Page 10 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 123

10 Issue #123 April 2023
Continued from page 8
Jorge stated, “I learned more about
coaching and training fighters in one
day with Emanuel Stewart than I did
from all of the NCCP courses that I
had taken. Jesse Reid was another
one, he had trained fourteen world
champions, and I got to spend a
significant amount of time with him
and he shared a lot with me. Jesse
lives in California and in 2017, when
Ronnie Robideaux and Larry Fryers
had turned pro and fought in Palm
Springs, Jesse came to the fight, and
we all went out to eat afterward.”
Tony Graziano, a Canastota native,
former boxer and trainer, also gave
Jorge a lot of information. Upstate
New York’s rich boxing history
started with the construction of the
Erie Canal in the 1820’s when the
Irish and Italian workers brought bare
knuckle boxing matches to the area.
Many of those workers remained
following the completion of the canal,
www.sportsenergynews.com
and the triangle formed between the ‘40’s and Mike Tyson in the ‘80’s, fundraising had gone back into the
Buffalo, Albany, and New York City saying that Sugar Ray Robinson was club for equipment and competition.
has since produced many champions the best that he had ever seen.” “Boxing has always been a labour of
and countless contenders. Canastota, By 2001 Jorge had committed to love for me,” Jorge stated, “I never
a small town of about five thousand three nights per week at Paradise made money - it cost money. I was
residents, is the epicenter of boxing and the fighters were having very fortunate to have a great wife
in Upstate NY, it is home to the success at tournaments. The club who had a complete understanding of
International Boxing Hall of Fame and was named Champs, a shortened the time commitment required. With
has produced two world champions - version of Paradise Fitness owner the exception of the few times that she
Carman Basilio in the 1950’s and Billy Dan Champagne’s last name. They got to the Mastercard bill first, Maria
Backus in the 70’s. Tony Graziano had a full aerobic room at Paradise, was completely understanding and
had managed both of them. “I had met and it became increasingly difficult supportive.”
Tony during the HOF weekend when I to secure the time slots needed to During the first few years, Tony
first went,” Jorge recalled, “He owned run a successful competitive boxing Luis and Joey Bowman were the
a restaurant/bar with a motel behind program. Former Cornwall mayor flagships of Champs Eastside, both
called Graziano’s, just down and Ron Martell was in Jorge’s barbershop building up impressive records at
across the street from the Hall of Fame and was talking boxing, having read club shows. The first time that fighters
building. When I started taking kids to about Champs fighters in the paper. represented Champs at the Provincials
fight in the Golden Gloves tournament “I explained to Ron that we may not Jorge was asked, “Where the hell is
at the Turning Stone Casino, we be operating much longer and asked Cornwall?” I didn’t take long for the
would always stay at Tony’s motel. I if the city would have anything provincial and national level boxers
would go into the lobby at night and available. Ron said, “Let me see what to realize that being matched against
Tony would put a pot of coffee on I can do,” and later that day I got two a Cornwall opponent meant a tough
and we would talk boxing for hours. phone calls from the city. We got the fight, with Jorge saying that, “Thanks
Tony had seen every world champion ball rolling, took it to city council, to Joey, Tony, and Matt Veenstra, we
in each weight class fight live in the
forty-year period between Joe Luis in they voted unanimously in favour, gained a reputation.” Attending the
and we have been at 223 Jarvis St., Ontario Championship’s for the first
ever since. I purchased all of the time in 2001, Champs Eastside has
bags, pads, and equipment out of my since produced numerous Provincial
own pocket from Dan and moved and National Champions. Tony Luis
it over in the summer of 2001.” The is a seven-time Ontario Champ and he
club kept the name Champs, adding medaled five times at the Nationals.
the Eastside part with the move. Joe Bowman is a five-time Provincial
“We were now located in the east Champion and a two-time Canadian
end of the city, and we were also the Jr Champion. Phil Hoftyzer from
eastern most boxing club in Ontario”. Morrisburg was an Ontario men’s
It took a full year to get the gym set novice (ten fights or less) champion.
up, but the kids trained throughout, Phil had about thirty-five amateur
went to tournaments, and continued bouts, one of them being an knockout
to improve. The club numbers were victory over Tim Cronin, who went
still small, and revenue didn’t cover on to a successful professional
the cost of traveling to tournaments, career winning the Canadian Light-
with Jorge saying that, “I remember heavyweight title. Bob Miller,
making sure many times that I got the Plattsburg NY Promoter who
the Mastercard bill before Maria promoted twelve of Mike Tysons
(Jorge’s wife) saw it, so she wouldn’t first fifteen fights in Upstate NY, was
know how much I was actually the organizer of the New York State
spending, the first five or six years I Golden Gloves Tournament. “Bob
had to subsidize the club myself.” The allowed Canadians to fight in the
vision that Jorge had was to operate regionals, but if they won, they were
a boxing gym where the rates were not allowed to advance to the state
affordable, with the gloves, headgear, finals,” Jorge said, “Both Tony and
and equipment being provided by Matt Veenstra won Eastern NY State
Champs. Every dollar generated from
membership dues, donations, and Continued on page 15