Close Up and Personal: Faces in the Crowd, Pt. 2

[10-8]

Hey Juan. I just spent the first weekend of summer in Collingwood on Georgian Bay with my wife and 3 kids. Weather was warm and the water although cool was still good for swimming. Here's a couple of pics.


Posedown with my 13 year old son. I'm thinking the 18 inch gun beats the 10 inch one!



The beach is a bit rocky, but the water is crystal clear.

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey 10-8,

Great pics! Your son looks very happy and the water looks great. And, wow, you inspire me to get back in the gym! I miss having the big guns and torqued physique. Ahhh, the joys of entropy...

Thanks for sharing those pics.

Have a good one,



Juan

[Juan C Ayllon]

I just ran into Glen Peavey, strength trainer of David "The Weezel" (sic) Estrada (who in turn trains me periodically at Glen and Julie Peavey's "Real Exercise" gym in Wadsworth, Illinois), walking out of a sandwich shop in Gurnee, Illinois.

I thought it was fortuitous, as I'd been just mulling over my need to get back in shape and shore up some other key areas in my life.

Glen noted that Weezel hadn't been out lately and asked me when I'm coming back to train. I said that I'd be out of town later on this week as I fly out to Los Angeles and then Las Vegas for David Diaz's defense against Manny Pacquiao on Saturday.

He invited me to come back and train after the fights.

Will do! Will do.

Glen's a great guy and I'm looking forward to hanging out with him and Weezel at their gym.

Well, I've got to finish transcribing this tape, get a haircut, and put together an article for this evening.

Cheers,



Juan

[Juan C Ayllon]

I just put this up several minutes ago:


Link to article on Dr. James Stoxen's Regimen for David Diaz

I think you'll find it interesting and informative.

Cheers,



Juan

[10-8]

Juan here's my Bucket-O-Blood gym in my garage where I train. Brutally hot in the summer and frigid in the winter. Free weights, a bench, an incline board, a heavy bag, and a speed bag. That's all you need!

[Off The River]

Man thoose are one helluva set of shoulders 10-8.

I'm glad I am a Bruins fan in a completely different continent!

[10-8]

OTR, not to get you homesick or anything, but the blue box on the floor near the door is a freshly consumed 2-4 of Canadian brewed Lakeport Beer. $24 a case. Can't beat buck-a-beer!

[Off The River]

Ah yes. You can't beat Canadian beer for taste. It's the price that sucks! 24bucks is still expensive compared to the price of beer here.

[iskigoe]

Inspires me to get to the gym. I have been missing the "Big Guns" my whole life. I think 10 inch arms is my max. Ahhh at least I can drink beer with the big boys and work on my gut.

[doomeddisciple]

Looking at those guns Tiger I think we should call you 10-7

[PD99]

The right to bear arms.......

Must admit, when I saw the pic I spied the blue beer box straight away and thought that 10-8 maybe should've included same in his "all you need" stock take.

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey 10-8,

That's a great garage gym you've got there! Neat. And I'm sure the beers aren't bad, either!



Joe Rein at a restaurant in Beverly Hills




Chris and Dafna at the Cuban restaurant




Jill Diamond with Pepper Roach



I just flew into Las Vegas last night from Los Angeles, where I'd been since 8:45 Thursday morning. I visited with an old college buddy, Chris, and his wife, Dafna; had a wonderful lunch with Joe Rein (who used to own www.fightworld.com, if my memory serves me correctly, and prior to that used to post here at the Message Board); and enjoyed touring around a bit. Among the special treats were a trip to the Pacific Design Center, drinking coffee with and going to Freddy Roach's gym with WBC Female Boxing Chair Jill Diamond (a fascinating and down to earth person), and visiting the spectacular John Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. I also got to sample three high end brands of tequilla with my friend, Chris, go to a Cuban restaurant with Chris and his wife, walk down Venice Beach and make a stop at In 'N' Out Burger with Chris!

And, unfortunately, en route to Las Vegas, I lost my laptop at LAX.

That was dumb. I had three bags and had to pull out my laptop from one of them and I guess I got distracted. Oops!

I've called the lost and found department and left a message. Chances are it's gone. I was very upset for about half an hour last night after I discovered at the hotel that it was missing. But, then I realized that it's not life and death. I can always replace a computer.

Anyways, thanks to Dr. Stoxen, I'm staying on the 30th floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. I'd originally booked a room at the Travel Lodge South Strip hotel, but I received a text message from the Doc telling me he had an extra bed and to cancel my reservation. What a view! And what digs! The bathroom has a marble floor with all the basic amenities. Phenomenal! Now, instead of grabbing a taxi to go to the Diaz-Pacquiao fight, I take an elevator downstairs, do a little walking indoors, and go to my seat. Woo-hoo!

Now, I'm catching up on a few things on a PC in the media center just outside the auditoreum where the fights will be held later on tonight. Well, I should run along.

Have a spectacular day,



Juan

[tedsares]

Gurnee, Illinois!!!!!!!!!!! Nobody except me know where Gurnee is. Where does 10-8 live? I don't want to piss him off at all. From now on, nothing but friendly posts. Christ, he is bigger than me.

[Juan C Ayllon]

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Blood streamed down the right side of his face from a one inch cut over his eye. Right hooks, straight lefts and uppercuts slammed into his head over and over. Still, he kept moving forward. As early as the fifth round, some people in the press corps were calling for them to halt the brutality. Yet, in the end, it took a smashing left hook to the jaw he didn't see coming to terminate the championship of World Boxing Council Lightweight Champion David Diaz in the ninth round.


His conqueror, highly-favored and rising 130 lb. champion Manny Pacquiao had won a title in his fourth weight division, but he had to earn it the hard way.


Former WBC Super Featherweight Champion Genaro Hernandez said, "That was a brutal beating! They should have stopped it a round before. When I fought Floyd Mayweather, Jr., he was Pound-for-Pound [King], but he didn't have [Pacquiao's] power. Imagine if he'd had his power?"



The crowd

The halls of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino bustled with energy as gamblers worked the tables and machines, sunburned lovers strolled in from the pool and grabbed a late lunch, and yet others made their way to the convention center to watch the fights.


No doubt, there were some who who were casually interested, as the young man in shorts, sandals and T-shirt en route to his room for a nap following his late night escapades who spied the media credentials on my lanyard and asked when the big fight started. Yet, for many, this fight had a polarizing effect: A huge contingency of Philippinos were rooting for their hero, Manny Pacquiao, while significant numbers of Latin fans rooted for Diaz.

[Juan C Ayllon]

Praise by to God! I got word that they've got my laptop earlier this evening and will make arrangements for them to Fedex the computer to my house. Very cool!

Anyways, I'm back now after catching up on some sleep from a very sleepless trip to Las Vegas and visiting with my mother for dinner.

I'm on my roommate's computer and don't seem to find any image processing software!

Tomorrow, I should have the rest of my report and photos posted.

Interesting note: After shooting some photos from the Diaz-Pacquiao undercard, I was told that I must immediately put my camera away, as cameras weren't allowed in the press section; there was another section in the stands for that.

So, Tom Barnes graciously sent me a photo to post up for the Diaz-Pacquiao fight. I'll have to see if I have to do something with the sizing and, if not, that should be up tonight. If not, I'll plan on posting it up tomorrow sometime at a library.

Cheers,


Juan

[Juan C Ayllon]

Here are some photos I shot last Friday with my cell phone camera when I visited the J. Paul Getty Art Museum. All I can say is that it was stunning!

[Juan C Ayllon]

Here's a photo I shot with my cell phone of boxing commentator Al Bernstein at Diaz-Pacquiao after they told me that I had to put my camera away. As you can see it, I was in a hurry, as I didn't want to get tossed from the press row for some infraction:



Al was a very nice person!

I'll post up other photos when I'm able to edit them with the proper software. Right now, I'm at a library and cannot access the photos I've saved onto a CD. Bummer! And they're too large to simply upload as they are.

Good news is my laptop should be here in a couple days! Woo-hoo!

--jca

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey,

Although I was unable to edit these photos, I uploaded them to my facebook account. I'll probably post some more in the next several days to that same place.

Link to Last Weekend's Photos at Facebook

There's some photos from the fights and the after party, as well as some others from my visit in California.

Enjoy and check back in the next several days,


Juan

[Phillyfan]

juan, found a great recipe for death by chocolate on youtube by that guy who figures out secret recipies of the big food chains.

make chocolate muffins. slice off a bit of the top so it stands on its head. cut a small hole in the bottom of the muffin (now the top since its standing on its head) scoop out with a spoon. fill with fudge. put in freezer. remove, microwave 30 seconds, add a scoop of chocoalte ice cream and coat with magic quick drying ice cream shell.

the video is better than my explanation.

[Juan C Ayllon]

Wow! Thanks, Phillyfan! Unfortunately, I need to lose some pounds, so I'll have to try that on a "cheat day."

How are things out your way?

Cheers,



Juan

[Juan C Ayllon]

Here's a photo I snapped of Andre Berto standing behind the press corps section at the Diaz-Pacquiao bout held at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas last Saturday. He seemed very pleasant.

[Phillyfan]

Wow! Thanks, Phillyfan! Unfortunately, I need to lose some pounds, so I'll have to try that on a "cheat day."

How are things out your way?

Cheers,



Juan

Things are going great Juan, no complaints, thanks for asking. can't believe its july allready. I've got a good source for fresh mint and have been working on the perfect mojito recipe. I'm also waiting for the tomatoes to ripen so i can start experimenting with salsa. I've been working on the perfect salsa recipe for a good 5 years now and i'm close, sooo close.

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey Phillyfan,

That's cool. Do share your results with the Mojito and salsa recipes when you get the chance.

I just got my laptop back via FedEx (it was supposed to arrive on Friday, but since it was a holiday, it didn't arrive until today) and now I'm catching up on emails and everthing related to the Internet.

Have a good one,


Juan

[10-8]

I just got my laptop back via FedEx (it was supposed to arrive on Friday, but since it was a holiday, it didn't arrive until today) and now I'm catching up on emails and everthing related to the Internet.

Juan, don't get me started on Fedex.

Last Thursday my good buddy Fedexed me two guitar pedals from his place of business and paid for a 2 day delivery (Anchorage Alaska to the Toronto area) . Since Saturday, myself and my 13 year old son (who plays also) have hung around the house waiting for the delivery but...... nothing.

Today my buddy made an inquiry and was told that the package was 'red flagged' meaning that they open small packages if they think a product has been sold without paying duty. Apparently this is only done to 1 in 100 packages. Now supposedly the package will be arriving tommorow morning.

I guess I shouldn't bitch since the pedals are free but I hope my buddy's company gets the re-imbursement for the extra 5 days it took to deliver them when a 2 day delivery was what was paid for.

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey 10-8,

Really! Come to think about it, I paid maybe $110 for that next day delivery. I should look into that.

By the way, here's a link to my coverage of today's presser for Adamek vs. Gomez on Friday.

Presser Coverage Link

I think that fight should be a lot of fun. And the undercard isn't too bad, either!

Perhaps it's a little over the top, but I couldn't help but be influenced by some recent reading of a book entitled, "A Fighter's Heart" by Sam Sheridan. I really enjoy his use of rich description.

Cheers,



Juan

[Juan C Ayllon]

Whew! What a week. It's been pretty hot here in Chicago and I've been getting out a bit wearing my summer outfit of shirt, shorts, and Birkenstocks.

I went down to the Chicago Boxing Club on Wednesday and visited with Sam Colonna, female boxer Kristen Gearhart, and David "The Weezel" Estrada (sic), who surprised me by showing up, as he usually trains at Garfield Park. He was just as surprised to see me there.

According to "Weezel," it turns out that his boxing trainer, Jorge Hernandez, is down in Florida training Buddy McGirt, Jr., as Buddy McGirt, Sr. is training someone else. Wow.

Anyways, David got a good sparring session in with Rudy Cisneros, a nice kid who participated in "The Contender" boxing reality show about two seasons ago.

Here's a link to some photos from the gym visit:

Link to photos from visit to the gym

Thursday night, I met up with a new friend, Kristy, whom I'd met at a Christian singles event last Saturday. She's cute, really sweet and loves writing (in fact, she really enjoyed several pieces I'd emailed her way and jokingly threatened to go over my stuff with a fine toothed comb). Imagine that. So, we grabbed a bite at a Middle Eastern place called the Pita Inn and talked for about three hours.

Then, last night, she had me join some of her friends from church for a birthday party at "Cheeseburger in Paradise," a Jimmy Buffet-owned chain restaurant, this one in Downers Grove, Illinois. She's got some really wonderful friends. It was fun, but a little painful, as I'm back on a weight loss program and had to turn away fries, rice, beer, and a very delicious-looking cake. Sigh. Anyways, it'll be fun getting to know her better!

Now, today, I've got to put a title on a press release, send it out and get ready to see my buddy, Scott, play in a band at 3 PM. Something tells me I'll be running late. Again, imagine that...

Cheers,



Juan


P.S.--I meant to add more photos to this report, but got carried away with other things this week. If you missed it, here's my report on the Adamek fight a week ago Friday:

Link to Adamek Fight Report

--jca

[10-8]

Hey 10-8,

Really! Come to think about it, I paid maybe $110 for that next day delivery. I should look into that.

Hey Juan, I'm feeling a little sheepish for ragging on Fedex. While my buddy had told me he was sending me two used foot pedals, he had in fact sent me a $2500 guitar as a surprise birthday gift. Made the waiting very much worth it as I've hardly put the thing down in the last week.

In any event, my hats off to you for turning down the food, you're a better man than me. Every summer I hit the weights harder than ever, and keep very active swimming, bike riding, roller blading etc....but expecting me to turn away great food during the summer with all the parties, BBQ's etc, cold beer on a hot day etc...forget about it. We have friends coming over tonight and the beer is getting nice and frosty in the fridge as we speak.

BTW, good luck with the new lady friend as well...

[Juan C Ayllon]

Thanks, Bill, AKA 10-8! That's very cool on receiving that very nice and pricey guitar! Wow.

And thanks for the well-wishes. That's cool.

By the way, I'm hoping to get a little oil painting done this week, as I've been stalling on that so far this summer. I don't know why.

Anyways, enjoy the day,



Juan

[Juan C Ayllon]

By the way, I thought you might enjoy some photos I posted up along with a press release sent to me on Cedrick Agnew, an exciting light heavyweight appearing on the undercard of the Tavoris Cloud fight on August 8th. Check it out:


Link to Press Release on Agnew

Cheers,



Juan

[Juan C Ayllon]

Francisco Rodriguez (left) lands the left in an exchange with Alejandro Becerra (that's me in the bottom left corner of the photo)

My latest report is now in the process of going up and I'll have to say that Kristy did a great job shooting photos!



Kristy before the fights got going

Here's a link to my latest boxing report, with more story and photos to go up Sunday and Monday:

Link to Report on Francisco Rodriguez

Anyways, I've got to run! Have a super day,



Juan