Local amateurs will be on display at the Calvin Woodland, Sr. Amateur Boxing Tournament on Saturday, November 2 at the Merrick Recreation Center, 4275 Fourth Street in Southeast, DC.
The card is in memory of Calvin Woodland, Sr., a native Washingtonian and Beltway Boxer who fought professional as a lightweight from 1962 to 1973. Woodland (19-5, 14 KO's) was the last opponent for one of the legends of boxing, Willie Pep. Woodland defeated Pep by six-round unanimous decision on March 16, 1966 in Richmond, VA.
During and after his boxing career, Woodland was a mentor to hundreds of young people who participated in on his football teams and his boxing programs. Woodland died on April 14, 2000 at the age of 60.
Ringside seats for the event are $25, Adult tickets are $10, Children 10 and over are $5 and Children under 10 will be admitted free. The event begins at 4 PM.
2 comments:
An old timer from the Richmond, VA area told me about this fight. It was at the old Richmond Arena and he said there were so many people they were hanging from the rafters. Sugar Ray Robinson also fought there around the same time and again the place was packed. The promoter was a fellow named Brooks Bolin. The oldtimer also told me that aside from those two fights most of the time the place was so empty you could hear the punches echo trough the empty arena.
The positive impact this man had on the lives of so many young men is impossible to calculate. I know this, because I was one of them. I, and many more friends and family members benefited from our paths intersected Calvin's at critical time in history, and made the better for it. I plan to attend, to register my support and contribution to a worthy cause. That some other young man's life might also take the turn we all will celebrate in the years to come. In honor of Calvin.
Post a Comment