Boxing News

Boxing Perspective: The Core and Courage of Joel “Joelo” Torres

By Ginamarie Russo September 3rd, 2008 All Boxing Interviews

© Ginamarie Russo / Saddo Boxing

The visit to my hand doctor turned out to be more than just a follow up. I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow patient of Dr. Melone's, light welterweight Joel "Joelo" Torres.

Hailing from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, this young fighter was only in town for a night to follow up on his recovering tendon that he ruptured from his last fight, in May, against Christopher Fernandez.

We, 'we' being my twin sister and Tommy, who is also apart of his team, then arranged a meeting and met with Torres and his manager, Ricardo Figueroa, to talk boxing. Torres is just learning English and so Figueroa had to translate.

Torres is a humble 25 year old, with a lingering focus in his eyes. His presence is mellow, while his early memoir is anything but. At eight years of age, his brother was murdered. His mother passed away shortly after due to heartache and depression. More...

Boxing Perspective: The Importance Of A Fighter’s Hands

By Ginamarie Russo August 28th, 2008 All Boxing Articles

A fighter can have the strongest hands in the world, but if he doesn't have the technique on how to effectively land punches, it is as good as using a tennis racquet to deliver a jab.

Hands are the ultimate source of focus in this sport, thus a large amount of attention and care is needed to keeps those hands flexible and able.

My hand doctor is the very phenomenal Dr. Charles Melone. His other patients besides yours truly, and no, I am not a boxer, include such notable professional fighters as Evander Holyfield, Michael Moore and Arturo Gatti.

Dr. Melone describes the hands of boxers as "tools of the trade," and says that the fighters are "allotted only so many punches in life before the knuckles start to break." When this particular injury occurs, surgery is usually necessary to repair the ruptured tendon(s) and the fighter must wait and finish physical therapy before revisiting the ring and hitting a punching bag.

It is essential to practice prevention of this common injury before it befalls upon the fighter.

Dr. Melone advises the boxers to apply safety measures as described in Ringside and Training Principles. Some safety measures include "maintain a thumb-in-fist position" when punching, avoiding overuse of hitting, properly wrapping hands, be attentive to pain or inflammation of the hands, and use shock absorbing gloves for sparring/training.

Since boxers are so frequently injured, Dr. Melone has also designed the Everlast Evergel Glove Wraps to wear during workouts. He contrived this to protect the vulnerable parts of the hand, such as the metacarpal joints.

This glove aids in absorbing the jolt of the impact when it comes in contact with a fighter or a heavy bag, thus less force on the knuckles. More...

Boxing Perspective: Ailing Sweet Science Can Be Cured

By Ginamarie Russo August 19th, 2008 All Boxing Articles

America has become too fixated on the fights that generate the most money. This acts as a force that steers the attention of fans and the media onto a mere fragment of the boxing world, rather than the whole.

The history, the amateurs, the professionals--famous, unrecognized, or in need of deserving credit, promoters, managers, trainers, teams, writers, reporters, fans, fight doctors, corner men, that is a part of the entire world.

Presently, America's media have become unmindful of the hard work of what keeps this sport existing. And boxing should not ever just exist in America, it should be alive and living.

Where did the glitz and glamor of boxing in America escape to? More importantly to me, since I am from and live in New York, when will the magic and intensity that dwells within the walls of the Garden return to the ring?

It has not been considered a major sport of this time by the American media because they have considered boxing as being a throwback and never to comeback. That is most certainly not the truth, and this incredible sport will only prevail if it doesn't get discouraged about the rigid mountain placed in front of it. More...