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07/07/2005 Entry: "New England Chatta"
New England Chatta
By J. D. Vena
Obiwan Kenobi: That boy was our last hope.
Yoda: No. There is another.
Even casual Star Wars fans know the story of the famous movie series. Anakin Skywalker trains to become a jedi, turns to the dark side and then his son Luke inspires him back and the two conquer the evil empire. In the boxing world, the saga of the Eklund family of Lowell, MA could be looked upon in the same respect. The high hopes of Dicky Eklund who showed significant promise in his gritty duel with Sugar Ray Leonard in 1977, gave local observers the idea that he could one day be looked at in the same regard as such local contemporaries as Marvin Hagler.
Sadly, it didn’t happen. Drugs overcame Dicky and it wasn’t until his younger brother Micky Ward came along in his inspiring comeback in 1996, that we found the true boxing genius of Eklund as his trainer and the encouragement derived from their companionship. After Dicky left drugs for a 10-cound, he and Micky forged a strict regimen that helped Micky make the absolute most of his talents and sheer cunning. And though he didn’t leave the ring on a winning note, when he surrendered a close decision loss to Arturo Gatti to culminate their memorable trilogy, it was easy to see the success of Micky and Dicky’s efforts as a success story. After all, during Ward’s comeback in his mid to late 30’s, a time when most fighters are winding down, the Pride of Lowell went on to earn millions of dollars and the respect that is rarely bestowed on today’s boxers. That's what I got out of the Eklund/Ward saga anyway.
But in the Star Wars episodes, we don’t learn what happens afterward the Empire dies unless we were really geeky and bought some imitation science fiction novels. In the Eklund saga, we get to see a little more. Tomorrow night, 21-year Sean Eklund, the son of Dicky and Micky’s sister Alice, will carry the proverbial torch back into the squared circle when he debuts at the Hampton Beach Casino, in Hampton Beach, NH. Sean, a lightweight and a relatively decorated amateur is putting away the headgear to follow in the footsteps of his uncles as a professional lightweight.
“Getting into boxing was not forced on me at all,” admits Sean. “It’s grown on me more and more through the years. My family has always supported me and pushed me but this is something that I love. They know what it takes because they’ve been around the sport for so long, but I have cousins that don’t box. This is something that I want to do 100%.”
The limits of giving 100% as they say is something that Micky and Dicky are truly familiar with. In fact, if you’ve seen the way they’ve worked out or trained other boxers at the World Gym in Tewksbury, you may agree with the whole 110% concept that people like to reference. Sometimes, this effort was what made you question the boundaries of human will. In Micky’s battles, it was easy to catch yourself shaking your head in disbelief at Ward’s capacity for absorbing punishment, overcoming fatigue and the overall ferocity of the sport, but Sean knows that boxing isn’t all about violence.
“Boxing is violent but it’s also a science and that’s one of the things I like about it. I’ve learned a lot from (Dicky and Micky), especially a lot of the little things. It’s a big advantage to have been around them for so long, especially in the camps. Sometimes you can learn more outside the ring. One thing I’ve learned is that putting in the extra work always pays off.
Tomorrow night Eklund’s opponent will be a familiar one, incidentally, one that has been sparring with him during his preparation for finding an opponent. He’ll take on Joey “Alpha Omega” Ortega of Haverhill, MA, who despite owning a record of 1-7, was last seen three weeks ago nearly knocking out 3-1 Boston prospect Mike Bernal on a recent New England Ringside card at the IBEW Hall in Dorchester.
“Everyone likes to look good,” said Sean. “But the most important thing for me tomorrow night is getting the win. If it’s a 1st round knockout win or if it goes 4 rounds, I just want to fight hard and win. That’s what you really train for.”
And that’s what the fans will expect when the next of the fighting Eklunds continues their proud family tradition.
Eklund-Ortega will likely be the swing bout of S & L Boxing’s ESPN2 Friday Night Fights headliner which pits New Bedford’s “Sucra” Ray Oliveira against hardened veteran Emanuel Augustus. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that this fight will keep the crowd on its feet for most of each three minute round. Oliveira, 47-10-2 with 22 KO’s, the record setting puncher who was stopped for the very first time in his last effort by newly crowned jr. welterweight champion Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton, faces one of boxing’s most hardened journeymen in Augustus. Despite his 30-24 record, Augustus is still very capable of beating some of today’s top boxers and with Oliveira slipping over the past four years, it’s not too difficult to see Augustus outhustling and outslicking the longtime top contender Oliveira. Besides, who can forget the last time Augustus fought at the Hampton Beach Casino losing to Ward in one of the all-time classics? I doubt anyone with a decent memory, Even though it’s impossible to imagine a bout topping or coming close to the Corrales-Castillo war in May, Oliveira-Augustus is a fight you cannot miss.
Promoter Sal Lonano, who usually does one pro show a year at the fan friendly Casino Ballroom has put on another great supporting act of local interest. In the co-feature, unbeaten Portland, ME contender Jason “The Hammer” LeHoullier (16-0, 8 KO’s) faces his sternest test to date in Jose “Stinger” Medina of Tilton, NH. In fact, if there is one upset tomorrow night, I think it happens in this one. Medina’s only loss in his last six bouts was to Connecticut’s Elvin Ayala (11-0), a promising natural middleweight. Medina also avenged an earlier defeat to Brock Stodden and is now a respectable 8-4. Fighting at jr. middleweight should make him a stronger boxer and his punching power, which was put on fearsome display in his last bout with James Shedrick in Dorchester suggests to your writer that he will have enough to get by LeHoullier in tomorrow night - and yes, it will be a slugfest.
For ticket information, phone the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom at 603-929-4100.
An USA/ ABF boxing show to benefit the burial costs for slain Windsor, CT boxer, Greg “The Styler” Cutler will take place July 23rd at the Windson Community Center, located at 340 Windsor Avenue. The show is being organized by former contender “Iceman” John Scully from East Windsor and Lou Mayo of the Ring 159 Boxing Gym. For ticket information call 860-221-5987.
