Gloves and Doves to Feature Hagar Finer

Former world champion Hagar Finer is scheduled to box in an exhibition as part of a Gloves and Doves show on May 9 at the Camden Boxing Club in London, England. Finer held the WIBF super flyweight world title from 2007-2008 and then captured the WIBF bantamweight world title in 2009. After four successful defenses, she retired in 2012.

Finer has made Evgheni Boico's list of the top five Jewish Israeli boxers of all-time and Malissa Smith's list of the top 5 Jewish female boxers in history. The 39 year old currently runs the Finer Boxing and Martial Arts Club in Tel Aviv and has staged numerous boxing exhibition shows in Israel.

Gloves and Doves is the brainchild of former pro boxer Tony Milch, who hopes to spread peace through boxing and to build up the sport in Israel. Gloves and Doves will also host a show Friday, April 26 in Isfiya, Israel.

Focused for Battle: What Boxers Think during the Referee's Instructions

The fighters stride towards each other for the final time before the opening bell. The anticipation in the crowd becomes palpable. The long-awaited fight is moments away. The referee reminds the combatants to listen to the official's commands and to protect themselves at all times, and perhaps bellows a catchphrase afterwards. But the boxers ignore any cry of "Let's get it on," "What I say you must obey," or "I'm fair but I'm firm."

Rare is the boxer that disagrees with ex-fighter Tony Milch, who says, "I am hearing the referee but not really listening." Unless, that is, they side with another former fighter Dustin Fleischer (6-0), who admits, "I really didn't even hear the referee. I was just thinking about destroying my opponent."

With all eyes on the two fighters staring at each other in center ring for one last time before the first round, the boxers typically turn inward.

Active fighter Cletus Seldin (26-1) says, "I'm just telling myself how hard I worked and to stick to the game plan." He tells himself, "No matter what, don't stop. When the bell rings, be relentless."

Former world champion Yuri Foreman (35-4) tells himself, "This is it!" The ordained rabbi says a little prayer. He takes the four or five steps back to his corner and reminds himself, "Just be myself."

As with Seldin and Foreman, recently retired puncher Shawn Sarembock (8-0-1) acknowledges this is the culmination of all his hard work. He is thinking, "Let's go! It's go time! Or any derivative of that. Time to put up. Time to switch on."

"We're all flooded with thoughts throughout the day," explains Nancy Harazduk, the Director of the Mind-Body Medicine Program at the Georgetown University School of Medicine. "These boxers are controlling their thoughts in a positive way. They aren't allowing their thoughts to control them."

Of the moments when the referee is giving the final instructions, undefeated pro David Alaverdian
(8-0-1) explains, "My mind is blank." Milch (14-2) describes something similar, "My mind is clear. I'm looking at the opponent, preparing myself mentally to be clear and focused for battle and all the training that has gone into it."

Retired fighter Merhav Mohar (16-2) says, "Being present, without any distracting thoughts is a true measure of professionalism, and takes a lot of practice."

Harazduk says these fighters- by having a clear mind and being present- are in an alpha state. "An alpha state is when your brain waves slow down. Your thoughts recede to the background, and you're not aware of any incoming thoughts. These boxers are 'in the zone' so to speak."

Prospect Odelia Ben Ephraim (4-2) gives a play-by-play of how she enters an alpha state, "The last moments before a fight, I think about what my coach told me during the warm-up. I focus on his words and I feel very calm and focused. I repeat the words in my head again and again.

"When I enter the ring I don't actually have concrete thoughts," she says. "I'm very focused, and I concentrate on my breathing. I think about all the stress and pressure that goes down during the last hours before a fight, until the last moment. When the referee gives instructions, there's just a big calm in my head, the calm before the storm!"

For Dmitriy Salita (35-2), a retired boxer who is now a successful promoter, what he was thinking depended on his physical condition. "Ideally, you're thinking about the next five seconds. You recognize voices from the gym you're accustomed to. You tell yourself, 'Time to take care of business.'" Salita says.

But when he over-trained, Salita admits, "My mind runs. I think, 'Many people are watching me. Did this guy get a seat?'" Those same thoughts also make Salita a good promoter.

Ultimately, when the referee gives the final instructions, it's a chance for the fighters to control their thoughts and enter into the zone. It marks the line that divides the pre-fight activities from battle.

*****

Part of standing in center ring just before the fight involves the final stare-down. The boxers interviewed had very different interpretations of the importance of the practice. Although at times it seemed as if they were directly responding to one another, the boxers interviewed were not told what others had said.

Yuri Foreman says he doesn't try to stare down an opponent. He has blurred vision while looking at his opponent and just stays in his own head.

Odelia Ben Ephraim explains, "I always make eye contact with my opponent, and I focus on not looking down, the eye of the tiger!" She feels it's important to look the opponent in the eye out of respect and to honor tradition. "It's like looking in a mirror. My opponent and I had the same preparation, the same struggles getting ready for this fight- more or less of course. But it takes the same courage to step up into the ring for both of us, and for me, looking into her eyes is a sign of respect. It's also an old boxing tradition, and it's the moment when the fight starts for real."

Merhav Mohar always aimed to intimidate his opponents. He contends, "From my experience, those last moments before the fight in center ring, I would stare down my opponent as hard as possible, and if he would break eye contact to look at the referee or his instructions, I would take that as a sign of my victory. I know what’s a low blow and to obey the referee, so there was no need to focus on him or what he says. I would look for any weakness or doubt my opponent would show."

David Alaverdian, who was interviewed many months before Mohar, vehemently disagrees. Alaverdian stares at his opponent, but he's not consciously trying to look him in the eye. He's not trying to intimidate his opponent. He argues "I don't believe in that. Some people think if the other guy looks down, you broke him. That's bullshit."

Shawn Sarembock feels attempting to intimidate the opponent is important. Sarembock also uses the stare-down for strategic purposes. "I give them a once-over to see where the cup is, so I know where I can work the body, " he says. "I also check to see if the opponent's body is soft."

Dmitriy Salita and Cletus Seldin had the exact same reason to reach the exact opposite conclusion.  Salita says, "People judged me and felt I was an easy fight based on the way I looked. I did try to stare down my opponent. The stare-down is important."

Conversely, Seldin explains, "I never once thought 'Let's win the fight off intimidation.' I always pictured them thinking, 'There's no way I'm losing to a white Jewish kid from Long Island,' so to me it never felt worth trying."

There's no right or wrong answer. Whether there's any value in trying to intimidate the opponent is simply a matter of opinion. Ultimately, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. If fighters believe the stare-down is unimportant, it won't matter to them. For fighters who give the stare-down significance, it can serve as an extra source of confidence, assuming the interaction goes the fighter's way. Regardless, there is no one way to become focused for battle.

Top 5 Jewish British Boxers

Tony Milch's Top 5 Jewish British Boxers

Tony Milch is a former pro boxer from Edgware, England. Fighting professionally from 2013-2018, he amassed a record of 14-2. Tony now runs Gloves and Doves, an admirable initiative that promotes peace in the Middle East through boxing and aims to develop the sport in Israel. The next Gloves and Doves event is scheduled for March 23 in London, England. For more on Gloves and Doves, visit its website and follow on Instagram.

Tony has shared his immense boxing knowledge with The Jewish Boxing Blog on countless occasions over the years. This great list only focuses on boxers who used gloves in the ring, and thus bareknuckle boxers such as Daniel Mendoza aren't included.

1. Ted "Kid" Lewis
2. Jack "Kid " Berg
3. Al Phillips
4. Harry Mizler
5. Gary Jacobs



Other Top 5s
Jewish North African Boxers
Jewish Canadian Boxers
Jewish Israeli Boxers
Jewish Female Boxers
Jewish French Boxers
Jewish Dutch Boxers
Jewish Londoner Boxers
Jewish South African Boxers
Jewish Boxers since 1960
Jewish Bareknuckle Boxers

The Importance of Pad Work

*Pat-pat-pat-pat* Floyd Mayweather's Grant gloves land with a unique mixture of speed and grace on the carefully placed Everlast mitts of his uncle Roger. A generation of aspiring boxers watch as Floyd throws nine punches in less than two seconds on HBO's hit show 24/7.


Origins and Popularization
The origins of pad work are murky. All roads lead to an unsourced Wikipedia article, but there are some verifiable moments of significance. The martial arts legend and actor Bruce Lee designed a focus mitt that looked something like a baseball catcher's glove. Hall of Fame coach Emanuel Steward brought pad work into vogue by initially wearing boxing gloves backwards and catching his charge's punches on the padded backside of the gloves.

But Mayweather's extravagant combinations on 24/7, intricately coordinated with his uncle, popularized pad work. Nowadays, one can find countless social media videos mimicking Mayweather's moves.

Bruce Lee's focus mitts

Styles of Pad Work
Some older trainers disapprove of pad work. Former WBA junior middleweight world champion Yuri Foreman states, "Russian trainers told me, 'Don't embrace the pads,' when I was young." A native of the Soviet Union, Foreman immigrated to Israel before moving to Brooklyn. "It messes up distance. Your perception of distance is very important in boxing."

Adam Hadad, a coach based in Israel, explains why older trainers might be against the exercise. "They often see that Mayweather style and think it’s not real boxing, and they're right. But real pad work is highly valuable and a more modern form of training, so it makes sense that the old guard doesn’t like it."

Shawn Sarembock, an 8-0 fighter with 8 KOs, says, "We use zero hand pads, but not by choice." His dad and trainer, Neil, was a champion kickboxer whose career was cut short due to injury. "It's just me and my dad and I don't want to rip his arms off," Shawn says. "But if I did pad work, I wouldn't do it in the Mayweather style, because I don't fight like that."

Former pro boxer turned coach, Tony Milch says, "I did a lot of pad work with [coach] Ian Burbedge when I was a pro." But he notes, "We didn't do speed pads- Mayweather style- ever." 

"The problem with modern pad work stems from Mayweather’s pad work during open workouts before fights," explains Coach Hadad, who counts Israeli amateur standouts David Bazov and Tomer Benny among his fighters "In front of the cameras Floyd and his uncle did the Mayweather style of pad work: continuous, light combinations with lots of flashy movements. What the Mayweathers did in front of the cameras was just for show."

According to Hadad, a coach- the late James Ricky Coward, known as Coach Rick- started a program called Mittology which taught coaches to hold the pads like Roger Mayweather to produce flashy combinations. Hadad says the videos portrayed this style "as if it were real work rather than fancy stuff for the cameras."

"This style, being visually appealing, proliferated in boxing training because it’s highly Instagramable," Hadad concludes.

Floyd Mayweather works the pads with his uncle Roger

David Alaverdian (6-0-1, 5 KOs), who works with Floyd Mayweather Sr., notes that the fancy Mayweather style of pad work has it's place but can't be the only method. "You gotta do the old school and new pad work style together. You can't just do the new one.

"The biggest problem with the new one is they don't use a lot of footwork," Alaverdian says. "They stand in place, and it's a lot of combinations. So if your opponent is just in front of you, you're going to unload some crazy nice-looking combinations. But what happens when somebody has really good footwork running around the ring? You can't do nothing. You can't even land your jab on this guy."

Hadad agrees that there is something to the Mayweather style, "There is some value to it in terms of building instincts and flow." Specifically about Floyd and his uncle, he expounds, "What most people didn’t contextualize was that that pad work was built over two decades. The original combinations and sequences were sharp and explosive."


The Benefits of Pad Work
Pad work can be used for a variety of reasons. Junior middleweight Tony Milch used pads when he was an active boxer "for sharpness and angles as I was a tall boxer for the weight."

Yuri Foreman says, "I like doing the pads now because it challenges my stamina."

"I find that with beginners, working with the pads allows me to shape their punches and stance faster," Coach Adam Hadad explains. "With advanced fighters, it’s a great tool for tuning counter punches, reactions, and timing. It allows me to push the fighters to have a higher punch rate, more accurate punches, and better overall flow, especially for counter punching."

"That's an advantage that I have over a lot of boxers here in the States," David Alaverdian says of using the old school method of pad work. "Some coaches won't do the basic old school 1-2, jab, jab, jab 1-2 on the pads. They would just do these combination drills all the time. [In a fight against their boxers] I just started running around the ring and using a lot of footwork, and they just can't do anything."

Emanuel Steward works the pads with Thomas Hearns

Alaverdian says both old and new styles of pad work are useful together. "You gotta do both. Because there's a time your opponent's going to move and a time when your opponent's going to stand and trade with you."


Final Thoughts
"As a retired boxer and coach I believe pad work, of course, has its place," says Milch, "but it's not the most important. Overall you do need pad work to keep sharp, but it's not needed as much as boxers or people think nowadays."

"I would do pad work like Abel Sanchez and Triple G [Gennady Golovkin]," says Shawn Sarembock, who, like Milch, believes shadowboxing and sparring are more useful. "Like Robert Garcia does or like Manny Robles."  Sanchez, Garcia, and Robles are all top-level coaches who move around and call for punches that more closely simulate a fight than does the newer style of pad work. 

"It’s hard to maintain focus and motivation with bag work and shadowboxing," Hadad notes. "Pad work is highly engaging and responsive, so it makes training more fun and dynamic."

Though pad work can be quite useful for an expert coach like Hadad, Milch rightly observes, "A lot of people can look good on pads but cannot fight at all."

The opinions of boxers and coaches on pad work are quite nuanced . Those interviewed agree in some areas on the subject and disagree in others. The Mayweather style of pad work may or may not have some value but all agree it shouldn't be a fighter's primary training method. Some see more value in using the pads than others. "Everyone's different," Yuri Foreman puts it aptly. "There's not one approach."

The Different Types of Boxing Gloves

Boxing gloves are an important and yet overlooked aspect of the sport. Boxers must consider many different features of a glove in order to choose the right one for them. Wrist support, knuckle support, room in the hand compartment, and design are a few of the more important factors. One significant similarity, however, is the weight of the glove. Typically, welterweights and lighter fight with eight ounce gloves while junior middleweights and above wear ten ounce gloves.

Though most brands offer different types of gloves, they tend to get associated with a certain style. "Reyes is more of a puncher's glove, and Everlast is more of a boxer's glove," says former undisputed world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.

Reyes was founded in Mexico City, Mexico in 1945. Its founder, Claudio Reyes, was an innovator. His product soon gained a reputation as a puncher's glove. “The Reyes boxing gloves are what you use if you want to knock people out,” claims  Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, whose most famous charge, Manny Pacquiao, wore Reyes gloves. 

Writer David Walker explains, "The Reyes glove is known as 'a puncher’s glove' because it has a lightweight feel, a slimmer profile and, most importantly, an inner layer of horsehair padding that tends to flatten down and harden over the course of a fight."

Floyd Mayweather Jr. used Reyes gloves early in his pro career but developed hand problems and switched brands. Hand injuries are a major concern for boxers as former pro Boyd Melson well knows.

"Personally, I liked having a good amount of padding on my knuckles. You’re going to hurt your knuckles, so it’s important to keep them as protected as you can!" says Melson, who wore Everlast gloves in the ring.

Manny Pacquiao wore Reyes gloves

Founded in the Bronx, New York in the early 1910s by Jacob Golomb, the Jewish son of an immigrant tailor, Everlast was initially devoted to swimwear. As the story goes, Golomb provided a down-and-out Jack Dempsey with boxing equipment. In return, Dempsey wore Everlast gloves when he destroyed Jess Willard to win the world heavyweight championship in 1919, and the brand took off.

The great Jewish world lightweight champion Benny Leonard not only wore Everlast, but played an advisory role in the company. More recent Jewish fighters (former WBA world junior middleweight champion) Yuri Foreman and (WBF world junior welterweight champion) Dmitriy Salita wore Everlast gloves, too. While Dempsey was more of a brawler, Leonard, Foreman, and Salita were technically sound boxers to varying degrees.

Everlast is known as a boxer's glove because of the foam padding on the knuckles which is meant to protect them at the expense of power. However, Everlast does sell a puncher's glove called the MX, which uses horsehair as padding.

Cletus Seldin, a massive puncher, has also worn Everlast in several of his fights. Clearly, the gloves have not hindered his knockout power. The Hebrew Hammer has also worn Grant gloves, going back-and-forth between the two types during his career.

Benny Leonard wore Everlast gloves

Grant was founded in 1995 in New York and the gloves are made in Mexico. They are know for their high quality materials. After using Reyes gloves, Floyd Mayweather Jr. moved over to Grant and helped the popularity of the company soar.  Gennady "GGG" is another popular figure who punches with Grant.

Grant gloves are known to protect a boxer's hands but don't take away as much power as some brands. The gloves fit snug and lock in the hand and wrist in a straight line offering wrist protection. Padding around the wrist only enhances the protection. "Every fighter should be fighting in Grant boxing gloves," says Mayweather. "The gloves are extremely comfortable."

Floyd Mayweather Jr. switched to Grant gloves midcareer

Over in the United Kingdom, Lonsdale, founded in 1960 in London, soon developed a
positive reputation. Celebrities hoped to be seen in their clothing. Former pro boxer Tony Milch remembers going with his stepdad to the Lonsdale store on Beak Street in London's shopping hub known as Covent Gardens when he just started boxing. "It was a real old school boxing shop," he recalls fondly. "The original Lonsdale was the best."

In the early 2000s, neo-Nazis throughout Europe began proudly displaying Lonsdale gear. The term "Lonsdale youth" became synonymous with teens who espoused extreme right wing views. These neo-Nazis wore bomber jackets over their Lonsdale shirts, which coincidentally have the letters "nsda" which almost amounts to the initials of Adolph Hitler's Nazi party (NSDAP). Bizarre as that might be, it signified a major problem for Lonsdale, who actively combatted the unwitting association with neo-Nazis by initiating an anti-racist campaign.

Around the same time, in 2002, Sports Direct, now known as the Frasers Group, bought out Lonsdale, just as they would acquire Everlast five years later. The quality of the gloves have worsened since. Tony Milch blames the gloves for a broken right hand and bursitis early in his pro career. "They are not the best quality," Milch says of Lonsdale, "The brand changed and sold out."

Milch, the head of the Gloves and Doves initiative which promotes peace in the Middle East through boxing, prefers Reyes and Winning gloves.

Tony Milch soured on Lonsdale gloves (Marc Morris)

Reyes and Winning are on the opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of style, but both are known for superior quality. While Reyes are puncher's gloves, Winning gloves are often refer to as pillows.

Winning was founded in 1937 in Japan, around the height of its empire. The gloves are of high quality and very expensive. They are protective of a boxer's knuckles and wrists. Some argue that the hand compartment is too snug.

Many boxers, including Floyd Mayweather Jr., train with Winning gloves. They're usually not used in competition because it's difficult to generate power due to the high-level of synthetic padding. However, "The Monster," Naoya Inoue, the most feared bantamweight in the world and a top ten pound-for-pound fighter with 19 KOs in his 22 bouts, fights with Winning gloves. It's a testament to Inoue's punching power that he's able to score so many knockouts with such pillowy gloves.

Naoya Inoue uses Winning gloves

While Winning is generally regarded as the best gloves to protect one's hands, Rival gloves are usually thought of as the coolest looking. Former trainer and current cutman Russ Anber founded the company in Montreal, Canada in 2003. He initiated several design changes, including creating a shorter body of the glove and longer cuff so that the laces are tied on the boxer's wrist. The gloves also have an angular lace track to promote increased wrist support.

Vasiliy Lomachenko and Olexandr Usyk, two of the ten best boxers in the world, wear Rival in the ring. Anber serves as cutman to both fighters. Isaac Chilemba, a contender at super middleweight and light heavyweight for many years, often wears Rival gloves. In fact, his first fight against Tony Bellew on March 30, 2013 was the first time two competing boxers wore Rival gloves in a professional fight outside of Canada.

Isaac Chilemba wears Rival gloves

These are just a few of the more noteworthy brands that sell boxing gloves. In addition to Leone (from Italy), Venum (from France), Title, and Hayabusa, there are many more, each with their own unique makeup. For fans who don't already, be sure to note the boxers' gloves. They can give a window into a fighter's mentality.

Boxing Brings People Together

Last night  Mikhael Ostroumov was in Bălţi, Moldova to cheer on two teammates from his boxing club located in Afula, Israel. In one fight, Yosef Ktzraui, an Arab Israeli, stopped Turac Icoz of Turkey. Ktzraui was a bit wild and occasionally fought with his hands down, but he battled like a bulldozer as he overwhelmed his more experienced opponent. In another fight, Khalil Jabarin, another Arab Israeli, also had his hand raised after facing Mucahit Rahman Birsan of Turkey. After the matches, Mor Oknin voiced his support for the Israelis online.

Ktzraui and Jabarin both made their debuts on a card promoted by Evgheni Boico for Arena Boxing Moldova. A promoter and a coach, Boico is an increasingly important man in Moldovan boxing and in Israeli boxing. Last night's event included boxers from several countries.

Boxing has the power to bring people together. This is especially true in Israel where Jews and Arabs don't always have a chance to develop meaningful relationships with one another. Since the popularity of the sport is relatively small in the country, Jews and Arabs must train together. Boxing can help form friendships that might not otherwise exist. These friendships can help break down walls of bigotry.

The old Am-Shalem's gym in Nazareth was a place that brought together Jews and Arabs. Tony Milch's Gloves and Doves program is also bringing boxers of different backgrounds together in an attempt to foster peace. The relationship between Arthur Abramov and Nur Rabia, chronicled in the short film Jerusalem In Between, is another example of boxing building bridges.

It's ironic that such a violent sport can help forge unlikely friendships, but there is something about two fighters baring their souls inside the squared circle, putting their lives on the line for the entertainment of the fans, that produces a shared experience in which few others in the world can relate.

As Dahlia Am-Shalem once said, "You take two boxers: one white, one black; one Arab, one Jew; whatever and whoever wins the fight, you'll always see them embrace at the end. Boxing breeds mutual respect. It binds people together."

The Perils of Cutting Weight

Making weight is one of the toughest challenges a professional boxer faces. In order to come in under a contractionally obligated weight limit, pros typically not only train constantly, but also eat healthily. "You can’t out train a bad diet," says Tony Milch, a former 14-2 professional boxer who currently runs the Gloves and Doves program. Boxing isn't just a job; it's a lifestyle

There are times when a fighter is unable to make the weight through diet and exercise alone. When that happens, the boxer is forced to cut weight. Cutting weight essentially means shedding pounds quickly in a short period of time. It's dangerous, and it's difficult.

Here's what a number of boxers had to say about cutting weight:

"I was always in training when I was a pro. Cutting weight is one of the hardest parts of training," says Milch.

"I don't cut much weight anymore, but when I used to in the amateur days, I would say, uh, even if I tried to explain how horrible it is, I wouldn't be able to." says David Alaverdian (5-0), a 28 year old flyweight prospect.

"It's the hardest part of boxing," claims Cletus Seldin (26-1), a 35 year old junior welterweight contender. Seldin is one of the few boxers who has actually gone down in weight, beginning his career in the 147 pound division.

"Cutting the weight was becoming not only a chore, it was terrible for my health and conditioning," Callum Smith (28-1), a 31 year old former super middleweight world title belt-holder told DAZN after moving up to light heavyweight.

"It’s hell on earth. You're hungry 24/7, you're thirsty 24/7... Your body feels like your insides are getting cooked. And this might go on for 2-3 weeks," explains Benny Sinakin (6-1), a 24 year old light heavyweight prospect.

"When it's a real weight cut, it feels like you might die," says Dmitriy Salita (35-2-1), a junior welterweight world title challenger who hung up the gloves in 2013 and is now a promoter.

Record-breaking powerlifter Stefi Cohen, a 29 year old featherweight who is 1-0-1 as a pro boxer needed just one word to describe what cutting weight feels like: "Hunger."

***

There are several ways to cut weight just before the weigh-in. Benny Sinakin explains, "You have to sit in the sauna, go running, hit the bag, and basically do heavy cardio to burn [off the weight]. And you have to wear a sauna suit on top of that."

Despite the dangers, making weight is extremely important even if that means cutting. Missing weight can lead to fines, canceled fights, or ridicule from the press. Joan Guzman- an Olympian and two-division world champion with enormous talent- should be a household name, but he made a career of badly missing weight. He lost money, chances at more world titles, and a platform to fight regularly on HBO. On one occasion, Guzman made weight but his fight was ruled a no contest when he tested positive for a diuretic.

If Guzman's career is a cautionary tale about the dangers of missing weight, Danny O'Connor's is a cautionary tale about trying to make weight.

O'Connor was set to fight for his first world title against Jose Ramirez, a 140-pound belt-holder, on July 7, 2018. During his career, O'Connor had fought between the junior welterweight and junior middleweight divisions. But in his previous two fights he came in under the 140 pound junior welterweight limit and therefore felt he could continue to make the weight. On the day before the fight, O'Connor was two pounds overweight with the weigh-in just hours away. He went to the sauna to shed the remaining pounds.

O'Connor passed out when he left the sauna. When he woke up, he was incoherent. "Four bags of fluids did not hydrate him," writes Mark Whicker. "O’Connor was hospitalized and his kidneys approached dysfunction."

Danny O'Connor hasn't fought since. Just as it was heating up, his career ended.

***

The timing of the weigh-in often enters discussions about weight cutting. These days, most weigh-ins are held the day before the fight. The move away from day-of weigh-ins was made because it was too dangerous for a weight-drawn fighter to step into the ring after only hours of rehydration. Yet, this has caused separate issues. Allowing for more time to rehydrate and eat has incentivized fighters to push the limits of weight cutting so that they can hold a significant weight advantage come fight night. Michael Rosenthal discusses the debate further in The Ring. Holding multiple weigh-ins might be the answer. 

***

About the legendary Panamanian boxer Roberto Duran, conditioning coach Leo Thalassites, who would eventually become the oldest living cop in the U.S., once told Bernard Fernandez, "He's always been able to take off weight, but he didn't always take it off the right way."

Taking off the pounds "the right way" is the best option to avoid a dangerous weight cut. Boxers tend to share similar ideas about how to lose weight safely, but in practice they each do it a bit differently.

Amateur boxer Chananya Davids says of making weight responsibly, "It's a whole long process that takes a month."

David Alaverdian says, "Morning is cardio, and evening is boxing." The 112 pounder eats healthy food and never balloons up to more than 120 pounds. Typically, his walking around weight is even less than that.

Dr. Stefi Cohen, the powerlifting boxer who earned a PhD in physical therapy and exercise physiology, stresses the most fundamental aspect of losing weight is to burn more calories than you put in, what she calls a calorie deficit. "In order to lose weight you must be in a calorie deficit," she says. Tony Milch concurs. He advises, "Train really hard and take in fewer calories, so burning more than you're fueling gets you down to weight!"

Milch was "never more than seven to ten pounds over even two months out from a fight." He took in "loads of water and carbs during the day only, but not at night." Milch would, "run on empty in the morning and then fuel up."

Kerry Kayes, a former bodybuilder who is now a strength and nutrition coach, agrees with Milch about hydration. "Water weight is not true body mass weight. A two liter bottle of water weighs four pounds, so if a boxer doesn't drink the bottle of water, he think he won't weigh the four pounds. The reality is when you cut back on water, your body starts to hold water, which is the worst thing you can do," Kayes told Sky Sports.

"The best way to get rid of water is to drink lots of water," says Kayes. That's because a hydrated fighter sweats easier. 

"The best way to lose weight is to eat adequate amounts of protein and cut back on carbohydrates." Kayes argues that if a boxer cuts back on protein, the body cannibalizes muscle and once it does that, the body's metabolism slows which makes losing weight very difficult.

Dr. Cohen agrees with Kayes about the importance of protein. When it comes to losing weight, she recommends, "Eat protein with all your meals." According to Cohen, as long as the protein is consumed within 24 hours of the workout, the benefits are the same as if it's immediately consumed.

***

Cutting weight is a process filled with horrors, but even losing weight the "right way" is difficult. Most professional boxers work another job or two, so they're trying to make weight while also working. For the more famous boxers, media requests skyrocket during fight week, just when weight loss is at its most urgent period.  And then there's the agitation we all feel when we're on a diet. But for boxers, the stakes are much higher.

Even Milch, who "never cut too much," explains, "It's hard because you get on edge when close to a fight, but that's what makes a professional."

For many boxers, the toughest fight comes not in the ring, but in the weeks, days, and hours before stepping onto the scales. Even before a single punch is thrown, their health is on the line.

Sarembock Trying to Break the Seventh Fight Curse

Shawn Sarembock is scheduled to fight tonight at the famed Big Punch Arena in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. The junior middleweight from Arizona is currently 6-0 with 6 KOs since he turned pro in 2019. The thirty year old will hope to break the seventh-fight curse that has plagued Jewish boxers for the last several years.

The last fighter covered by The Jewish Boxing Blog to raise their record to 7-0 was Tony Milch. Milch scored a six-round points victory over Daniel Borisov on March 7, 2015. He'd go on to win his first 13 pro fights.

On January 16, 2016, Dustin Fleischer won a unanimous decision victory over Lionel Jimenez to go to 6-0. He subsequently retired from prizefighting.

David Kaminsky was 6-0 when he stepped into the ring against Clay Collard on June 18, 2020. Collard came out with a split decision victory denying Kaminsky a 7-0 record. Kaminsky hasn't fought since as he recovers from a knee injury.

Three months later, on September 20, Igor Lazarev attempted to get his seventh victory in as many fights. But Binali Shakhmandarov caught Igor, who could never find his way back into the fight, with a brain-scrambling punch. The ref stopped the contest in the second round, and Lazarev's record fell to 6-1. He is now 8-2.

On April 3 of this year, Benny Sinakin was 6-0 heading into his fight with Afunwa King. King won by majority decision. Benny hasn't been in the ring since.

Sarembock is the fifth Jewish fighter to reach the 6-0 mark since, but if he wins tonight, he would be the first to go 7-0 in over six and half years.

Next Gloves and Doves Show on December 16 in Israel

Former pro boxer Tony Milch's Gloves and Doves initiative is hosting an amateur show in the Arab town of Majd al-Kurum, located in northern Israel, on December 16.  The mission of Gloves and Doves is to spread peace and unity in the Middle East. Gloves and Doves held a show in London, England last month and hosted one in Israel this past July.

True to its mission, this upcoming show will feature amateur youths from different ethnic and religious backgrounds in eleven fights. The event will be streamed live on WBC Middle East's Facebook page.

Gloves and Doves' Schedule Announced

Former professional boxer Tony Milch announced a tentative schedule for his Gloves and Doves program for the rest of the year.  Gloves and Doves, which promotes peace and unity through boxing, hosted a successful showcase last month in Isfiya, Israel.

Gloves and Doves announced a partnership with Albi Sorra's  Arena Boxing, which is based in Albania, for a possible show at the end of September. Sorra, a 7-0 fighter from Tirana, has featured Jewish boxers on Arena Boxing cards in the past, often in collaboration with B&B Promotions.

Milch is hoping to bring a team featuring fighters of different religious and ethnic backgrounds to his native country of England in late October. A native of Edgware, Milch finished his pro career with a 14-2 mark. All of his bouts took place in England.

Tony proposed another Gloves and Doves show in Israel in November and/or December, hoping to follow up on the Isfiya event in July.

Successful Night for Gloves and Doves in Israel

Gloves and Doves, a program run by former professional boxer Tony Milch that promotes peace and coexistence in the Middle East, hosted a successful night of boxing in Isfiya, Israel this past evening. Former world champion Rabbi Yuri Foreman along with former world title challenger and current promoter Dmitriy Salita both sent their support for the event.

A current pro, Yotham Shalom, boxed in a three round exhibition while another active boxer Igor Lazarev refereed. Sagiv Ismailov, who is 2-0 as a pro, also laced up the gloves. Members of the Israeli national amateur boxing team also showcased their skills in the ring. They are of different backgrounds and religions but represent one country. The featured attraction of the evening was Adham Kayouf, a Druze fighter from Isfiya.

Gloves and Doves is an endeavor worthy of support regardless of one's politics. Peace benefits us all and while sports may not work miracles, it can create progress. Ping-pong diplomacy helped thaw relations between China and the United States during the 1970s ultimately leading towards an economic relationship between the two nations. Cricket has helped direct tensions between India and Pakistan to the pitch instead of the battlefield. And athletes such as Jackie Robinson, Joe Louis, and Bill Russell helped bridge the racial divide in the United States and set the stage for increasing integration.

With the recent deadly conflict in Israel, an initiative that promotes peace and coexistence in the Middle East is needed now more than ever. Boxing is an apt avenue to create progress towards that goal. Boxers pound each other during the fight and yet often form a lifelong friendships after the final bell has rung. To donate visit their crowdfunding page and follow Gloves and Doves on Instagram. A replay of the event can be watched here.

Gloves and Doves to Host Historic Night in Israel

Retired boxer Tony Milch's Gloves and Doves initiative is hosting its first event in Israel. The event, which will take place on Thursday, July 15 in Isfia, will promote Milch's mission of coexistence by featuring amateur fighters of different religious backgrounds. "Druze, Christians, Jews, and Muslims," Milch explains, "all boxing as teammates promoting the message of unity!"

"Boxing helps bring communities together and keeps kids away from crime and violence," he adds. Donations for Gloves and Doves can be given here.

Gloves and Doves to Host Amateur Boxers from Israel

Tony Milch's Gloves and Doves project is set to host a team of amateur boxers of different faiths from Israel. The fights will take place on April 2, 2020 at 229 The Venue in London, England.

Milch recently retired as a professional boxer with a 14-2 record. His last fight was just about a year ago, a points victory over Danny Little in a rematch in which Milch avenged only his second career loss.

You can read more about Milch's Gloves and Doves initiative in an article written by the editor of The JBB for SecondsOut.com.

Four Jewish Boxers Fight in Boxing Event to Help Kids with Special Needs

Four Jewish boxers were featured on a four-fight card at the Jewish Cultural Center Beit Grand in Odessa, Ukraine last Sunday. Igor Lazarev, Miroslav Kapuler, Yotham Shalom, and Aki Azrael Mishaev competed in separate bouts for a charity event. The night raised funds to help kids with special needs. To make a donation to this worthy cause, please follow this link.

British Jewish boxer Tony Milch, who was originally scheduled to fight on the card, but suffered a cut in training, opened the night with an in-ring introduction, and he worked Shalom's corner. In addition to this event, Milch is working on another positive project. He founded Gloves and Doves, which is focused on contributing to peace through boxing in the Middle East.
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In the main event, Igor Lazarev outworked Dmytro Kostenko to win by unanimous decision. Igor, a 33 year old lightweight from Israel, is fun to watch. He constantly throws punches and is aggressive from the opening bell or, in this case, gong (the timekeeper had a gong with Chinese kanji on it). In the past, the Ashdod resident had been too wild while pressuring, but he displayed impressive control while mounting his offense in this one.  Lazarev is a ferocious body puncher with either hand and showed it in this bout.

Kostenko is a 41 year old from Ukraine who sports a poor record- only two wins in 19 previous fights. However, 17 of his 20 fights have taken place in the past two years, and he's never been stopped. He fought like a man with that track record. Dmytro was a competent counterpuncher who amazingly withstood Lazarev's sustained body assault.

Kostenko landed some nice left hooks to the head in the second round. He connected with some straight rights in the fourth. He was feeling so good, he taunted Lazarev in the fifth. Lazarev didn't take kindly to the taunts, and after taking some more body shots Kostenko soon spit out the mouthpiece to buy some time. The Ukrainian lost his mouthpiece twice more, in the sixth and in the eighth, and both times he absorbed body blows. Referee Vadym Lavrenets probably should have been more proactive in curtaining Kostenko's mouthpiece spitting.

Make no mistake though, Lazarev wont he first five rounds handily with pressure, body punches, and a sprinkle of counters for good measure. This was the first time Lazarev has seen the seventh round in his career and he did get touched more in the sixth and seventh, but he finished strong. He may well have been the first fighter to stop Kostenko had the veteran not intentionally lost his mouthpiece those three times.

Lazarev improves to 5-0 with two KOs after the judges scored the bout 80-72, 79-73, and 79-74 in his favor. Kostenko is 2-17-1 with all of his fights going the distance.
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Miroslav Kapuler, a 22 year old Israeli junior middleweight made his debut on the card. He defeated another debuting fighter, Stanislav Davydenko a 23 year old from Ukraine. Kapuler, a southpaw, took control of center ring from the outset. Davydenko was defensive-minded even though the fight started slowly. Midway through the round, Kapuler landed some hard lefts to the body. A bit later, he landed a perfect straight left to the body. Davydenko folded and stayed down for the ten count.

Kapuler is now 1-0 with one KO and Davydenko is 0-1.
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Yotham Shalom controlled the action against Piotr Ghilas with his speed and his hit-and-don't-get-hit style to win a unanimous decision. In the first two rounds, Ghilas, a 29 year old from Moldova, looked like an angry pedestrian chasing a speeding car that just swiped him. He hopelessly followed Shalom, who landed head-snapping shots from the outside with impressive speed and got out of harm's way just as fast.

Shalom, who hadn't fought in a professional boxing match in nearly two years, slowed a bit in the third. He was still too fast for Ghilas who only managed to touch Shalom's gloves on occasion. Shalom switched to southpaw for a bit in the stanza and landed eye-catching lead lefts from range.

Shalom attacked to start the fourth but quickly reverted to his typical style of stick-and-moving. Ghilas, who was badly outclassed in the first three rounds, did have moments of true success in the final round, but he paid the price. Shalom had landed countless punches that staggered Ghilas all fight and in the last period, the Moldovan's was hit cleanly so many times, he looked like a bobblehead doll.

Shalom's speed and boxing ability were impressive, but he could have followed up his stagger-inducing shots and perhaps earned a knockout. He always chose to box instead. He also circled to his left, directly into an orthodox fighter's strong hand. Against this particular opponent, it didn't matter, but it might be a different story against a better foe.

Notably, Shalom weighed in as a featherweight while Ghilas was a lightweight. Shalom rightly swept the three judges' scorecards, 40-36 to advance to 2-0-1 with one KO. Ghilas is now 0-2 and has yet to win a round in his professional career.
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In the opening bout of the evening, Aki Azrael Mishaev defeated Gheorghi Croitor by unanimous decision. Mishaev, a 33 year old junior middleweight from Israel, entered with a menacing camouflage headscarf. Both fighters jabbed, moved, and bounced in the first round. Mishaev landed several heavy rights to the body and a left hook up top during the round. Croitor, a 22-year old from Moldova, retaliated by throwing left hooks to the body.

In the second, Croitor decided to pressure, abandoning the jab. It didn't work and Mishaev threw a double jab-right uppercut combination that was the best rally of the round. He potshotted and used his slick yet awkward movement to avoid Croitor's attempts.

Mishaev felt more confident in the third and began walking down the game Moldovan. The Israeli even switched to southpaw briefly. Mishaev went for the knockout in the final round, throwing huge power shots while grunting loudly. Some landed, but none put Croitor in any real danger. Croitor did seem tired by the time the final gong rang.

Mishaev, whose first name is listed as Arkadi on BoxRec, won with scores of 40-36, 40-37, 39-37. He is now 1-0. Croiter is 0-3, but exhibited far more skill than his record suggests. The problem for the Moldovan was Mishaev seemed to have a game plan whereas Croitor didn't.

The fights can be watched here.

Jewish Boxers to Fight in Ukraine on Sunday for Worthy Cause

Both Igor Lazarev and Yotham Shalom are scheduled to take part in separate bouts on Sunday, October 27 in Odessa, Ukraine. The event is designed to help children with special needs. For more about that program and for an opportunity to contribute, you can click on this link.

Lazarev (4-0, 2 KOs) won a split decision victory over Leandro Xhelili less than a month ago. He is slated to participate in an eight round bout with Dmytro Kostenko, a 41 year old from Ukraine. Kostenko has fought in eight different countries but hasn't won in many of them. His record is an uninspiring 2-16-1. However, Kostenko defeated a 9-1 British fighter last year for one of his two victories, and the Ukrainian lightweight has never been stopped.

Shalom (1-0-1, one KO) is a featherweight who has fought twice in France including his last one on December 2, 2017. His opponent is scheduled to be Piotr Ghilas (0-1), a 29 year old from Moldova. This bout is scheduled for four rounds.

Tony Milch had been preparing to box in an exhibition match on the card, but he sustained a cut under his right eye in sparring last week. Nevertheless, Milch will be in Odessa helping out. He also has an update on his Gloves and Doves program, which you can read more about here.

Milch is raising funds for a boxing card that would bring a boxing team from London, England to Israel to face a team of Jews and Arabs. To learn more and contribute, you can click here.

Newcomers Miroslav Kapuler and Aki Azrael Mishaev are also penciled in to be on the card. Kapuler faces Artur Davydenko (1-4), a 19 year old welterweight from Ukraine.

Mishaev battles Gheorghi Croitor (0-2), a 22 year old lightweight from Moldova. Croitor was stopped in the third round by Lazarev last December. Both fights are scheduled for four rounds.

Milch Moving to Israel to Promote Peace through Boxing

British boxer Tony Milch is putting his own career on hold and moving to the Middle East. “My main goal is to help develop the sport in Israel,” Milch tells The Jewish Boxing Blog. The 38-year-old from Edgware hopes to achieve this goal through an initiative he is founding called Gloves and Doves.

Read the entire article by the editor of The JBB here at SecondsOut.com

Igor Lazarev Stays Undefeated

Igor Lazarev scored a knockout in his third professional boxing match. Lazarev beat Aliaksei Pashkouski, a 23 year old from Belarus, by way of second round stoppage at Ministerium in Odessa, Ukraine on Sunday.

The 33 year old lightweight thwacked the body early and often in the first. Lazarev's body attack forced Pashkouski's gloves to stay at home for much of the opening round. A left squeezed through the gloves and busted the Minsk native's nose in the second. That was enough to convince referee Shlomo Niyazov and Pashkouski's corner that the fight should be stopped. Lazarev is now 3-0 with two KOs while Pashkouski is 0-9-1 and had been stopped five times.

Lazarev was born in Russia and fights out of Ashdod, Israel. His first two fights took place in Moldova. He beat Mihai Hachi, who was 2-0 at the time, on May 25, 2018. Seven months later, he stopped Gheorgi Croiter in the third round by pressuring, switching stances, and punching constantly. A left hook to the body all but sealed the deal in that fight.

Tony Milch, a fellow Jewish boxer out of England, works with Lazarev and was in Ukraine for the fight.

Milch Avenges Defeat in Rematch

Junior middleweight Tony Milch avenged one of only two career losses by defeating Danny Little tonight in a scheduled six-rounder at the Lee Valley Leisure Complex in London, England. Milch didn't allow Little to back him up to the ropes as much as in their first fight. He also used the jab more, threw the uppercut, and utilized his strength advantage this time around.

In their first fight, Milch boxed well during the first two rounds, jabbing and moving effectively. In the third, Little switched to southpaw for a longer stretch and his awkwardness as a lefty allowed him to land more flush shots. Little switched between stances the rest of the fight and Milch never figured out the proper defense when Little was a lefty. In the sixth, Milch was busier than in previous rounds, but Little continued to land. Milch lost the first fight 56-58.

Milch, nicknamed "2 Guns", thought about retiring after the loss to Little but regained his desire to fight over the summer. The result was he weighed in the lightest of his career, 150 pounds, and was in great shape for the rematch. This time, Milch won five of the six rounds, taking the bout on points with a score of 59-55.

The 37 year old Milch earned his 14th win while Little fell to 7-50-2.

The JBB is Back! An Update

The Jewish Boxing Blog is now back. I apologize for not providing any updates and for not getting back to anyone kind enough to email me. I am thrilled to announce the reason I was incommunicado is because my wife and I had twins. They are now a year and a half, and my head is finally just above water.

Since The JBB's last post in January of 2017, not a ton has happened in the world of Jewish boxing. Yuri Foreman hasn't been in the ring since that last post, but he is considering a comeback according to hints he's dropped on Facebook.

After suffering competitive defeats to the best light heavyweights in the world, Sergiy Kovalev, Olexandr Gvozdyk, and Eleider Alvarez, Isaac Chilemba beat Blake Caparello, an Australian boxer whose three losses have been to world class opposition. After the victory in March, Chilemba lost a decision to Dmitry Bivol, a Russian fighter who might be the next light heavyweight star. Chilemba is now 25-6-2 with 10 KOs.

Boyd Melson retired with a 15-2-1 record and flirted with a run for Congress, even raising money for the endeavor.

Carolina Raquel Duer lost two split decisions to Maria Cecilia Roman on August 4, 2017 and then exactly one year later. Duer's record is now 19-5-1 with 6 stoppages.

Tony Milch, the British junior middleweight, out-pointed a 90-fight veteran Arvydas Trizno in May of 2017. Afterwards, Milch suffered his first two career losses. A fifth round stoppage loss to 17-1 (at the time) prospect Matt McCarthy took place on October 10, 2017. Fewer than four months later Milch dropped a close decision to 47-fight veteran Danny Little, who picked up only his seventh victory. Perhaps the 37 year old jumped into the ring too quickly after the TKO loss.

Zachary Wohlman went1-1-1 in 2017. His win was a stoppage victory, Kid Yamaka's second career KO. Each of the three fights were against boxers with more professional fights than Wohlman, but each opponent had a losing record. Wohlman last fought on November 3, 2017, a 4th round KO loss. He is 10-3-2.

After falling to undefeated prospect Charles Foster, Sam Horowitz has faced two opponents with quality records. He lost to David Murray in April of 2017 and then drew with Daniel Najera four months later. He also knockout Skylar Thompson, but the fight was later ruled an exhibition because Thompson weighed too much. Sam retired with a 6-3-2 and 5 KOs.

Dustin Fleischer retired in May of 2017 with a 6-0 record and 5 KOs.

Two young fighters have surfaced since 2017. David Kaminsky is an 18-year old southpaw junior middleweight. The 3-0 boxer punches in combination and attacks the body. He has scored two knockouts thus far and is promoted by Top Rank. Benny "The Jewish Bulldog" Sinakin is a 21 year old light heavyweight from Philadelphia. The former amateur standout is 2-0 as a professional with one knockout and one shutout decision victory.

Milch to Fight this Month

Junior Middleweight Tony Milch is scheduled to fight at York Hall in London, England on July 30. Milch has fought at York Hall twice before, including his last fight last month.

The undefeated Brit has faced only one opponent with a winning record. He has won two six round affairs. His next fight is scheduled for a career high eight rounds.

Milch is 10-0 with one KO. The 35 year old doesn't have an announced opponent as of yet.