Dé·jà vu: 1 a : the illusion of remembering scenes and events when experienced for the first time. b : a feeling that one has seen or heard something before.
I love many sports, and I cannot honestly say that I really, really, unabashedly favor one over than the other. However, there are a few sports that I don’t particularly care for but I won’t trash them here because as my father Oprah Elliot Bruce used to say: “one man’s garbage, is another man’s gold.”
But I do have a penchant for a few sports, pro football, pro baseball, pro boxing and pro basketball being among them. As a former participant in the sport of boxing, I have been and continue to remain a “follower.”
During my pre-teen and adolescent years, almost everyone that I knew Black or White was a member of the Lawrenceville Boy’s club at one time or another. Many of us tried our hand at boxing. It was not much more than a hobby for me until I received my first real “beat down.”
That fight was a “near assassination” at the hands of a Brooklyn, NY native, the late Ricardo Santiago, son of the great Santos Santiago a prominent weightlifter who was always one of the top competitors for Mr. Pittsburgh, along with my late brother Stan “the man” Bruce; both worked out at a legendary weightlifting facility in the 3400 block of Butler Street in Lawrenceville, simply known as “the bathhouse.”
If I would have had a inkling of Ricardo’s pedigree, I would have never even said hello to him or even considered stepping into the “square circle” with him.
I had been working out with the late Strip District heavyweight Tony Manno. I was deeply honored when the cousin of Tony Manno, (District Justice Anthony Ceoffe of Lawrenceville) chose me to deliver Tony’s eulogy. Who could know Tony better than me? Having been at the receiving end of one of his right jabs or left hooks.
As far as any method of training goes, even if I had ran three marathons, bench pressed 500lbs, and worked out with “Thor” nothing or no one could have prepared me for the onslaught that I was about to receive from Se·nor Santiago.
After that “near death experience,” I immediately reverted back to playing saxophone and clarinet along with seriously considering whether or not to ever come outside again because I had a two black eyes and a beat up spirit (I actually missed four days of school which helped ruin my almost perfect attendance record).
But there was hope for me, just as there is hope for the true resurrection of boxing in Pittsburgh, PA. After decades of being overshadowed by other so-called “marquee” sports in the steel city; hear ye, hear ye, the sport of boxing is making a comeback in Pittsburgh and the Western Pennsylvania region facilitated by one of the greatest heavyweight champions in the history of the sport, Mike Tyson and his company Iron Mike Productions.
Tyson’s “maiden voyage into Pittsburgh boxing was “The Pride of Pittsburgh I,” which debuted at the CONSOL Energy Center on August 8, 2014. The event was so successful that he now is putting on “The Pride of Pittsburgh II” which will also be taking place at theCONSOL Energy Center on Friday November 14, 2014. During his recent press conference Tyson was asked about his responsibility to boxing . “I’m only as good as my fighters are, I work for them, they’re the bosses.”
Tyson is also again featuring two popular Pittsburgh pugilists’ to headline his upcoming event. After performing and winning in “Pride of Pittsburgh I,” local Pittsburgh boxer 28 year old Sammy Vasquez Jr. is coming off of his career best victory, a ninth round stoppage of then undefeated prospect James Stevenson at the August 8 at the CONSOL, earning Vasquez top billing for “Pride of Pittsburgh II.” “The Stevenson win brought a lot out of me, I was still able to outclass him even though it wasn’t an early stoppage as my last few fights had been” said Vasquez Jr. now with a record of 16-0-0 (12KO’s). “I’ve had people question my chin but Stevenson tagged me a few times, no problem there whatsoever.”
Also co-featured on the fight card at “The Pride of Pittsburgh II” will be the highly popular local warrior MONTY MEZA CLAY, 36-3-0 (22KO’s). Meza-Clay will challenge cross-town rival “Lightning” ROD SALKA, 19-4-0 (3KO’s) for the Bunola, PA veteran’s WBC Fecarbox Lightweight Title in a scheduled ten rounder.
Monty Meza-Clay is preparing for his second fight on the Iron Mike card after an epic ten round battle as part of “Pride of Pittsburgh I.” He seems to ready again for battle. In a voice brimming with confidence, Meza Clay says; “training is going excellent, there’s no place like home. I set the standards high for myself for the last fight, so that means that I have to go a level above that, I feel good.”
When asked about his looming bout against Rod Salka, Meza Clay said that; “he’s (Salka) is local and from the area and I’m from the area. He’s making a name for himself and I have been made a name for myself. He wants to capture the throne, let’s see what happens.” This is no illusion, boxing in Pittsburgh no longer has a “black eye.” We can go outside again.
Aubrey Bruce may be reached at: abruce@newpittsburghcourier.com or 412.583.6741
Follow him on Twitter @ultrascribe
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