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01/14/2004 Archived Entry: "In The Gym With Francisco Bojado"
In The Gym With Francisco Bojado
By Rick Farris
BABYFACE ASSASSIN, INC. is the finely tuned management machine guiding the career of budding superstar Francisco "Panchito" Bojado.Yesterday, I had the opportunity of watching Bojado and his team in action, and to say the least, I was very impressed.
It all started about 5pm. when I met my pal Matt Butkus in Marina Del Rey. Butkus (a former USC football standout, and son of NFL Hall-of-Famer Dick Butkus) is one of several key players involved with BABYFACE ASSASSIN INC. in charge of Public Relations.During the next ninety minutes, Butkus and I weaved our way in-and-out of Los Angeles traffic en route to Bojado's training quarters, located in the boxing gym on the top floor of the old Lincoln Heights Jail, just north-east of downtown L.A.
On January 24th, Bojado will make his HBO debut when he faces Ghana's Emmanuel Clottey on a card that will also feature Arturo Gatty. Last year Clottey, if you don't recall upset then undefeated prospect, Muhammad Adboulaev.
Originally, Bojado was scheduled to fight former World Champ Jesse James Leija, however, a rib injury in training forced Leija to pull out of the bout.
As Matt and I pulled into the parking lot of the old Lincoln Heights Jail, a lot of memories came to mind. I was very familiar with the gym upstairs, which had been opened more than three decades ago by my manager Johnny Flores. On many occasions I'd traded blows with other pros in the rings upstairs, however, today my job would be far less painful, not to mention a lot of fun.
When Matt and I entered the busy gym we walked immediatly to Bojado's dressing room, which was once a jail cell. Inside the room, Bojado sat on a stool while cutman Joe Chavez meticulously wrapped the young fighter's hands. Bojado's attention was focused on the words of the guy sitting across from him on the bench, his trainer, Floyd Mayweater Sr.
Matt introduced me to the group and Chavez began to smile. "I remember you," he sdai to me. "You were Johnny Flores' fighter. You were just a kid then". I remembered Chavez well, from his days working with fighters in Los Angeles, managing East L.A.'s Ressurection Gym.
A moment later, two more members of Bojado's team showed up, his physical conditioner Rob Garcia, and Fred Sainz. Sainz is Vice President of BABYFACE ASSASIN INC. and is in charge Panchito's web site (www.francisobojado.com).
Two other key figures with BABYFACE ASSASSIN INC., Frank & Rich Acosta weren't present at the workout, but I'll have an opportunity to speak with them in due course.
There was a slight concern over the replacement of Leija with Emmauel Clottey. Clottey was a totally different opponent than that of Leija, not only in style, but in height. However, Team Bojado had their bases covered with a sparring partner whose height was more in line with that of Clottey.
After Panchito's hands were taped we made our way to the gym floor. I couldn't help but poke my head into the gym office as I passed by. The office once belonged to my first teacher, Johnny Flores, and a photo of the late L.A. Boxing Icon was hanging on the wall.
Rob Garcia went to work immediatly on Bojado, helping the boxer stretch out and warm up, as Mayweather watched carefully. After the warm up session, Bojado would spar seven rounds with a couple of sparring partners that may one day be headliners in their own right, Make Alvarado and Manuel Perez. Alvarado and Perez were brought to L.A. from Denver to help Bojado prepare for the 24th.
Watching from ringside was Bojado's father, Adrian. Adrian Bojado and Joe Chavez tied a pair of 16 oz. training gloves on the hands of Panchito and a few moments later seven rounds of fireworks went off as Bojado out-boxed, out-punched and completely out fought two of the gamest sparring partners I'd seen work in many a year.
As Mayweather coached Bojado from ringside, Butkus kept time with a stop watch.
You know, as great as boxing is in the arena, it's nothing like it is in the gym, especially when you're watching a guy like Bojado. Franciso's blows were fast and deadly, slamming into the bodies of Alvarado and Perez with a thud. His combinations were well placed and perfectly timed, by the 24th, everything would fall into place, and quite likely, Emmanuel Clottey will be falling to the canvas in short order.
After the sparring session I would get a real treat watching Mayweather, arguably the best trainer in boxing today, work the focus pads with Bojado. I've trained a lot of boxers myself, and have seen many a world champ work the pads with some great trainers, but I hadn't seen nothing like this. The way Bojado and Mayweather work the pads is like art.
After the workout, I visited with Chavez, sharing a few old memories from the past, then Matt and I gave Mayweather a ride back to his temporary L.A. residence at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
This was just another day-in-the-life of Team Bojado, preparing to climb yet another step up the ladder to boxing greatness.
Yes, BABYFACE ASSASSIN INC. is lucky to have a brilliant young boxer like Franciso Bojado, however, let there be no doubt that Panchito is equally lucky to have the team that's dedicated itself to helping him become one of boxing's next superstars.
In the days to come, the CBZ will follow the young Bojado. We will have have some fun with this guy, he's exciting, he's what the best of professional boxing is all about. Stay tuned...
Replies: 2 Comments on this article
Hey Rick,
Good job! I enjoyed reading this piece.
Talk soon, bud!
Juan C. Ayllon
Posted by juancayllon@yahoo.com">Juan C. Ayllon @ 01/17/2004 05:01 PM EST
What is amazing is that so many people hang of the earnings of one boxer. Boxing is a one on one sport, yet it seems that at least 4 or 5 hangers on are needed to perpetrate violence on another boxer. As most fights up to about number 20 are most often bad miss matches and out and out set ups, the question should be asked::: WHY???How many paypackets does the undoubtedly talented Mr. BOJADO have to sign every week in order to achive this seemingly easy task? How much will he have left after the fighting is over. He will be the one with diminished faculties, broken health and damaged brain. The guys currently leaching of him will undoubtedly have moved on to another meal ticket. I doubt that one of this so-called 'DEDICATED TEAM' will be around when BOJADO becomes the test for the new stars and will be on the receiveing end towards the end of his career. One of the saddest things about boxing is the inevitability of this progression and the avoidable damage the individual absorbs, because it's all the boxer knows how to do, and he is always the last person to know when to stop.All the hangers on from the early and glorious part of his career will all make a hasty exit when the losses mount up.
Posted by Hans Harms @ 01/15/2004 01:02 AM EST
