Something strange was afoot on
Saturday afternoon in the Point Breeze section of Philadelphia: Boxing was
actually promoting itself effectively. Jaron "Boots" Ennis held an exhibition at the
Ralph Brooks Playground and a couple of hundred boxing fans turned out.
With a DJ blasting music, a ring
set up in the center of the park, sponsors giving out energy drinks, and local
gyms donating their trainers and equipment for the day, the air was festive. Before any of
the professional fighters arrived, members of the Front Street Gym held an
exhibition in the ring and on the playground. Kids of all sizes were going
through punching drills, hitting the heavy and speed bags, and practicing footwork
exercises. Old-timers dressed in suits were on the periphery. Other fans hung
out in the bleachers or conversed on the playground waiting for the star of the show to arrive. It was a
reminder that Philadelphia is a genuine fight town.
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| Photo by Adam Abramowitz |
On October 11th, Ennis will make his 154-lb. debut after becoming unified champion at welterweight. He'll be fighting Uisma Lima, a little-known Portuguese-based fighter who's on a decent run in the division. This will be Boots' third fight at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, after successful outings against David Avanesyan and Karen Chuckhadzhian. Although Boots had spent years fighting away from his hometown, his Philly fights have drawn very well. While Lima's relatively anonymous status won't help sell tickets, events like Saturday's will.
In talking with a Matchroom
Boxing official on Saturday, the whole exhibition on Saturday cost somewhere
around $10,000, and it was money well spent. In attendance were tons of people
from the neighborhood, boxing fans from around the area, neighborhood outreach
representatives from Comcast Spectacor (they own Wells Fargo Center),
members of USA Boxing, the Pennsylvania athletic commission, representatives
from city council and state senate offices, and others who help form the greater boxing
infrastructure in the city. It was a great way to boost visibility for Boots'
upcoming fight and raise the profile for boxing in the city.
About an hour after the event
started, the professional boxers started rolling in. Dennis "The Quiet
Storm" Thompson, a 7-0 featherweight prospect signed to Boots Promotions, was the first to enter the ring. He'll be appearing on the card in a few weeks.
So too will Jesse Hart, a Philly fighter and longtime contender in the sport at super middleweight
and light heavyweight. Hart, while not showing his skills in the ring on
Saturday, took the mic and displayed a genuine enthusiasm for reigniting his career.
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| Boots displaying his skills Photo by Adam Abramowitz |
Boots then arrived on the scene, signing dozens of autographs on gloves and tee shirts before entering the ring. He had a line of well-wishers with photographers snapping his every move. Before he started to go through his brief training session, he was presented with the Ring Magazine belt for his accomplishments at welterweight and you could sense his pride as he held it in his hands. In an unscripted moment, his father and trainer, Bozy, held the belt and said, "It's heavy!"
Boots, wearing a sweatshirt on a
muggy September afternoon, then went through a brief training session where he
displayed his movement and quick combinations while Bozy and his brother Derek (better known as Pooh) took turns holding up the
sticks. He addressed the crowd and urged people to support him on fight
night.
The event lasted just two hours
or so and it was a smashing success. Of course, this begs the question as to why these events don't occur more often. Boxing is very
vibrant in Philadelphia, as it is in many other cities across the U.S., and yet
there's no escaping the reality that the sport doesn't frequently connect with
the public as it should. Events like Saturday's help reinforce that boxing
still holds a lot of appeal, and not just to well-heeled ticket buyers and
sponsors. At its core, boxing is about the neighborhood gym, providing kids with opportunities, and teaching important skills about self-defense and life.
The sport of boxing gets a lot of things wrong, and often on a daily basis. But let's remember that boxing can be a force for good. It can be grown. It can still connect. But the effort must be made to help cultivate a following. Saturday was a reminder that not all is lost. There are still a few who get it. I wish that they would get it on a more consistent basis, but that conversation is for another time.
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