Boxing has an incredible way of connecting people in a deep and profound manner. Maybe it’s the intensity of the training, the dedication required or simply the type of people that the sport attracts. Whatever the cause, the strength and respect within the boxing community is undeniable. It is a community that understands, respects and reveres its history and those that came before. It’s a community that doesn’t care if you’re a former or current champion, a kid trying to find their way or an executive that trains whenever their schedule allows. We are all part of the community; We are all boxers.

From the first time I stepped into a boxing gym almost 20 years ago I have heard the words “boxing made me who I am today”. Although I didn’t really understand it then, I know those words are true for me today. Boxing has given me so much professionally and personally, I can’t imagine who or where I would be without the sweet science. Beyond my own experience, I have witnessed the transformative effects of boxing on countless lives. I have seen children walk through the doors of my gym, too nervous to make eye contact, become smiling, laughing beings with a sparkle in their eyes after 10 minutes of throwing punches. I have seen a CEO, who never climbed a set of stairs, become a legend in the ring. I have witnessed a boxer lose every round of a fight, and somehow find the strength and courage to stop their opponent in the last 10 seconds of the final round.

Three months ago, I received a call from the other side of the country. The young woman on the other end of the call introduced herself as Jess Melo, a family name familiar to most every Canadian boxing enthusiast. Over the course of the call, Jess spoke to me about the Organization she had launched to honour her father and the boxing legends she had recruited to help. Later that day as I walked around my gym, looking at the posters that adorn the walls I began to notice there in print all the names Jessie had mentioned during our call; truly a collection of boxing legends.

Fast forward to this past weekend and Friday night found me referring a card of amateur matches outside under a blanket of stars on a perfect summer night in front of a knowledgeable and enthusiastic crowd that included a long list of boxing legends. Saturday afternoon I was back in my gym, sharing the ring with the same laundry list of boxing legends that included George Chuvalo (5x Canadian Champion & World Heavy weight Contender), Nicky Furlano (3x Canadian Boxing Champion and World Super Lightweight Contender), Billy Irwin (Canadian & IBO World Boxing Lightweight Champion), Mark Simmons (Canadian Olympian), Iran Barkley (5x World Boxing Champion), Junior Jones (5x World Boxing Champion), Mark Breland (Olympic Gold Medalist & 2x World Welterweight Champion), John Scully (New England Middleweight Champion and former Light Heavyweight Contender), Tom Patti (Amateur Boxing Champion, Advocate & Politician) and a few others. Watching these accomplished athletes work with a collection of young boxers, I was awed by the strength and beauty of this community that I am so proud and humbled to be part of. Following the training sessions, each of the legends in attendance said a few words, all of which were inspiring and heart-felt and centered around a common theme: Boxing made me who I am today.

Both events were in support of the Eddie Melo Legacy Organization. The organization, founded by Jessica and Joey Melo, daughter and brother of the late Eddie Melo, is dedicated to helping young at-risk amateur boxers experience positive influences and sociability and to help keep them off the streets and in the boxing gym. As well as children who have lost a parent due to a homicide; this is a platform for giving back to them and sponsoring them through anything that can help lessen the burden and give them support during such a tragic time.

In addition to raising the awareness of The Eddie Melo Legacy Organization, the event on Saturday announced the inception of the Eddie Melo Legacy Mentorship Program. The program will use the organization’s unprecedented access to boxing legends to enhance amateur boxers’ aspirations in the sport with an acute attention to their social development, education and future.

I could go on for pages describing the honour and privilege of sharing the ring with the incredible collection of boxing greats, but I think the impact of the event is best described by the words of a mother who attended with her children.

“Meeting Junior Jones and the other legends was inspiring. My children have a new respect and interest in the spirt!”

~Lisa Ventura, Media Orientation Attendee

About The Eddie Melo Legacy Organization | www.eddiemelolegacy.org

Jessica Melo, Founder/Chairwoman of the Eddie Melo Legacy Organization and daughter of the late Eddie Melo, founded Eddie Melo Legacy Organization to support amateur boxers and children who’s parent(s) were the victims of homicide.

With the help of her uncle “Jersey Joe” Melo she aspires to not only educate Canada’s amateur boxers and those who have been victims of homicides, they endeavor reaching out to all youths in hopes of giving them a platform where they can develop and grow into successful human beings.

About Kingsway Boxing Club | www.kingswayboxing.com

Kingsway Boxing Club is located in the west end of Toronto, Canada. We operate out of two locations; The High Performance Studios and The Boxing Gym Facility. Having the two separate locations allows for a wide range of people, with varying interests to accomplish any goal. Kingsway successfully runs competitive boxing programs out of the Boxing Gym, while hosting a variety of fitness, recreational and high-performance athletic services out of both locations.

Boxing is undeniably one of the top mentally and physically challenging sports. Many athletes, businesses and recreational sport enthusiasts use the sport as a cross training tool. It is a great sport to get into supreme shape, it is also a challenging, but amazing sport to take to the next level of competition.

It’s our priority to invest into our community, helping to build mental, physical and emotional strength with each individual who walks through our doors. With programs for all ages and fitness levels, there’s no reason to wait!

Photo Names and Descriptions: Photo Credit: Virgil Barrow

The post Rewriting History with Boxing Legends & the Eddie Melo Legacy Organization appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

The things that drew me to boxing were, of course the physical demands, but also the technical precision, the strategy and the teamwork between trainer and fighter.  I was perhaps, young, naïve or blinded by my infatuation for the sport, but I managed to ignore the often pointed questions and comments about being a woman in boxing.  The world, in and out of boxing, has changed dramatically, since then.  I still get the questions and comments about being a woman in a traditional ‘boys club’, but now the tone is different.

My role in boxing has evolved and expanded over the years.  I started out as a boxer and I am now coach, judge, referee and entrepreneur.  I pride myself on living a diverse life and have enjoyed personal accomplishments in every venture.  I can say, without hesitation, that my successes in sport, business and my personal life, are a direct result of the training and experiences that have come from my involvement in boxing.

Female fights have been effectively outlawed for most of boxing’s history, although women have been participating in boxing almost since its inception.  Athletic commissions have refused to sanction fights, denied licenses to female fighters and most countries ban the sport outright.

I have recently been garnering some international attention due to my involvement in boxing.  It was pointed out to me that I had broken through some significant barriers in the sport, during a recent interview.

‘This is the first time in my career that being a female in this sport has been a notable positive.’

I surprised myself when I said those words to the interviewer.  I have to admit that I didn’t realize the significance of the events.  My intent was to focus on moving to the next level in a sport that I loved, not breaking down barriers.  Those words caused me to think about the incredible women that are pathfinders for other women, like myself,  not only in boxing, but in the world of sports in general.  There are two Canadian women in recent history who truly stand out for me, for their contributions to the ongoing evolution, if not revolution, in the boxing world.

These two incredible athletes are part of a long and growing list of women who have, and continue, to inspire me, as well as countless other men, women and children.

I am a coach and gym owner, international referee and judge, an executive director of a charitable organization – Fight to End Cancer – and a first-hand witness to the transformative power of boxing.  Being part of this sport is exhilarating, bordering on being addictive.

I have seen the makeup of my gym members evolve, over the last number of years, with more and more women starting and sticking with boxing.  We even have a program specifically dedicated to teenage girls which has grown every season.  I see more and more female colleagues at the events I officiate as a referee, and though I still predominantly officiate male boxers, the shift can even be felt in the international scene.  Most countries now maximize the allowable quota for females at World and Olympic level competitions.

“Are these girls really going to fight… look how pretty they are?!”

It’s so important to me to create that dialogue, because not only are these incredible women raising money to fight cancer, they are such instrumental pieces to the puzzle when it comes to making people recognize that boxing is a sport for everyone.

It is essential to include women in the event and every year the women’s fight is the fight of the night!  They are strong, tactical and very technically sound.  It is an amazing thing to see these beautiful, successful women dedicate themselves to the cause, the training and the sport as they continue to evolve the sport.  Taking and throwing punches isn’t a boys club anymore.

Meet The Women Of The Fight To End Cancer

Each year, the Fight To End Cancer Gala features at least one female bout that proves to be the ‘Fight Of The Night’.

Join us on March 8th, as we celebrate International Women’s Day by reflecting on all of the hard work that our past, and present, female fighters have put into training to step into our ring and the hundreds of thousands of dollars that have been raised (collectively between them), in support of cancer research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

The post The third ‘man’ in the boxing ring is actually a woman… appeared first on Toronto Guardian.