Golden Graham-A Fight Night Round 4 featherweight story

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“Hey Roger,” I called

“Hey Pat. Ready for another one of these?” he responded sarcastically. “Seems like you always find your way to this pit-stain of a place.”

“C’mon man, like your not the same way,” I joked. “Boxing isn’t even covered in your paper anymore. Why the hell are you here?”

“One of my old insiders told me about a kid that is absolute dynamite,” he said, “Says he’s gonna be the next big thing out of Chicago.”

“Charles Ruiz, right?” I replied, “That’s why I’m here. Doin’ a piece on him for the Times. Apparently he won the Golden Gloves tourney and has started off a nice pro career at 2-0. To bad he’s a featherweight. We need a big time heavyweight to save this sport.”

“But the skinny guys are where the true fighting lies!” Roger enthusiastically said, “This Ruiz kid is just what this city needs in a future champ. Tonight he’s up against some bum from Britain he whooped up on in amateurs named Henry Graham. This ought to be another great beat down to watch in the ol’ Windy City Gym.”

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The smell…I think it really is the smell of this place that brings me here every Wednesday night for fight night. Its…rustic…earthy…the gym just feels like a natural entity. This is how boxing ought to be. In its purest form its nothing but the sweat, blood, and spit of one guy’s grit against another and going toe to toe for nothing more than pride. No big money promoters, no big headed superstars. It’s just the man, his opponent, and the ring they’re standing in. My name is Patrick O’Brien, and I write for the Chicago New-Times, but my passion is running my boxing blog in my spare time. It’s for guys like me and my old buddy Roger, who remember the good times in boxing and have seen it fade to its oblivious nature today. But this one night, this kid brought me back. He gave me a glimpse into the past of the sport and the passion our pugilists need to have in the future. This is the story of Golden…

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…on the under card of the night Charles Ruiz of Golden Gloves fame was defeated by KO in the 3rd Round by Henry Graham of London, England. Graham is now 2-0 in the professional ranks.

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A Boxing Blog

…wish the editor would have let me write more. That was one of the sweetest KO’s I’ve seen in years! And he couldn’t have been a more composed kid! Here’s some of my notes from the fight:
(with a nod to celticboy25…please scroll carefully and slowly. As bigger fights come I’ll try to get some video if I can)

Round 1
The fight is starting slow. Graham comes out showing the right jab. As expected by the southpaw. Both guys are about the same height and have the same reach, but Graham is fighting on the outside. Ruiz starts to work the body. Stunned! Stunned! Ruiz is clocked by a left uppercut. He’s down with a hook downstairs. Ruiz gets up, gets out the cobwebs and finishes the round strong. Lucky round for Graham?




Round 2

Graham looks slow. Ruiz presses the action with his jab and moves inside for some body work. Graham’s back is against the ropes. He looks tentative. Ruiz is pointing with the speed that made him the amateur champ. Looks like the first round jitters are gone.




Round 3

Ruiz begins where he left off in round 2. His speed is devastating. Graham is blocking, taking a steady dose of leather to the body. Misses with a big left. Looks like he’s trying to time Ruiz coming in. Counter hook to Ruiz! He’s wobbly. Graham holds back. Ruiz is frustrated and goes head hunting. Counter uppercut! Ruiz is down for the second time in this fight. Ruiz is up quickly and presses Graham. Graham is backed against the ropes and dodges a left hook by Ruiz, counter by Graham! Ruiz is down. Wow what a punch. The ref calls the fight. What a clean punch. First Graham is against the ropes, slides smoothly under a wild left hand from Ruiz and counters with the sharpest left hook I’ve seen in a while. Classic knockdown.

I interviewed him after the fight. I’ll give more on his background next post. I’ll be keeping an eye on his career. As for the main event, Creed looked polished after a…

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A Boxing Blog

Alright, so back to the Henry Graham kid. First let me tell you all about him as a fighter. He’s a southpaw with a powerful left. He’s about 5’9”, and is a real gangly looking kid that could use a few pounds on his frame. However, it’s the intangibles that get me excited about him. I tried to no avail to get this interview in the paper. This kid Henry Graham has an absolutely fascinating story.
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It all began in the tiny African country of Sierra Leone. Henry Musa was born in 1990 in the middle of a civil war.
“I don’t remember much about my early childhood,” Henry said somberly. “It seems to me like that time period was one of pain and sadness.”
That pain includes witnessing the murder of his parents at the tender age of 5, which he refused to comment on. He ended up in the care of his aunt in the capital city of Freetown which at the time he thought was safe. However in 1999, all that changed.
“I remember the sound of the gunshots,” he said. “Usually you could hear them sporadically at night, but not this time. They grew closer and closer, until finally, all hell broke loose.”
The siege of Freetown by the Revolutionary United Front, a rouge group that terrorized the population, began in 1999. UN forces eventually suppressed the RUF, but in their wake they left thousands dead and many more displaced. Separated from his aunt during the siege, Henry became an orphan on the streets of Freetown, where he had to fight for survival in the remnants of A UN diplomat from Britain named John Paul Graham had an idea for some of those refugee children.
“That’s when I met dad. We just hit it off immediately. He was great for all of us. About twenty of us kids were shipped to London where we lived in a special orphanage. Dad just kept coming to check on me, and one day, I was adopted. It was the first time I felt at home in my life.”
Henry was home schooled for a couple of years, and then at the age of 13 was accepted into the prestigious City of London School for boys. He was a star athlete and especially excelled on the schools karate team.
“Karate gave me focus to get through the grind of school,” he fondly expressed, “I loved learning, but at the same time I never felt like I truly belonged. I hungered for something more, and that’s when I stumbled on Repton.”
The oldest boxing club in London, Repton Boxing Club for boys took the raw skills of Henry and sharpened them into the boxer he is today. He dominated the local scene and soon emerged as the top young prospect in Britain. After completing his A-level examinations at his school, he received an offer from Oxford University. The former refugee soon found himself at a crossroads.
“I couldn’t do it. I really wanted to go to Oxford, but I felt my time in England had come to an end. I wanted to see the world, and boxing was my ticket out of town.”
Henry scraped together what little he could and flew to the United States. He took a job as a local deli delivery boy here in Chicago.
“Yeah, it is a humbling experience barely making ends meat, but I have to say I’m happy,” he said excitedly. “I love sport of boxing. It tests my limits like nothing else can. When I’m tired and ready to quit, I remember where I come from. I fight for my brothers in Sierra Leone. I fight for my father in London. And I fight for myself and my dreams. No one is going to take that away from me.”

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ESPN Wednesday Night fights has returned to good ol’ Chicago. Along the way, they asked me on some feedback for the under-undercard as I like to call it. They wanted a local guy to face one of the up and coming Li brothers. I phoned my old buddy Roberto Gonzales, who has been training fighters for the last 25 years if he could provide me with one of his best featherweights for a small deal for Wednesday Night Fights.

“Will he be on TV?” he asked excitedly.
“Can’t make any promises, Roberto,” I said, “You know how it is, man. He’ll get airtime if it’s a good fight.”
“Got this kid named Graham. He’s golden! Gonna be a star if he ever takes fighting seriously. Sometimes he can get his head in the clouds…”
“Stop rambling,” I interrupted. “Golden eh? You wouldn’t be talking about that young Brit Henry Graham, would you?”
“Yeah, how’d you know?”
“Saw an early fight of his. Good head on his shoulders. Fight should be a good one.”
“Who’s he got?” Roberto inquired.
“Rupert Li, the more unorthodox of the Li brothers. He had a late scratch,” I said.
“We’ll be ready. It’s time for this kid to really step into the big time.”
“See you at the fight, Roberto. I’ll be taking notes for the Times.”
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Henry Graham vs. Rupert Li
Southpaw Orthodox
5’7” 5’6”
125lbs 120 lbs
71” reach 72” reach

(Scroll and read slowly)

Round 1

And here we go. Bell sounds and Graham starts out showing the jab early. Li slides around the ring smoothly with his unorthodox style. Graham stays focused on giving Li a steady diet of the jab and OH! Caught Li with a left hook. Graham has Li wobbly early in the fight. It looks like a long night for Rupert Li.

Round 2

Graham comes out again with the jab. Li swings wildly and can’t connect. Graham looks poised, smoothly connecting with combinations off of his jab. Li backs off trying to time Graham’s jab. Li catches Graham with a wild left hook. Li now presses the action, but Graham keeps his distance with the jab. Bell sounds.

Graham’s corner
“You’re getting greedy Graham,” Gonzales yells. “Don’t let his wild hands throw you off your gameplan. Get inside those hooks with the jab. I want you to jab, jab, HOOK! Got it?!”

Round 3

Li starts off this round as a counter puncher. Li begins to counter Graham’s jab with the overhand left. Graham switches strategy and starts some body work to Li’s midsection. Graham presses the action and is caught by a wild left uppercut by Li. Graham backs away and goes back to the jab. As the round ends it looks like there is a little swelling over Li’s left eye.

Round 4

Li is withdrawing into a shell. The constant jabs are getting to him. Li swings wildly and Graham counters with a left uppercut that lands flush. Li’s legs aren’t under him. He’s clearly frustrated by that jab. Again he swings a wild left hook and Graham counters with a left hook of his own. Li is against the ropes. Graham throws a flurry of combinations. The bell sounds and Li stumbles to his corner.

Graham’s corner
“Very good, very good,” Gonzales praises, “See what happens when you’re patient? Stay calm and keep throwing that jab and we’ll get out of here with a win.”

Round 5

Graham is clearly dominating the fight. Li knows he needs a knockout to win and he starts off Round 5 strong. Graham is hit by a nice right hand from Li. Li has Graham against the ropes. Graham methodically reestablishes control with his jab. Li is hurt by a left hook! Left to the body, right to the head! Li is going down! The bell sounds! Oh Li was saved by the bell!

Round 6

Graham comes out looking for the knockout. He swings wildly and Li hit him hard with a right hook. Graham was hurt by that right hand. Now its Li who presses the action. A straight right to the nose hits Graham flush. This doesn’t look good for Graham. He backs away using the jab and dancing around the ring. Li can’t catch up and the fight ends. It goes to the scorecards.

Judge #1 59-55
Judge #2 60-54
Judge #3 59-55

Winner by unanimous decision: Henry Graham

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If anyone is following more is coming soon. I have 2 other fights written down but I need to still incorporate the story elements.

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Great job so far.

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“Henry!” I yelled as I ran to catch up with him down the alley. “Great fight!”
He turned toward me with a huge smile and a huge knot over his left eye. “Whoa, that’s some shiner you got there, Graham. Can I can call you Henry?”
“Of course, Pat,” he said. “Got this in the second round trying to get too fancy. What’s the word from your guys at ESPN?”
“Well, to be honest with you I don’t know. You presented a problem for them Henry.”
“What do you mean?” he said, sounding concerned.
“Let me break it down for you. Rupert Li had been signed to do several Wednesday and Friday night venues for the network this upcoming year. They like his wild style and personality and ultimately wanted to ride the wave for a while.”
“It’s not my fault I beat him!” Henry said angrily. “What’s this mean for me?”
“Hold on, champ. It’s not that simple. Boxing isn’t just about winning and losing. It’s about playing politics with networks, promoters, and other fighters. I’ve been doing this a while, and I can pretty much tell you what’s gonna happen. They’ll pull this fight and put up two of the lesser under cards this time. Sorry Henry.”
Henry leaned against the wall, stared at the ground and was quiet for some time. When he looked at me again, I could see the intensity of a fighter emerge. He spoke crisply and straight to the point.
“I need you.”
“Excuse me, Henry?”
“I don’t know the business side of boxing, and frankly, Roberto is just a trainer. I need your insight and your connections,” he said in stark seriousness.
“I’m honored you think that way, but son, I’m just a writer. I’m just an old guy who likes to keep up with the sport I love.”
“And that’s why I need you. You are not motivated by greed, but motivated to keep the pure ideals of this sport above all else,” he smiled. He picked up his bag and turned to walk away.
“Henry, I can’t…” I stuttered
“I’ll call you soon, partner!” he interrupted as he trotted around a corner. “I’ll get your number from Roberto.”
So there I was, standing in an alley by myself, trying to figure out if I should help this kid. I’ve seen this before. Great, motivated kids with the right mindset, but all of that can disappear if a promoter with some cash gets a hold of them. I found myself conflicted, but I decided against better judgment that I would try to keep this one on the straight and narrow. I just sensed something special about Henry. I wanted him to be not only a good fighter, but also continue to remain the good person he seemed to be. So as the year closes, the team of Roberto, Pat, and Henry is now complete. A new chapter in our lives, especially Henry, was about to begin.