A Look At the The Second Annual Shadow Box Film Festival

Published

11 years ago

December 16, 2013

The trials of a global icon, the Irish civil war, healing from depression, healing from violence and, in the end, the guy gets the girl.

Those stories and more climbed into the ring on Dec. 6 and Dec. 7 at the Second Annual Shadow Box Film Festival, held at the School of Visual Arts Theater in Manhattan.

Now enjoying its second year as the only film festival dedicated to screening films and documentaries about the sweet science, the Shadow Box Film Festival presented an engrossing program of films. The cinematic stories covered the wide spectrum of boxing and the profound way it touches human lives.

The festival began Friday with a screening of ‘The Silent Boxer,” written and directed by Dre Didderiens, which told the story of Juliano Westhiner, a deaf Romany boxer living in Holland. Westhiner hopes to be the first Dutch boxer in over twenty years to qualify for the Olympics.

The interesting feature follows Westhiner as he trains for qualifying bouts, deals with court-ordered anger classes following an assault charge, and navigates home life in the Romany caravan park. There a community’s hopes are heaped upon his shoulders.

In the end Westhiner does not qualify for the Olympics. His failure to make the team is perhaps hindered by a hand injury, or the Romany culture, which sees him marry his teenage girlfriend, become a father, and take a full time job, all in quick succession.

A group of short films, featuring documentaries and dramas, told a variety of boxing stories in creative fashion.

“Broken,” written and directed by David Wendelman, captures the emotions faced by a club fighter struggling with his identity after being told to retire by his trainer and promoter.

He is also haunted by the memory of his father, a once popular wrestler in Mexico, who smuggled the family across the border for a better a life in America, only to die as a day laborer and a broken man.

An animated film from Iran, directed and animated by Yahya Ghobadi, “Return” shows how boxing influences a man battling addiction to turn his life around and reclaim his family.

“The Gunner,” produced by Winner Take All Productions, features former cruiserweight contender Jamie Drubin.

The Long Island native talks about his life in boxing and what is required to be a professional fighter.

In telling his story Drubin mentions his father, who “began to teach me how to throw punches as soon as I was able to walk and have balance,” and continued pushed him throughout his fighting career.

The theme of fathers and sons in boxing was also prevalent at last year’s festival.

“Stealing the Show,” from debuting Irish director Matthew Dobbyn, documents the sacrifices demanded of Belfast born Dee Walsh as he focuses on his dream of becoming middleweight champion of the world.

The story of dedicated Albany, NY trainer Jerrick Jones and his charge of young pupils is told in “Inside the Ring.”

The important role that Jones has in the youngster’s lives is underscored when each one of them describes him as a father figure who helps them with much more than throwing the straight right.

“Fight Day,” directed by Chris Cassidy, tells the poignant story of Showtime Boxing analyst Steve Farhood and his commitment to service.

Once a month for over five years, Farhood would visit with the patients of Manhattan’s Cabrini Nursing Home to screen and discuss a historic boxing match.

Farhood’s patience, compassion, and humanity are abundantly in evidence as he interacts with the patients, knowing that his mother had been scheduled to be a patient there before her unexpected passing.

The tale of a young, deaf, African-American boxer saddled with raising his infant son after his wife dies from childbirth complications is told in “Championship Rounds.”

Directed by Daniel Stine, “Championship Rounds,” features accomplished actors Harold Perrineau, Larry Gilliard Jr., and Michael Bentt.

The film captured the festival prize for best short film.

The slate of feature films presented at the festival showcased Celtic flavor, the code of the streets, the tribulations of a global icon, and the growth of a boxing community.

Acclaimed Irish documentarian Andrew Gallimore presented two films at the festival.

“A Bloody Canvas” tells the fascinating story of former world champion Mike McTigue, who left Ireland to seek his fortune in America, only to have fate return him home for life-changing experiences.

McTigue’s co-star in the film is history, as the boxer’s adventures dovetail with the immigrant experience in America, the Irish civil war, the Jazz Age, and the Great Depression.

Sadly McTigue ends up penniless and a resident of New York’s infamous Graymoor Mental Hospital suffering from what is now known as pugilistic dementia.

The only bright spot in his final days are the regular visits from devoted family members.

The authoritative tones of Oscar nominee, and former amateur boxer, Liam Neeson grace Gallimore’s second film as narrator of “The Gentleman Prizefighter,” which chronicles the life of James J. Corbett.

Another colorful Irish character, Corbett was famous the world over for his exploits both in and out of the ring.

As heavyweight champion of the world he transformed boxing from bare-knuckle brawling to a respectable sport.

Understanding that his charisma radiated beyond the ring, Corbett conquered the stage as one of the pioneers of vaudeville and then moved on to the silver screen.

Corbett emerged from San Francisco’s tough Irish quarter to become a national hero and Neeson’s familiar Irish lilt brings authenticity to the exciting tale.

“The Gentleman Prizefighter” won the festival prize for best foreign film.

“White Rock Boxing,” directed by Cliff Springs, tells the story of an old-school gym dubbed the “Mecca of boxing in the south.”

The White Rock Gym is located in the back roads of South Carolina and has hosted Muhammad Ali and Michael Spinks. Today the gym is a training ground for boxers of all ages.

Submitted from the UK and written and directed by Adam Simcox, “Kid Gloves” shows two characters from disparate backgrounds headed towards an inevitable clash.

Former two-time world champion Pauli Malignaggi makes his acting debut in “Omerta,” a mafia crime film written and directed by Craig Tubiolo.

The drama is a real life depiction of life in the mafia controlled neighborhood of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, in the 90’s.

A strong audience turnout for the Saturday afternoon screening surely sent positive vibes across the river as Malignaggi handily won his “Battle of Brooklyn” later that evening against Zab Judah at the Barclays Center.

“Boogaloo,” written and directed by Liam Mulvey, points the camera at the life of Philadelphia middleweight contender Bobby “Boogaloo” Watts and captures the back room machinations of the fight “game” in the city of brotherly love.

Watts was arguably the best middleweight out of a quartet of contenders that included “Bad” Bennie Brisoce, Willie “The Worm” Monroe, and Eugene “Cyclone” Hart. They all fought during the golden era of Philadelphia middleweights in the 70’s.

The film spends time allowing the viewer to get to know the humble and personable Watts, but also to peer into the world of matchmaking, promoting, and moving a fighter through the ranks.

Although Watts was not able to become the first Philadelphia boxer to win the middleweight title, he had the respect of the boxing community and the distinction of being the first fighter to defeat Hall of Fame legend “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler.

The festival winner for best feature, “The Trials of Muhammad Ali,” directed by Bill Siegel, is a fascinating documentary that explores Ali’s lifelong journey of spiritual transformation.

Traveling with Ali from his Louisville roots, through his years in exile, to receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the film traces Ali’s path from poet to pariah to global ambassador for peace.

Boxing icon Bernard Hopkins, who attended the Friday screening, stated “I loved the film. It showed me so many things about Ali’s life that I didn’t know. He could do so many things. If he hadn’t been a boxer, he could have been an actor.”

A trio of films, one feature and two shorts, explored the growing community of women in boxing.

“Boxing Chicks,” written and directed by Frederick Taylor, presents the case that if men can build their self esteem through sports and physical fitness, why not women?

The participants in the film believe that positive expressions of aggression encourage women to find their true selves.

Filmmaker Jill Morley provides a first-person perspective of women overcoming their demons through boxing, while telling a larger story about abuse, trauma, mental illness, and healing in “Fight Like a Girl.”

Morley’s battle with severe depression takes us into the world of women boxers as she seeks to heal from trauma absorbed during her childhood.

Once in the gym Morley meets several women (Susan Reno, Kimberly Tomes, and former world champion Maureen Shea), who all turned to boxing to resolve their own issues. The women form a strong bond of support, friendship and camaraderie.

Despite having to be hospitalized for depression, Morley perseveres and stays focused on her goal to compete in the New York Golden Gloves.

At the same time Reno wins the gloves, Shea rebounds from heartbreak, and Tomes, now a professional, seeks to avenge a loss from her amateur days.

While Morley digs deep to find the fortitude to compete in the ring, she also digs into her personal life to reach the core of her issues.

Conversations with her parents, particularly her mother, are powerful and revealing.

At the Saturday afternoon screening Morley, at the behest of Jill Diamond from the WBC, was presented with a special WBC medal for inspiration, education, and courage. Her fistic comrades Shea, Reno, and Tomes joined her at the podium.

“Outside the Ring,” a short film directed by Joanne Green and Steve Lindsay, provides another insightful look into the lives of women and boxing.

The film focuses on a group of women who have been the victims of violence who are reclaiming their bodies and finding empowerment through boxing.

They are taking part in the Shape Your Life program, started by Green, Toronto Newsgirls Gym owner Savoy Howe, and Brock University Professor Cathy Van Ingen. The program’s goal is to work with female victims of violence and provide them with a channel to express their own healthy aggression.

Viewers follow this group of women as they discuss their histories and reflect on the change boxing has brought to their lives.

Training scenes in the gym show the women encouraging, celebrating, and supporting each other on their respective roads to empowerment.

A memoriam that is part of the final credits is dedicated to a woman in the group who, despite the support available to her, made the decision to take her own life.

At last year’s festival each day closed with a panel discussion prior to the screening of the day’s final film.

This year each day concluded with the presentation of a “Garfield” award followed by a screening. Named after the late John Garfield, the award was established for actors who have enhanced the image of boxing through film and television.

On Friday evening actor Burt Young, of “Rocky” fame, was presented with the award along with Anthony P. Rhodes, the School of Visual Arts Executive Vice President.

Mr. Rhodes received the award in recognition of his unwavering support of the Shadow Box Film Festival and the students at SVA in their pursuit of artistic excellence.

Friday’s awards presentation was followed by a screening of Garfield’s “They Made Me a Criminal,” featuring the Dead End Kids.

On the festival’s closing night Garfield’s daughter Julie Garfield was in attendance to host a Q & A and present the award to Holt McCallany, of TV’s “Lights Out.”

The final film screened was her father’s all-time classic “Body and Soul,” usually at the top of any boxing and film fan’s list.

In its second year the Shadow Box Film Festival continued to provide attendees with a variety of films that captured the positive and powerful impact boxing has on people from all walks of life.

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The Sweet Science

Mizuki Hiruta Dominates in her U.S. Debut and Omar Trinidad Wins Too at Commerce

Published

1 day ago

January 18, 2025

David A. Avila

Mizuki-Hiruta-Dominates-in-her-U.S.-Debut-and-Trinidad-Wins-Too-at-Commerce

Japan’s Mizuki Hiruta smashed through Mexico’s Maribel Ramirez with ease in winning by technical decision and local hero Omar Trinidad continued his assault on the featherweight division on Friday.

Hiruta (7-0, 2 KOs), who prefers to be called “Mimi,” made her American debut with an impressive performance against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez (15-11-4) and retained the WBO super flyweight world title by unanimous decision at Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.

The pink-haired Japanese southpaw champion quickly proved to be quicker, stronger and even better than advertised. In the opening round Ramirez landed on the floor twice after throwing errant blows. On one instance, it could have been ruled a knockdown but it was not a convincing blow.

In the second round, Ramirez again attacked and again was met with a Hiruta check right hook and down went the Mexican. This time referee Ray Corona gave the eight-count and the fight resumed.

It was Hiruta’s third title defense but this time it was on American soil. She seemed nervous by the prospect of getting a favorable review from the more than 700 fans inside the casino tent.

For more than a year Hiruta has been training off and on with Manny Robles in the L.A. area. Now that she has a visa, she has spent considerable time this year learning the tricks of the trade. They proved explosively effective.

Though Mexico City’s Ramirez has considerable experience against world champions, she discovered that Hiruta was not easy to hit. Often, the Japanese champion would slip and counter with precision.

It was an impressive American debut, though the fight was stopped in the eighth round after a collision of heads. The scores were tallied and all three saw Hiruta the winner by scores of 80-71 twice and 79-72.

“I’m so happy. I could have done much more,” said Hiruta through interpreter Yuriko Miyata. “I wanted to do more things that Manny Robles taught me.”

Trinidad Wins Too

Omar Trinidad (18-0-1, 13 KOs) discovered that challenger Mike Plania (31-5, 18 KOs) has a very good chin and staying power. But over 10 rounds Trinidad proved to be too fast and too busy for the Filipino challenger.

Immediately it was evident that the East L.A. featherweight was too quick and too busy for Plania who preferred a counter-puncher attack that never worked.

“He was strong,” said Trinidad. “He took everything.”

After 10 redundant rounds all three judges scored for Trinidad 100-90 twice and 99-91. He retains the WBC Continental Americas title.

Other Bouts

Ali Akhmedov (23-1, 17 KOs) blasted out Malcolm Jones (17-5-1) in less than two rounds. A dozen punches by Akhmedov forced referee Thomas Taylor to stop the super middleweight fight.

Iyana “Roxy” Verduzco (3-0) bloodied Lindsey Ellis in the first round and continued the speedy assault in the next two rounds. Referee Ray Corona saw enough and stopped the fight in favor of Verduzco at 1:34 of the third round.

Gloria Munguilla (7-1) and Brook Sibrian (5-2) lit up the boxing ring with a nonstop clash for eight rounds in their light flyweight fight. Munguilla proved effective with a slip-and-counter attack. Sibrian adjusted and made the fight closer in the last four rounds but all three judges favored Munguilla.

More Winners

Joshua Anton, Tayden Beltran, Adan Palma, and Alexander Gueche all won their bouts.

Photos credit: Al Applerose

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More

Published

3 days ago

January 16, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More

Best wishes to the survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires that took place last week and are still ongoing in small locales.

Most of the heavy damage took place in the western part of L.A. near the ocean due to Santa Ana winds. Another very hot spot was in Altadena just north of the Rose Bowl. It was a horrific tragedy.

Hopefully the worst is over.

Pro boxing returns with 360 Boxing Promotions spotlighting East L.A.’s Omar Trinidad (17-0-1, 13 KOs) defending a regional featherweight title against Mike Plania (31-4, 18 KOs) on Friday, Jan. 17, at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.

“I’m the king of L.A. boxing and I’ll be ready to put on a show headlining again in the main event. This is my year, I’m ready to challenge and defeat any of the featherweight world champions,” said Trinidad.

UFC Fight Pass will stream the Hollywood Night fight card that includes a female world championship fight and other intriguing match-ups.

Tom Loeffler heads 360 Promotions and once again comes full force with a hot prospect in Trinidad. If you’re not familiar with Loeffler’s history of success, he introduced America to Oleksandr Usyk, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and the brothers Wladimir and Vitaly Kltischko.

“We’ve got a wealth of international talent and local favorites to kick off our 2025 in grand style,” said Loeffler.

He knows talent.

Trinidad hails from the Boyle Heights area of East L.A. near the Los Angeles riverbed. Several fighters from the past came from that exact area including the first Golden Boy, Art Aragon.

Aragon was a huge gate attraction during the late 1940s until 1960. He was known as a lady’s man and dated several Hollywood starlets in his time. Though he never won a world title he did fight world champions Carmen Basilio, Jimmy Carter and Lauro Salas. He was more or less the king of the Olympic Auditorium and Los Angeles boxing during his career.

Other famous boxers from the Boyle Heights area were notorious gangster Mickey Cohen and former world champion Joey Olivo.

Can Trinidad reach world title status?

Facing Trinidad will be Filipino fighter Plania who’s knocked off a couple of prospects during his career including Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer and Giovanni Gutierrez. The fighter from General Santos in the Philippines can crack and hold his own in the boxing ring.

It’s a very strong fight card and includes WBO world titlist Mizuki Hiruta of Japan who defends the super flyweight title against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez. It’s a tough matchup for Hiruta who makes her American debut. You can’t miss her with that pink hair and she has all the physical tools to make a splash in this country.

Mizukii Hiruta

Two other female bouts are also planned, including light flyweight banger L.A.’s Gloria Munguilla (6-1) against Coachella’s Brook Sibrian (5-1) in a match set for six rounds. Both are talented fighters. Another female fight includes super featherweights Iyana “Right Hook Roxy” Verduzco (2-0) versus Lindsey Ellis (2-1) in another six-rounder. Ellis can crack with all her wins coming via knockout. Verduzco is a multi-national titlist as an amateur.

Others scheduled to perform are Ali Akhmedov, Joshua Anton, Adan Palma and more.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m.

Boxing and the Media

The sport of professional boxing is currently in flux. It’s always in flux but no matter what people may say or write, boxing will survive.

Whether you like Jake Paul or not, he proved boxing has worldwide appeal with monstrous success in his last show. He has media companies looking at the numbers and imagining what they can do with the sport.

Sure, UFC is negotiating a massive billion dollar deal with media companies, as is WWE, both are very similar in that they provide combat entertainment. You don’t need to know the champions because they really don’t matter. Its about the attractions.

Boxing is different. The good champions last and build a following that endures even beyond their careers a la Mike Tyson.

MMA can’t provide that longevity, but it does provide entertainment.

Currently, there is talk of establishing a boxing league again. It’s been done over and over but we shall see if it sticks this time.

Pro boxing is the true warrior’s path and that means a solo adventure. It’s a one-on-one sport and that appeals to people everywhere. It’s the oldest sport that can be traced to prehistoric times. You don’t need classes in Brazilian Jiujitsu, judo, kick boxing or wrestling. Just show up in a boxing gym and they can put you to work.

It’s a poor person’s path that can lead to better things and most importantly discipline.

Photos credit: Lina Baker

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Boxing Trainer Bob Santos Paid his Dues and is Reaping the Rewards

Published

4 days ago

January 15, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Bob Santos, the 2022 Sports Illustrated and The Ring magazine Trainer of the Year, is a busy fellow. On Feb. 1, fighters under his tutelage will open and close the show on the four-bout main portion of the Prime Video PPV event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Jeison Rosario continues his comeback in the lid-lifter, opposing Jesus Ramos. In the finale, former Cuban amateur standout David Morrell will attempt to saddle David Benavidez with his first defeat. Both combatants in the main event have been chasing 168-pound kingpin Canelo Alvarez, but this bout will be contested for a piece of the light heavyweight title.

When the show is over, Santos will barely have time to exhale. Before the month is over, one will likely find him working the corner of Dainier Pero, Brian Mendoza, Elijah Garcia, and perhaps others.

Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) turned 28 last month. He is in the prime of his career. However, a lot of folk rate Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs) a very live dog. At last look, Benavidez was a consensus 7/4 (minus-175) favorite, a price that betokens a very competitive fight.

Bob Santos, needless to say, is confident that his guy can upset the odds. “I have worked with both,” he says. “It’s a tough fight for David Morrell, but he has more ways to victory because he’s less one-dimensional. He can go forward or fight going back and his foot speed is superior.”

Benavidez’s big edge, in the eyes of many, is his greater experience. He captured the vacant WBC 168-pound title at age 20, becoming the youngest super middleweight champion in history. As a pro, Benavidez has answered the bell for 148 rounds compared with only 54 for Morrell, but Bob Santos thinks this angle is largely irrelevant.

“Sure, I’d rather have pro experience than amateur experience,” he says, “but if you look at Benavidez’s record, he fought a lot of soft opponents when he was climbing the ladder.”

True. Benavidez, who turned pro at age 16, had his first seven fights in Mexico against a motley assortment of opponents. His first bout on U.S. soil occurred in his native Pheonix against an opponent with a 1-6-2 record.

While it’s certainly true that Morrell, 26, has yet to fight an opponent the caliber of Caleb Plant, he took up boxing at roughly the same tender age as Benavidez and earned his spurs in the vaunted Cuban amateur system, eventually defeating elite amateurs in international tournaments.

“If you look at his [pro] record, you will notice that [Morrell] has hardly lost a round,” says Santos of the fighter who captured an interim title in only his third professional bout with a 12-round decision over Guyanese veteran Lennox Allen.

Bob Santos is something of a late bloomer. He was around boxing for a long time, assisting such notables as Joe Goossen, Emanuel Steward, and Ronnie Shields before becoming recognized as one of the sport’s top trainers.

A native of San Jose, he grew up in a Hispanic neighborhood but not in a household where Spanish was spoken. “I know enough now to get by,” he says modestly. He attended James Lick High School whose most famous alumnus is Heisman winning and Super Bowl winning quarterback Jim Plunkett. “We worked in the same apricot orchard when we were kids,” says Santos. “Not at the same time, but in the same field.”

After graduation, he followed his father’s footsteps into construction work, but boxing was always beckoning. A cousin, the late Luis Molina, represented the U.S. as a lightweight in the 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, and was good enough as a pro to appear in a main event at Madison Square Garden where he lost a narrow decision to the notorious Puerto Rican hothead Frankie Narvaez, a future world title challenger.

Santos’ cousin was a big draw in San Jose in an era when the San Jose / Sacramento territory was the bailiwick of Don Chargin. “Don was a beautiful man and his wife Lorraine was even nicer,” says Santos of the husband/wife promotion team who are enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Don Chargin was inducted in 2001 and Lorraine posthumously in 2018.

Chargin promoted Fresno-based featherweight Hector Lizarraga who captured the IBF title in 1997. Lizarraga turned his career around after a 5-7-3 start when he hooked up with San Jose gym operator Miguel Jara. It was one of the most successful reclamation projects in boxing history and Bob Santos played a part in it.

Bob hopes to accomplish the same turnaround with Jeison Rosario whose career was on the skids when Santos got involved. In his most recent start, Rosario held heavily favored Jarrett Hurd to a draw in a battle between former IBF 154-pound champions on a ProBox card in Florida.

“I consider that one of my greatest achievements,” says Santos, noting that Rosario was stopped four times and effectively out of action for two years before resuming his career and is now on the cusp of earning another title shot.

The boxer with whom Santos is most closely identified is former four-division world title-holder Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero. The slick southpaw, the pride of Gilroy, California, the self-proclaimed “Garlic Capital of the World,” retired following a bad loss to Omar Figueroa Jr, but had second thoughts and is currently riding a six-fight winning streak. “I’ve known him since he was 15 years old,” notes Santos.

Years from now, Santos may be more closely identified with the Pero brothers, Dainier and Lenier, who aspire to be the Cuban-American version of the Klitschko brothers.

Santos describes Dainier, one of the youngest members of Cuba’s Olympic Team in Tokyo, as a bigger version of Oleksandr Usyk. That may be stretching it, but Dainier (10-0, 8 KOs as a pro), certainly hits harder.

Dainier Pero

This reporter was a fly on the wall as Santos put Dainier Pero through his paces on Tuesday (Jan. 14) at Bones Adams gym in Las Vegas. Santos held tight to a punch shield, in the boxing vernacular a donut, as the Cuban practiced his punches. On several occasions the trainer was knocked off-balance and the expression on his face as his body absorbed some of the after-shocks, plainly said, “My goodness, what the hell am I doing here? There has to be an easier way to make a living.” It was an assignment that Santos would have undoubtedly preferred handing off to his young assistant, his son Joe Santos, but Joe was preoccupied coordinating David Morrell’s camp.

Dainer’s brother Lenier is also an ex-Olympian, and like Dainier was a super heavyweight by trade as an amateur. With an 11-0 (8 KOs) record, Lenier Pero’s pro career was on a parallel path until stalled by a managerial dispute. Lenier last fought in March of last year and Santos says he will soon join his brother in Las Vegas.

There’s little to choose between the Pero brothers, but Dainier is considered to have the bigger upside because at age 25 he is the younger sibling by seven years.

Bob Santos was in the running again this year for The Ring magazine’s Trainer of the Year, one of six nominees for the honor that was bestowed upon his good friend Robert Garcia. Considering the way that Santos’ career is going, it’s a safe bet that he will be showered with many more accolades in the years to come.

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