like to thank CJC Productions for introducing me to real Hip Hop and allowing me to be a part of the movement, Ill-A-Mission Posse for being the force behind my success in '88, DJ Red B-One  for his life long friendship, watching the back of a square college boy from the wolves, and inspiring me to be the Juggernaut I became in the Hip Hop community, Doc Smooth for co-signing me and my ability to the rest of the crew and being one my best friends in high school, James Scott (JPS1) for being my assistant at the night of the show and holding me down, my ex- football teammates for their support as security, our student advisor Larry Meredith for his words of wisdom and his firsthand account of the "Black Power Movement" of the 60's which gave me a true sense of self, Lil Ronnie for telling me that I sucked as an MC, the Sixth Street Hustlers for holding us down at local shows and making sure our "hood pass" was always valid,  Edinboro University for giving us the resources to make it happen, MSU for electing me treasurer, and the young women that lead me to the MSU meeting. 'Nuff said.

Buffalo Golden Gloves 2015 Opening Round - The Saga Continues

Missing the Buffalo Golden Gloves 2015 opening round is like, missing a beginning of a movie or forgetting that your favorite series is on and missing an episode. Fortunately, Rugged Rob is on his "grizzle" and is here to give you the update. Like in previous years, the "Saga" that is the Buffalo Golden Gloves tournament, always leaves me wanting more. There are no previews of the next episode in this melodrama, we can only wonder what comes next. Well, allow me to set up the first act.


It was a night of about 20 fights to start out the tournament. It could have easily been 30 fights if there where no fighters pulling out due to injury or a simple gut check at the last minute. That is a draw back is any sport, non-participation for whatever reason. Every year, some of the defending champions don't return to defend their titles. It's a shame, because it weakens our chances at the National Golden Gloves tournament in Las Vegas, NV. It breaks my heart to see teams from all over the country walk away with those huge championship belts and we have to settle for a few wins to advance in the tournament. I travel with the New York State team to the Nationals, so I see what the rest of the country has to offer. The National Golden Gloves has to be one of the greatest amateur boxing exhibition I've ever seen. In a week I see the highest skill level of boxing I will see all year. Upon our arrival to the site of the Nationals you see other teams wearing their "colors" proudly. Each team sizing each other up ready to go to war with anyone that is put in front of them. It's a very intense feeling, when 300 highly trained fighters are snarling at each other and no one wants to back down. Sometimes, I feel like fighters in this region don't actually understand what they're fighting for. Once you make the trip for the first time, only then, will you know what it's all about. It's representing your team, your gym, your family, and anyone that cheered you on in Buffalo that didn't even know your name. 'Nuff said.

Featured Fight of the Day

Jeffrey Nygayot (Westside Boxing Club) vs Mike Vega (Casal's Boxing Club): 132lbs Open Division

There was an interesting storyline going into this fight. Word around the campfire is that Nygayot is in college and holds down a job, leaving him with little time to train (If anyone ask, you didn't here that from me). In amateur boxing this is very common. Everything you do for the sport, is on a volunteer basis. As much as you want to devote everything to an amateur boxing career, life must go on. Also, this might have been Mike Vega's last time in the Golden Gloves before turning pro, so he had to make this fight count. What I saw, from the ring apron, were two boxers fighting hard to advance. Jeffrey Nygayot is an elite fighter in our region that comes from a gym with a lot of tough competition and a coach, Adalberto “Jerry” Diaz, that demands his fighter are mentally and physically tough. In the other corner, Mike Vega is an tough fighter that works hard and had the stamina to fight all three rounds. Vega's coach, Ray Casal, comes in with a strategy to win and great instructions between rounds. In the first two rounds, Nygayot jumped in and out with at least 2 to 3 punch combinations, using his speed to keep Vega defensive. In those early rounds Vega was hesitant to engage, waiting to counterpunch, and trying figure out Nygayot's timing. In my opinion, Nygayot is more of an all around athlete and his movement is better than Vega's. Vega does a lot better against fighters that come straight ahead and applies pressure (circa 2014 BGG match-up; Mike Vega vs Daniel DeJusus). The early exchanges were dominated by Nygayot, but Vega was in no way hurt or in trouble of being stopped. In the third and final round, words from the campfire began to apply. Nygayot was winded and was not the same fighter from rounds 1 and 2. It showed that Vega worked hard in the gym, because after a few words from Ray, he came out swinging. He used his jab to get inside while Nygayot retreated and he threw big shots to try to get the knockout. Mike Vega had a better third round but it was too late to impress the judges. In amateur boxing there're some fighters you may not match up well against and I think this was the case for Mike Vega. Although, this wasn't his night, I wish Vega the best of luck in the future. As for Jeffrey Nygayot, good luck in the rest of the tournament.

Winner: Jeffrey Nygayot by Unanimous Decision

I would like to give you my "blow by blow" analysis of all the fights at once but as a new blogger, I have to pace myself. I will review 2 fights a day until I get to the end of the bout sheet. Tomorrow - Mike Christopher (UB Boxing) vs Mike Stevens (Buffalo PAL) and Drew Grazadei (NWBCC) vs Brandon Lynch (Albany Boxing)

The Results

• 141lbs. Sub-novice - Anthony Baxter (Friends of Boxing) vs Conner Jones (Freedom Boxing) - Winner: Anthony Baxter by TKO 3rd
• 141lbs. Novice - Mitch Geles (Victory Gym) vs Dustin Waleck (Casal's Boxing) - Winner: Mitch Geles by Split Decision
• 178lbs. Sub-novice - Alex Tyglowski (Freedom Boxing) vs Kenric Duncan (Iron Will Boxing) - Winner: Kenric Duncan by TKO 1st
• 152lbs. Open - Tracy McGruder (Rochester) vs Wilfredo Gomez Vega (Darkside Boxing) - Winner: Tracy McGruder by Unanimous Decision
• 178lbs. Open - Corey Hepburn (St. Martin's) vs Nelson Madhi (Westside Boxing) - Winner: Nelson Madhi (Westside Boxing) by TKO 3rd
• 152lbs. Sub-nivice - Jared Callahan (KC's Fitness) vs Davail Steel (Buffalo PAL) - Winner: Davail Steel (Buffalo PAL) by Split Decision
• 178lbs. Sub-novice - Frank White (Lackawanna Boxing) vs Mike Milletello (KC's Fitness) - Winner: Frank White (Lackawanna Boxing) by TKO 1st
• 165lbs Sub-nivice - Andrew Irrizary (NWBCC) vs Dillion Rossi (Freedom Boxing) - Winner: Andrew Irrizary (NWBCC) by TKO 2nd
• 152lbs. Open - Mark Renza (Sweet Science) vs Christopher Donahue (Elmira Boxing) - Winner: Mark Renza (Sweet Science) by Split Decision
• 178lbs. Sub-novice - Nick Martone (Terri's Fitness) vs Douglas Chavers (FLARE Center) - Winner: Douglas Chavers (FLARE Center) by Unanimous Decision
• 132lbs. Open - Jeffrey Nygayot (Westside Boxing) vs Mike Vega (Casal's Boxing) - Winner: Jeffrey Nygayot (Westside Boxing) by Unanimous Decision
• 201+ Open - Alex Dedovets (Goombas Boxing) vs Michael Reeves (St. Martin's Boxing) - Winner: Alex Dedovets by split decision
• 152lbs. Open - Anthony Woodruff (Westside Boxing) vs Cody Zappone (Albany Boxing) - Winner: Anthony Woodruff (Westside Boxing) by TKO 2nd
• 178lbs. Open - Ahmad McEntire (Westside Boxing) vs Curtis Chaplin (Ultimate Fitness) - Winner: Curtis Chaplin (Ultimate Fitness) by Unanimous Decision
• 165lbs Sub-novice - Adam Becky (Freedom Boxing) vs Leroy Thorton lll (Inspired Boxing) - Winner: Leroy Thorton lll (Inspired Boxing) by Split Decision
• 141lbs. Open - Akhmed Aliyev (NWBCC) vs Vinnie Denierio (Elmira Boxing) - Winner: Akhmed Aliyev (NWBCC) by TKO 3rd
• 132lbs Open - Sequan Felton (St. Martin's) vs Hector Bayanilla (NWBCC) - Winner: Saquan Felton (St. Martin's) by Decision
• 152lbs Open - Mike Christopher (UB Boxing) vs Mike Stevens (Buffalo PAL) - Winner: Mike Christopher (UB Boxing) Unanimous Decision
• 201+ Open - Drew Grazadei (NWBCC) vs Brandon Lynch (Albany Boxing) - Winner: Brandon Lynch (Albany Boxing) by TKO 2nd

Ray Casal and the Casal Boxing Club

When I talk to some of the boxing coaches in the area, for me, it's like talking to an old friend. The boxing community in Buffalo, New York is small in comparison to other in major markets, but we still remain competitive with the rest of the country. Many of the coaches in the area I've known for many years. Although, there are new coaches I run into that I may not know as well as the others. The dialogue is the same with new and old coaches. We talk about boxing in general, local fighters, match-ups, and "have you seen such-n-such lately?". It's always a great time for me and I seem to make a new friend whenever I go to a local boxing event.

One of my favorite coaches to catch up with is the legendary and "Hall of Famer" Ray Casal of Niagara Falls, New York. Ray has been in the fight game for over 40 years and is still going strong. I met Ray in 1998 at a Toughman Competition in Niagara Falls. At the time he was coaching a few of the fighters that night. Actually, Kevin Rozier (participant in UFC 1 and 4) introduced us and we've been friends ever since. Ray Casal's fighting background is in Kickboxing, as a fighter and a coach. In the 70's and 80's Kickboxing was extremely popular and there were several huge promotions in the area. This kept him very busy as a coach and a fighter. As the 90's approached the popularity of Kickboxing declined, Ray then moved his attention more to traditional boxing. In its heyday, the late 90's to mid-2000's, the Casal's Boxing Club was an one of the elite gyms in the country. He had a team of open class fighters that traveled the United States, winning tournaments, titles, and respect. One of his marque fighters was his very own son, Nick "Hands of Gold" Casal. Nick was a "beast" as an amateur and he terrorized open weight classes from 132lbs. to 152lbs. nationally and internationally. Ray Casal has always maintained a competitive stable of fighters. He's a great motivator, excellent coach, and he keeps a family atmosphere at his gym.

In 2003, when I started "The Western York Boxing Academy" at the F.LA.R.E. center, he was instrumental in getting everything off the ground. He gave me names of other coaches, supported my club shows, matched up my fighters on his shows, and be there with advice. I can't thank him enough. He really supports amateur boxing in our area and we're lucky to have him.

A few days ago, I visited Casal's gym for a video shoot. I interviewed Ray and a few of his fighters. I was not disappointed in the talent he had for me. In 2015, he doesn't have the stable of fighters he used to have, but his team is definitely ready to compete in the Buffalo Golden Gloves, Saturday, January 24th at the Tralf Music Hall. Ray has a lot of pride and his fighters represents his boxing club with the that same pride when they come to fight. Leading the charge this year is Mike Vega, a 132lbs. open class fighter. I've watch Vega develop as a fighter and a fine young man over the years. He's always been a gentleman and a credit to the sport, since I met him a few years ago. Vega trains hard, competes at a very high level, and his technique makes him a handful for anyone in the 132lbs. division. In his interview, he said this may be his last Golden Gloves tournament he competes in before he turns professional. The 132lbs. open class division is the most competitive division in the 2015 tournament. Returning are Saquan Felton, who is the 2014 champion, Jeffrey Nyguyot, was last years the runner-up, and Oscar Peralta, from Syracuse, New York won the 132lbs. title in 2013. We can add Mike Vega to that list. Also in the gym was Brianna Smith, one of Casal's top female fighters. She has yet to lose a fight in the Golden Gloves. Although women can't advance in the tournament, she comes to fight. Brianna is a true athlete. She also played division 1 soccer for Canisius College. She's well rounded and has the stamina for a hard 3 round fight. She throws punches in bunches and she will be hard to stop in 2015. Brianna is a second generation fighter at the Casal's boxing club. Her father was Ray's first pupil and fighter. Keeping it in the Casal fighting family is always a good thing.

For more info on Casal's Boxing Club CHICK HERE!!!

The Buffalo Golden Gloves 2015...It's That Time of Year.

Everyone has something in life they look forward to every year. It might be a birthday, an anniversary, a reunion, whatever the case may be. I also have a time of year I look forward to with great intensity. It is the Buffalo Golden Gloves tournament. It's the tournament that determines who will represent, our region, in the National Golden Gloves tournament. In our region, the tournament starts in January. I can feel the excitement in the air as the time approaches, January 24, 2015 at the Tralf Music Hall in Buffalo, New York. If you have never seen live boxing, on any level, the Buffalo Golden Gloves is a great start. The event is family friendly and it won't break your pockets. The competition and skill levels are extremely high for a local event. In the Buffalo Golden Gloves every fight has a meaning, win or go home...all beat up.

I would like to re-introduce myself to my current readers and those of you that don't know me or what I do. I consider myself a boxing enthusiast with a camera and airtime. I've been filming the New York State Golden Gloves since its return to Buffalo in 2008. When I'm filming at "the Gloves" I'm positioned on the ring apron in the neutral corner. My camera is just a few feet away from the action. I've been filming amateur boxing in Western New York for over 15 years and I'm still on the job. My blog, the Rugged Chronicles, is driven by my experience as a local boxing journalist. "Nuff said".

The Buffalo Golden Gloves is where stars are born is this area. The local boxing community has its focus on the local Golden Gloves every year. The hunt is on and the NYS Golden Gloves title is the prize. Teams from across the state come to Buffalo, New York to compete in this tournament so they can measure themselves against the best in their region. The Gloves is an honest depiction of who owns the bragging rights to the title of the best fighter in the area. Will they come from Syracuse, Niagara Falls, Rochester, Geneva, Albany, Jamestown, or from some small town Upstate? The drama and excitement is always worth the wait.

See you at the Buffalo Golden Gloves, January 24, 2015 at the Tralf Music Hall in beautiful Buffalo, New York. The stage has been set and the fist-a-cuffs are about to begin. Last year's New York State Golden Gloves champions will return and defend their titles. New champions will be crowned and the balance of the boxing landscape will change. Some fighters will come ready war and others will get lost in the shuffle. It's that time of year.

For more information Click Here!!!