Shiitiest part of town, more like being in South Africa than the USA, packed a 38 in my gym bag navigating the fucking ghetto in and out if there.. Showed up and it was a full house, everybody in street clothes. There for the show.
so it was me and Apollo creed in the main event.. I'm warming up on a heavy bag in front of the entire Zulu nation.
Im wrapped up and have my mouthpiece in and the shitbag who trains this guy informs me were cutting down the rounds from a sparring session to a five round smoker. In other words, there are no bones about this just being sparring, it's a fight.
first round was measured, feeling each other out. He's almost a half foot taller than me, has a huge reach advantage.. And he's faster. He campaigns at 198, the cut off for cruiser weight, but he's easily 210, 220 in here today.. Ii was 187 after breakfast.
hes controlling the distance with his jab, light on his feet. Has good footwork.. I start pressing and cutting off the ring, he flurries and throws a body kick then steps out to his right. I can't get to him just barreling in, that was Text book.
Second round and and now everything being thrown is more committed, heavier. Also means he's set down to push those shots at me and isn't as elusive with his footwork. He reels off three punches tagging me with a right hand, I put my head down and go this body.. Thump him with a hard shot, he steps over and throws another flurry catching me with a couple shots that aren't clean , but he's landing.
not good. Tagging me on the way in, ok... But lighting me up on the way back out, it's ugly. I'm being shut down. I've been around , I know This is going to turn into a beating unless I can wobble this kid.
He sets down outside and happy to throw measured combos from a distance I have a difficult time countering from. Some of the heat is gone from his shots, he's elusive.. That body shot connvinced him to dictate things from outside using his physical advantages rather than force a brawl, yet..
third round more of the same. Half way through the round I walked through one of his flurries getting peppered with solid shots when I waded in, I chopped an overhand right about as hard as I could throw it that landed flush.. He answered immediately with a 2-3 counter.. That hook landed behind my ear, Ieverything kind of went blurry and I saw a blue light for a second.. I clinched and made a couple slap knees, getting my head clear. he clinched back and swung me off him, tossed me like a little kid. Really not good, our first clinch and the difference in strength and size was readily apparent. Landing that hard right hand the way I did and his answering right back with shots that wobbled me. He can take my big shots, I know I can't take too many of his.
end of the third. Back in my corner and the kid that looks like spike lee that's been giving me water isn't there. I see a familiar face, couldn't have shocked me anymore if it had been a ghost.
my first trainer had been a black gentleman in his 50's. He taught me my boxing hands, was good to me. I hadn't seen him in maybe 15 years.. And there he was holding the water bottle smiling at me. He has to be in his seventies now.
Cal all looks at me, smiles again and tells me.. "You getting a little old to be fighting with these young kids"
" what are you doing down here with these guys? No wonder I can't get off on this kid.. He's yours?"
" I'm retired , but I help where I can"
made sense now. That's why this guy was so polished and put together.
" chop at him with your low kick, you're a strong kicker. Get low in the clinch so he can't move you. I didn't know You were coming in or I would have been here"
" I didn't know he was your kid, or I wouldn't have been here"
fourth round sucked. I was starting to feel gassed, with another round left to go. I coasted and just took what he dished out, answered with kicks on his arms and a low kick that he checked with his shins. Once I was drawing his check on the low kicks.. I really laid into them. The laughing and hooting typical of Africa stopped. I was hearing Oohs and ahhs from the sounds of our shins cracking . This kid never winced or shied away from the contact. He was well conditioned and very brave. He increased the pressure he put on me with his combos, landing combinations that I countered over and over again with the same low kick, then lighting me up again on the break after my counter. At the end of the round I got nailed with another left hook and badly wobbled, the whole place erupted in Swahili war cries.. I could hear cal giving me instructions in a low calm voice.. Get low and wrap him up. I bear hugged Apollo creed at his belt line and did a hip throw that stuck him into the ropes half out of the ring. House got quiet again.. I've never been knocked out or knocked down, if I'd missed that clinch I would have probably ended up on one knee.. Dangerous place to be with no referee in a situation like that.
Fifth round. I know this is the last three minutes, I think I have enough stamina to make it. I'm not Letting any of his combinations and flurries go unanswered now, every time he throws something I answer with the hardest kick i can throw. He never wilts, he checks everyone of them.. His work rate has dropped, I don't know if I finally chopped on him enough to get some respect, or he was tiring.. He threw a hard knee to the body I managed to grab and dump him on his face.. When he got up he gave me the "nod"
buzzer sounds, and Apollo creed hugs me. Kinda shocked.
" Youll go a long g way in this sport son, stay dedicated avoid bad habits and women.. Only thing stopping you will be you"
- and whatever you do stay close to Cal, he's golden"
" youre the toughest guy I ever got down like this with, they told me you were a kicker but man you kick hard "
reconnected with Cal.. He's coming in to train a class with my boys, said he would bring some guys with him. Be intrested to see if Apollo creed comes in with him.
At seeing me talking to Cal, a few of the boys approached me, talked to me.. One young fellow tried to carry my bag for me
im glad I went.
Bigger stronger faster. No sugar coating , He dominated. My determination and conditioning were on full display, I walked out with my head up and my back straight. Take more than an ass whipping to knock the pride out of charley b.
its not the first time I've taekn a beating...
but it's the last. I'm done
sincere thanks to everyone who followed this last run of mine, really appreciate all the kind words.. the energy and motivation you guys gave me were no small part of pushing me well past what maybe I would have settled for otherwise. Wish it could have ended on a high note, but that's kind of how this game goes
i did my level best, no regrets nothing left to prove..
upwards and onwards lads!
Charley B
