Yes ,sparred allot but no ameteur fights ..Never really stuck with it due to my circumstances at the time..But still train today to stay in shape ..
Had a few dozen amatuer fights in the late 80s. Grew up in the barrio, trained with mostly mexicans, a few blacks, and only a couple white guys. The Mexicans called me Intocable, which to this day, I can't figure out why.:yep Had a couple closish fights with several gold glovers. But lost a tournament when a contact lens folded over in my eye....began to sting, I covered and got stopped without even being dazed. Thought I cost myself my big break and gave up boxing altogether until in 2004 while posting on a forum called Boxing Insider, I ran into a guy known as the Devil. He was likely really Charlie Z......running off about how he was gonna become a LHW champion etc etc etc, and mocking and calling out every poster on the site. I called my old trainer, Larry Herman and set up a training schedule. Got in shape, sparring 6 rds, 3X/wk, and running 3 miles each morning. I went from being 185lbs down to 166 without draining. Increase my bench to 235, and was KDing sparring partners. I decided to take up the devils challenge and make a pro fight. I sent him all my info and his ppl were supposedly gonna pay me $1500 plus expenses to fight him in Lake Havasu. I went hard at it and Larry kept telling me he wasnt able to get in contact with this guys ppl. Somehow, I was talking to "them", but my mgr/trainer couldnt. The date came and went and so did "the Devil". But, now that the net is more transparent, I figure just watching Charlie Z posting style, that I was definetly being duped by the Devil. As I still believe they are one and the same. And yeah, the beatdown Andrew Hartly put on him........I would have made him my ***** in comparison. Then again, it couldve been Sergei Kovalev for all I know since the name never checked out. Part of me wishes I wouldve made it happen.....but if I truly wanted it, there are plenty of avenues I could have went to give it a go.:think
even if i thought i'd be a great talent (which i wouldn't), the sport's too dangerous. i've been punched in the face enough times to realize how much it sucks. i couldn't imagine getting punched consistently for 36 minutes. my brain cells and health are worth more than all the money in the world. this is why i admire how brave anyone who steps in the ring, and never criticize anyone for quitting.
