Pro Boxing Show April 5th in Tuscaloosa!

Deontay Wilder promotes his first pro boxing show, "Young Guns" on April 5th, 2014 at the Belk Center in Bowers Park in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  Keandrae Leatherwood headlines against Mickey Scarborough of St. Louis!  This is a family show - no alcohol, kids welcome! Deontay will be on hand to meet and greet friends and fans, so come meet the next heavyweight Champion of the World!  Also, meet Roy Jones, Sr., father and trainer of the 10 time World Champ Roy Jones, Jr. Roy Sr. is scheduled to be there with his latest fighter, Pierre Webster! Tickets start at just $25. Call Jay at 205-799-1696 for tickets or purchase them online at www.deontaywilder.com

Last Chance for Deontay Wilder Autographed Memorabilla!

This is the last week to get your Deontay Wilder fight program or Team Wilder print, autographed by Deontay and Team Wilder (Mark Breland, Russ Anber, and Jay Deas) while supporting the kids of Coffeeville, Alabama at the same time!  Also, each $25 donation automatically registers you in a drawing to win one of 2 head gears that Deontay wore in the gym and that are autographed by Deontay.

Deontay, after his fight this past weekend with Malik Scott, is now 31-0 with 31 KO's.  Deontay is well on his way to being the heavyweight champion of the world!

Here is how it works:  On May 10th, Chris Arreola fights Bermane Stiverne for the WBC heavyweight title.  Then Deontay Wilder gets a shot at the winner to become the WBC Heavyweight Champion of the World!

So get your Wilder memorabilia now, while you still can!!

 


          Team Print                                                         Fight Program

Click this link to learn more about helping the youth in Coffeeville, Alabama and getting great Deontay Wilder gear at the same time.  Also, a big thanks to Deontay for supporting such a great cause!

Wilder Wraps Up Camp With Fan Day for Rural Youth

Deontay "Bronze Bomber" Wilder flies to Puerto Rico Tuesday in advance of his fight with Malik Scott, but made time to meet and work with the youth of rural Coffeeville, Alabama before departing.  Wilder has a gym and training camp in the impoverished woodlands.

"We always start and finish camp in Coffeeville," said Wilder.  "It's a tradition and it keeps my focus right.  The young people here lost their school so we turned it into a boxing gym and now they have somewhere to go.  These kids are hungry to be somebody.  I've always been the same way."

Wilder takes on Scott Saturday at the Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum in Bayamon Puerto Rico.  The fight will be televised in America by Showtime.  Wilder, 30-0 (30ko) and Scott, 36-1-1 (13ko) will vie for the opportunity to fight for a World title.  The winner of this elimination match becomes the mandatory challenger for the WBC belt.  Currently the WBC title is vacant since Champion Vitali Klitschko retired.  Chris Arreola and Bermaine Stiverne will rematch with the winner being declared Champion.  Stiverne beat Arreola by wide decision in their first meeting.

Team Wilder, which consists of longtime Coach Jay Deas, Mark Breland, Russ Anber and Cuz Hill took part in the "Fan Day" festivities in Coffeeville.

"It's a good way to give back.  There's talent down here and these kids just need a chance to do positive things with their lives.  If we can help a little we're glad to do so," said Russ Anber.

"For a teenager from a town with 300 people to get training from Mark Breland and Russ Anber is fantastic and will set that kid on fire to train hard and live right," said Jay Deas.

"We always look forward to coming here.  There's no distractions and the people are good to us.  We'll definitely be back!", said Mark Breland.

Adapted Athletics in Alabama

This week, two unique sports teams from the University of Alabama are vying for a national championship. They’re the men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams, better known as the Rolling Tide. The university has a number of sports for disabled athletes and between games, these players have to stay in shape.  That’s leading to a partnership between wheelchair athletes and a man known in the world of boxing as “The Bronze Bomber.”

When the University of Alabama’s wheelchair basketball players hit the court, they have to dribble and pass the ball to score points. This includes rolling their chairs up and down the court and turning on a dime.  The sport takes upper body strength and that means conditioning.

This is where Skyy Boxing comes into play.  The small gym in Northport has a boxing ring in the middle and the walls are covered with posters from big matches. Here we find Karolina Lingyte from the U-A’s women’s wheelchair basketball team. While working out on a heavy bag, she says it is not only a great way to stay in shape, but the gym’s atmosphere helps her as well...

“The people that are in here, the coaches and athletes who are self-motivated, and that’s what I think is most important thing to be successful is to be self-motivated and all the people who come here are here for themselves and to get better.”

Lingyte isn’t alone; Cindy Ouellet is one of Karolina’s teammates on the basketball court.  The Canadian student says boxing is a great form of cross training for wheelchair athletes.

“Interval training is so good, especially for wheelchair athletes because it’s great for burning calories and getting a good sweat on.”

She says there is another reason…

“I love boxing because it’s really aggressive and I get to punch and get my angriness out a bit.”

She is also a fan of the atmosphere at Skyy Boxing, but for a different reason…

“You get children, you get people like Deontay, so you really get everything, you get sorority girls, you get baseball players, I just like it because everyone is included, it’s like a mini-home and everyone is a big family.” Ouellet says, “Everyone is going around the ring punching  each other but there is no hard feelings after, it’s just training.”

The "Deontay" Cindy mentioned is Tuscaloosa native and world heavyweight contender Deontay Wilder.  He took the bronze medal for boxing during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.  Wilder trains at Skyy Boxing and offers his advice to those who work out there…

“I work with all athletes, whether they’re wheelchair athletes, whether they’re kids, whether they’re deaf impaired, I work with all of them, this is my love.”

That help goes both ways; Karolina Lingyte is confined to a wheelchair due to an accident.  She lost a leg, but her upper body strength is formidable.  Wilder says she uses him as a punching bag to help him train for his upcoming fights.

“What I do is, I sit there, and let her use her technique, to wail into me every time.  I push buttons, I like to push button and let her know it’s not getting to me, I may dance around, make a little move, but you know, at times it does sting, but I got to keep going.”

All of this training is under the watchful eye of Jay Deas. He’s the owner and head trainer at Skyy Boxing. He says the players working out at his gym was a collaboration with their basketball coach…

“Their coach came to me and they wanted to get an alternative workout for the wheelchair basketball players and we thought about it and came up with something beneficial to them and they came in and, they get after it.”

Deas says they did not have to change much from the typical workout…

“We do all the same things we do with the regular professional boxers or golden glove boxers, just without some of the things like jump rope, things they obviously can’t do but just about everything else, they do.”

He adds the mindset developed from boxing is just as important as the physical training for the basketball players…

“It is not an easy workout, it takes a lot out of you. You have to focus, even when you’re tired, you’ve got to put your punches in the right place,” says Deas, “same way with basketball, I’m sure if you’re in that chair the whole game, at the last few minutes of the game, it’s tough to make those shots if you’re not mentally and physically tough and prepared. Plus, it’s also a great stress relief for them.”

This brings up the question of whether wheelchair boxing might join basketball, rowing, golf and even tennis as a sport where disabled athletes can join in at the college level or the Paralympics.  Cindy Ouellet says it’s a longshot, but possible…

“It may take a little while, because obviously for able bodied there aren’t that many boxers, especially female athletes, so it may take a while and someone to investigate it, maybe it’s going to be me and Karolina, we got a good start here.”

Speaking of the Paralympics, there are only five training centers for disabled athletes who want to go for the gold. One is in Birmingham, and APR's Pat Duggins will take us there tomorrow.

Free Mark Breland Boxing Clinic

Mark Breland, the 1984 Olympic gold medalist and two-time professional world champion will host a free training clinic at the Skyy South Gym in Coffeeville, AL  this Saturday, March 8th from 2pm to 330 pm.  Breland will teach the fundamentals of fitness and boxing. 

The gym is located on highway 69 in Coffeeville at the old Coffeeville high school. 

Also coaching the clinic will be Canada's former coach of the year Russ Anber and America's former coach of the year Jay Deas.  All ages are welcome to this no contact event.  Come on out, meet Mark, Russ and Jay and have a great time working out!!