CUERUS No.171

Like A Phoenix!

By Bernardo Miguel
& Cuerus Staff

Cedric "Prince Phoenix" Anderson is someone I met recently at the Chicago Boxing Club. He's getting ready to enter our armed forces soon. To close out this chapter in his life, he fought on Mike Cericola's "Round 2" fight card this past February 18, 2011 at the El Rey Ballroom. He won that fight and was surrounded by a strong contingent of friends and fans that wanted to send him off in fine style. Wishing him all the best during basic training and during his time of service to our country. We look forward to his return, hopefully like his name implies, with more strength, wisdom and abilities.
Photo: www.boxingallmedia.com

“CHICAGO FIGHT CLUB” CONTRIBUTES SKILL, SPIRIT, TO BOXING COMMUNITY

By Johnny Bellino

When Golden Gloves boxing fans were introduced to the tournaments Newest sponsor, Wasfi Tolaymat, they probably were wondering, who is Wasfi Tolaymat for God’s sake? No one had ever heard of him and he had never been involved in the Golden Gloves, let alone professional boxing. And, if boxing fans can’t pronounce the name, “Wasfi Tolaymat”, they’re going to have plenty of chances of to learn, because the middle eastern born American, is the newest face in Chicago boxing, even though has never stepped into a ring. Look inside Wasfi Tolaymat and you will find a man winter the humility of former champion Floyd Patterson, the entrepreneurial spirit of Oscar de La Hoya and determination of Joltin Joe Frazier,(He once woke the King of Saudi Arabia in the middle of the night and talked him into increasing the food supply for the poor.) And that’s not to mention the cunning of Floyd Mayweather, wich Tolaymat developed to survive bombings and kidnappings in the Middle East. Like a flying saucer Tolaymat landed in the boxing world this year and took its citizens by surprise more occupied by the Secretary of State. Although he spent more than $50,000 in equipment in the less then a year since he opened his first “Chicago Fight Club. he plans to expand to three, four and maybe more gyms, including Bridgeport, and south Chicago, where he has even looking to take over a building currently occupied by the Secretary of State. It’s not that boxing is Wasfi’s first fit of generosity. The family tree goes back the daughter of the prophet Mohammed, so he is filled with compassion and spirit of giving. “What I am is here,” he says, pointing to a host of plaques on his wall, including one signed by every living president in the United States, given to him in appreciation for his devotion to charity. OLD WORLD EXPERIENCE MEANS NEW WORLD SUCCESS Wasfi’s working history began when the five year old walked the streets of Aman, Jordan from sunrise to sundown selling the produce from his family’s century old food business instinct, and sense of opportunism that he brought to America, even though he had no money to invest when he arrived. Not that the cowboy dressed Tolaymat was all work and no play. In fact, his passion for card games led him to one coffee and tea shop after another until he figured playing cards and watching Arab movies with all his friends wold be better in his own coffee shop than someone else’s’. So he opened one in Jefferson Park. but first thing first. For two years, the Arab American kept stuffing his pockets he earned as a kitchen cook. When a friend’s liquor store was destroy by fire, Wasfi ant two cab driving buddies put up the money for building materials and repaired it themselves. “The owner didn’t have enough money to fix the place so he just gave it to us,” Wasfi explained. “My friends and I did the rest,” he said. After a year, Tolaymat persuaded a few friends to invest in another liquor store. Two liquor stores became three, and three became four, before he opened a popular night club in the Middle Eastern ghetto of Chicago.

Continuará...

Fighting Words

By Bernardo Miguel

Online!

In addition to reading your boxing news in the paper, come to our web site at www.cuerusboxing.com. We have quite a few things in the works that include extra online news and features. We are on Facebook and Twitter too. Make sure to visit us. All of our links on our web site.

Even if you don't have a computer, head down to the Chicago Public Library in your neighborhood. Quite a few of them give you Internet access through their computers. That way, you won't miss any of our special boxing features.

Fighter Interviews & Features

I have been working on bringing a couple of new interviews and features your way. They focus on fighters that I think will interest you. One boxer is training for his second professional fight and two others have a few pro fights under their belts already. The great thing about them is you get to learn more about these fighting men. What goes through the mind of a boxer as he prepares for a match? What is he fighting for? These questions and much more. With the determination each of these guys show, I know we are going to see some great things coming from them.

Advertise With Cuerus!

Are you a promoter or gym owner looking to reach out to fight fans? Do you have a business or service that you want to get exposure for? Advertise with Cuerus! We have a loyal reader base that picks up our issues twice a month. Help support the Independent Voice of Boxing and advertise with Cuerus! Contact me below to find out more info.

See you online and in the next issue!

Duro examen para el "Suavecito" Ramos

Por: George Jimenez

En la pelea principal de una cartelera celebrada en el Bally's Casino en Atlantic City, New Jersey, Rico Ramos peleó 10 duros asaltos contra Alejandro Valdez, un peleador fuerte y con experiencia. Fue un combate entretenido y al sonar la campana los dos peleadores salieron listos a imponer sus estilos.Valdez salió fuerte y puso mucha presión toda la noche. Pero Ramos uso el cuadrilátero y su buen boxeo para evitar los golpes tirados por su contrincante.

En el decimo asalto un cabezazo accidental abrió una cortada en el ojo derecho de Ramos y el referee detuvo la acción para que el doctor examinara la herida. La acción resumió y Ramos terminó la pelea muy fuerte. Al final los jueces dieron tarjetas de 97-93, 97-93, and 98-92 todos a favor de Ramos que mejora su récord a 19 peleas ganadas y cero derrotas.

Después de la pelea Ramos comento, "Fue una pelea dura, no creí que fuera a ser tan dura. Hubo muchos cabezazos y amarraba mucho pero no voy quejarme. En el decimo después del cabezazo volví duro y no dejé que dictara la pelea. Todo salió bien porque trabajamos duro y aunque Valdez usó su cabeza y fuerza, yo fui mejor."

Valdez también comentó en la pelea, "Fue una pelea competitiva. Le pegué y tiré bastantes golpes. Puse mucha presión toda la noche y lo expuse. Él está todavía muy novato y muy protegido."

Tough Test for Rico "Suavecito" Ramos

By George Jimenez

In the main event of a very entertaining card that took place at Bally's Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Rico Ramos went 10 tough rounds against a rugged and determined Alejandro Valdez. It was an entertaining fight and as soon as the bell rang, both fighters came out ready to impose their styles.

Valdez came on strong and put pressure on Ramos the whole night. While Ramos used his ring generalship and footwork to avoid the many punches Valdez was throwing throughout the fight. An accidental head butt in the 10th round opened a cut on Ramos' right eye and the referee stopped the fight so the doctor could examine it. The action resumed and Ramos finished the fight strong.

The judges scored the fight 97-93, 97-93, and 98-92 all in favor of Ramos who improves his record to 19-0. Rico Ramos commented on his fight, "He was a tough fight; I did not think it would be that tough. There was a lot of holds and head butts but I got no complaints. In the 10th round, I came back after the head butt because I did not want that to dictate my fight. It worked out good cause we worked hard, Valdez used his head good too and his strength, ultimately I was better."

Alejandro Valdez spoke briefly about the fight, "It was a competitive fight. I hit a lot and threw a lot of punches. I pressured him throughout the fight and I exposed him. He is still very green and protected."

True Passion

By Robert Aguilar

The determination of fighters at the amateur level always impresses me. They fight whoever is put in from of them; they make no demands or make crazy requests. As the Golden Gloves tournament is well under way in New York City, I cannot help but be inspired by the hunger these fighters exhibit when they step into the ring. You will find pure, raw, natural talent. It is at these types of grass roots events that many times you’ll see more passion during one single round of boxing than during an entire fight of some of the professional fights in recent times. It is very disheartening that this passion is lost at the professional level, very few fighters continue to have the same passion, in fact you could probably count on one hand the professional fighters that no matter how much success they achieve they continue to have that fire, that hunger to put on a great show for the fans.

It is a huge let down when professional fighters refuse to give the fans the fights they want to see, the fights that will attract not only the diehard fans but the casual fan as well. It is what the sport needs, wait, let me retract that. What the sport needs is the “fight whoever they put in front of me” mentality that the amateur fighters have. That is what I love about the amateur scene; boxers don’t know who they are fighting until the day of. That alone can give you an idea of the courage these guys possess that is what makes a true warrior a warrior. That is what I most admire about the amateur fighters. They don’t fear the unknown, in fact they welcome it, and it is a very natural cycle of what they do. True boxing fans should support amateur boxing, the fighters deserve it. I strongly urge you to attend one of these events, see for yourself what the fighters put into each round.

There is no glitz, no glamour and no pomp and circumstance at the local gyms where these fights are held. What you will find is passion, heart and sweat. They don’t do it for the money, they do it for the cheers and applause of those attending the event, and it’s something you simply cannot buy or put a price on.