Oshae Jones, left, her brother Otha Jones III, 17, center, and fellow boxer Nashay Bradford, 15, recently took first place in their divisions at 2017 USA Boxing Elite and Youth National Championships & Junior and Prep Open in Salt Lake City, Utah. The athletes are pictured at their home gym, Soul City Boxing in Toledo.
THE BLADE/KATIE RAUSCH
Enlarge |
Buy This Image
Moments before the bell rang, Otha Jones III strutted toward the center of the ring, touched gloves with his opponent, and prepared for battle.
He settled in, occasionally flashing his jab.
He circled his feet searching for the right angle, pausing for a split second to evaluate the threat. He lunged forward with a fierce right hand.
Bob.
Weave.
Followed by a lacerating combination — right, hook, right.
After three rounds of action Dec. 9, the 17-year-old Toledoan won the 141-pound division at the 2017 USA Boxing Youth National Championships.
VIDEO: Compilation of fights by siblings Oshae and Otha Jones III
Less than an hour later, while sitting ringside, he cheered on his sister, Oshae Jones, as she claimed her second straight elite-level national championship.
The brother and sister were two of three athletes from Soul City Boxing Gym in Toledo to take first place at the event in Salt Lake City. The other, Nashay Bradford, 15, won the USA Boxing junior-level championship in the 132-pound division.
Another Toledoan who does not train at the gym, 18-year-old Jared Anderson, won the elite-level heavyweight national championship at the event.
To truly appreciate the success of Soul City, one must understand its roots, and the people it serves.
Soul City Boxing and Wrestling Gym at 801 Junction Ave. in West Toledo.
The Blade/Katie Rausch
Enlarge |
Buy This Image
The central city gym is located at 801 Junction Ave., where mostly kids, some as young as 5 years old, and teenagers box.
It opened in 2009, when Roshawn Jones and his father, Otha Jones, Jr., wanted to offer a place of refuge for kids who wanted to stay active. When Toledo Public Schools slashed a number of its athletic teams in 2010, Soul City quickly became a sanctuary for many TPS students.
Soul City is one of several boxing gyms that dot the city, training kids to defend themselves and showing them an alternative path to success.
But each gym is defined by its environment and physical boundaries.
Toledo is a city beset with violence, where the homicide total has reached a five-year high. There have been 38 murders, and roughly 25 of them occurred within five miles of Soul City. Earlier this month, an 18-year-old was gunned down in broad daylight less than one-fourth of a mile from the gym.
Roshawn Jones said he understand the perils of the streets, and that’s why he desperately wants to show the kids a different path. The gym provides kids a structure and stability that could seem fleeting amid the chaos that exists outside its four walls.
“We’re saving lives, helping people and giving back to the community,” he said. “The smallest things can help keep these kids off the streets and active and giving them a dream. Once a kid has a dream they’re not going to do stupid things.”
Oshae Jones, left, Nashay Bradford, 15, and Otha Jones III, 17, demonstrate their technique at Soul City Boxing.
THE BLADE/KATIE RAUSCH
Enlarge |
Buy This Image
The same violence that plagues the community is controlled and reshaped into art inside the boxing gym, rescuing several kids from the streets that raised them.
“We’re showing these kids that you don’t have to gang bang and sell drugs to make money,” Roshawn said. “You can make money boxing. You don’t have to post up on the corner or steal cars.”
The journey into the gym begins with a walk up the building's stairwell to the second floor.
Boxers begrudgingly run the stairs as punishment for being late to practice.
“Eat those stairs, you know what time it is,” one coach says as two girls walk in late.
Stepping into Soul City boxing gym feels like stepping into a gym from the 1970s. Posters of professional boxers — past and present — adorn the walls.
It isn’t fancy but it has character. That’s its draw and charm.
Heavy bags are suspended from the ceiling. Kids pepper the bags with punches, hoping to master the sweet science.
“You have to be flawless,” a coach yelled as he scrutinized their every move.
Hip-hop music blares through the speakers as some boxers perform rhythm drills to improve cardio and coordination. The bass from the subwoofers rattles the wooden floorboards.
The ring is in a separate room. Fighters square off there, exchanging punches, to chisel their resolve. The fear was visible in some of their eyes, but they didn’t show it.
Some have talent. Others have tenacity. But they all have heart.
“This gym is not for the weak,” Otha Jones, Jr., said with a smile.
Oshae Jones, left, and her brother Otha Jones III, 17, recently took first place in their divisions at 2017 USA Boxing Elite and Youth National Championships & Junior and Prep Open in Salt Lake City, Utah.
THE BLADE/KATIE RAUSCH
Enlarge |
Buy This Image
Coaches and boxers surround the ropes, howling and cackling at every blow.
The blood, sweat, and tears that many of the boxers experience together in the gym creates a close-knit bond between them. It forms a familial bond where they can pummel each other in the ring and joke about it afterwards.
“This is more than a gym, we’re all like family,” Roshawn Jones said.
While the sport of boxing is an activity for some kids, for others it will blossom into something more. Several Soul City boxers have their eyes set on the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and then professional careers.
“Boxing is all I have,” said the 19-year-old Oshae. “It’s really like my meal ticket, my way out. I hope when it’s all said and done I can at least provide a house for my family.”
Like his sister, Otha Jones III, a senior at Scott High School who won his first national boxing championship when he was 10 years old, also is eager to become a professional boxer.
But until that time comes, he said he is going to keep fighting and honing his skills. And doing it with style.
“You know I want to look good in the ring,” he said.
“I want to look so good.”
Contact Javonte Anderson at janderson@theblade.com, 419-724-6065, or on Twitter @JavonteA.
Guidelines: Please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Comments that violate these standards, or our privacy statement or visitor's agreement, are subject to being removed and commenters are subject to being banned. To post comments, you must be a registered user on toledoblade.com. To find out more, please visit the FAQ.
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar