WILL ROGERS said, “we can’t all be hero’s because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by”.
Well said.
And that pretty much sums up my relationship with ZAHIR RAHEEM.
By: Ricky Ray Taylor
In 1991, after 2 1/2 years of withstanding almost “daily” snowstorms in the torrid Marquette, Michigan tundra – my life at the OEC (Olympic Education Center) was becoming bleaker by the day. Although, the light my graduation was looming – every waking moment of studying and training lumbered by like a snail. The sun rarely shone and when it did decide to polish our faces we were usually too frozen to feel it. Our 5:30AM runs every day but SUNDAY wore on us like a drenched over-coat.
In turn, each boxer in the program was polluted with an incessant, edgy attitude.
Most of us were light-years away from home, sick with a continuous cold, smothered by our room-mates, tired of the “school and Boxing” routine & especially tired of Marquette. The OEC Boxers were far from the most popular students on NMU’s (Northern Michigan University) campus and most definitely we were not the most accommodating room-mates for one another.
So, when news arrived that a “6th grader” would be joining us from coach Al’s (Al Mitchel’s) home-gym in Philly, it was a welcomed change and a refreshing stimulant for something different. Evidently, the kids mom as well as the local schools were having trouble with him and change was eminent.
We were all due for “change”, but trust me, we had no clue what was coming….
From his first day in town, all 85 lbs of ZAHIR RAHEEM stormed into Meyland Hall like he owned the place. He was 14 years old, had 40+ fights under his belt and the buzz was that he was undefeated. Full of -street- well beyond his 4’8 frame, Zahir had a mouth on him that would make any bartender blush and the chances of him walking out of a deli or convenience store without his pockets STUFFED with “goodies” was ZERO (if you catch my drift).
Due to Zahir’s temperamental demeanor and reckless shaves for flirting with trouble, many guys on the team avoided him like a plague.
For some strange reason however, I couldn’t help but love the kid. Zahir was wise far beyond his years and his work ethics in the gym as a 6th grader surpassed many of the guys on our team. The “Champions” attitude he carried which emanated from such a small-package forced us to admire his gym-work. Zahir’s attitude reflected his personality in the ring as well.
You simply do not see too many one-punch-knockouts from an 85 lb, 14 year old boxer.
Yet, on a trip to North Dakota that winter Zahir became the exception to that oddity. One-punch, lights out.
Every kid looked soft compared to Zahir.
Upon my graduation from NMU in the summer of ’92 and moving on with life, it was no surprise to hear that Zahir was beating up on nearly everyone he faced in the amateurs. In ’96 he reached the pinnacle of amateur boxing competition by making the US Olympic team. His overall amateur record ended with an astounding win total of over 100 with only 3 losses.
Zahir tore through the pro’s after the Olympics winning his first 25 fights.
Then, at 25-0, with confidence booming – he traveled to Houston to take on native Texan, ROCKY JUAREZ in an IBF-Title eliminator matchup. In front of a National television viewing audience, in what many critics hailed as a “horrendous” job by the officials, Juarez exited the ring winning a close but unanimous decision.
Fresh from the Juarez fight, I met up with him in Atlanta and watched him train. Outside of a wife and baby sitting nearby, nothing seemed to have changed with him in the gym. Zahir still commanded the floor.
He is 6-2 (1 no contest) since the debacle in Texas and is scheduled to fight this Saturday, June 18th in North Carolina.
It was my intentions to be able to break down this weekends matchup with Zahir, but upon writing of this article an opponent for him has yet to be named. In fact, by all accounts it looks like ZAHIR RAHEEM is still being avoided.
-RICKY RAY TAYLOR-
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