Sunday, January 16, 2011
BY STEVE JANOSKI
Most early mornings start the same for Mike DeLade Jr. since he began boxing: a 5 a.m. rising followed by a 45-minute run that takes him through the streets of Pequannock before most of the people have stirred from slumber.
The Benjamin Place resident then works during the day doing construction and contracting work before driving down to Whippany's Final Round Boxing gym.
There, DeLade finishes off his day by lacing on the gloves and lighting up the bags in somber preparation for February's NJ Golden Gloves tournament, which has pitted the best amateur fighters against each other every year since 1923.
It's been a long road to the boxing gym for the 23-year-old DeLade, who graduated from Pequannock Township High School in 2005 and has worked a variety of blue-collar jobs since, ranging from air conditioning and heating, to masonry and snow plowing.
The grind of the blue-collar world led to boredom and sometimes trouble for DeLade, who's had a few "scuffles" on a few nights that didn't end early enough.
"I had always wanted to fight, but I always seemed to like fighting in bars more," he said with a laugh.
He began playing flag football to break the monotony, but that wasn't enough, and one sport continued to draw him in: boxing.
"My uncles always liked watching boxing, and after watching the fights, I wanted to learn the art of it," he said, noting that a cousin of his had also been a Golden Gloves fighter.
Although he didn't necessarily receive support from his mother ("She said, 'I don't want your face to get busted up.'") or his friends ("They said, 'People train their whole lives for that tournament.'"), he pushed on and eventually found a home at Final Round Boxing.
"I told them that even if I don't (win), at least I can say that I tried," he said. "And my father is psyched about it too. He thinks I could do good in there."
So, for the past two months, DeLade has been training under the watchful eye of Final Round's boxing coach, former heavyweight fighter Lou Esa of Wayne.
"When I joined, Lou asked if I wanted to fight amateur or not, so we did a couple sessions to see if I was good enough," DeLade said.
After those sessions, Esa agreed to train him for the tournament.
"He said I hit hard and that all the other things will come together," he said.
Esa, 59, is a giant of a man with bear paws for hands who once fought on Muhammad Ali's undercards during his pro career. He's not one to mince words, but said that the kid's getting better, and quickly.
"He's used to street fighting and all, so he's not afraid to get hit, but when I get him sparring more I'll be able to better judge (his ability)," Esa said. "But the way things are going now, I think he'll breeze right through the (Golden) Gloves."
Esa joked that DeLade still has the "white man's disease"— a term he coined for having little rhythm and slow feet (similar to "Rocky").
However, one thing the 6-foot-1, 225-pound DeLade has that makes Esa grin is a big right hand that he thinks could devastate opponents.
"That right hand," Esa said, "is going to put somebody on Queer Street if he hits 'em with it."
On top of his natural power, DeLade has exhibited a ceaseless work ethic that Esa admires.
"He goes right into his workout, he doesn't play, and that impresses the hell out of me," he said. "He wants this so bad."
DeLade said that he can't wait to get in the ring for what would be his first amateur fights when the Golden Gloves tournament starts in the first week of February.
"(Boxing) isn't a team thing. I played football my whole life, but this, the whole weight is on you. It's between you and the other fighter," he said. "It's 'Let's see what you got, let's see how much you want it.'"
An hour's worth of running every morning, and later on, after laboring all day, it's another hour or two of training a variety of skill work, from shadowboxing and jumping rope to speed and heavy bag work, all with one goal: to be able to hurt another man so badly that he can't continue fighting.
At the start, it can be discouraging as fighters engage muscles they've never used before and find out that it's not as easy as it looks.
"It's pretty hard, especially in the beginning," DeLade said. "The first time I hit a speed bag, I thought, 'I'm never gonna be able to get this.'
"It takes a while, and you've got to do little things like shadowbox at home in front of a mirror, and when you're getting tired, you have to go right through it," he said.
The practice, however, is paying off in a big way.
"The other day he hit the bag with a 1-2-1-2," said Esa, "And that thing went flying… The whole gym noticed. I told (DeLade) that that's what I want. He's been doing fantastic."
Coincidentally, working the heavy bag happens to be DeLade's favorite hobby.
"I get some frustration out, and if you do the right combo or hit it right, you can tell right away," he said.
The close relationship between trainer and fighter is already beginning to form even though they haven't been working together long, and DeLade trusts Esa's every word.
"He knows everything about boxing and he tells it how it is. He doesn't sugarcoat things," DeLade said. "Whatever Lou says, I do."
With the tournament looming ever closer, the training becomes more and more crucial for what will be the first test of DeLade's skills in the squared circle.
"I think my chances are really good since I'm training hard, and I'm really serious about it… (Winning) it would probably be the biggest accomplishment of my life," he said. "I've got the conditioning and I've got the confidence. I can't wait."
E-mail: janoski@northjersey.com
The Benjamin Place resident then works during the day doing construction and contracting work before driving down to Whippany's Final Round Boxing gym.
There, DeLade finishes off his day by lacing on the gloves and lighting up the bags in somber preparation for February's NJ Golden Gloves tournament, which has pitted the best amateur fighters against each other every year since 1923.
It's been a long road to the boxing gym for the 23-year-old DeLade, who graduated from Pequannock Township High School in 2005 and has worked a variety of blue-collar jobs since, ranging from air conditioning and heating, to masonry and snow plowing.
The grind of the blue-collar world led to boredom and sometimes trouble for DeLade, who's had a few "scuffles" on a few nights that didn't end early enough.
"I had always wanted to fight, but I always seemed to like fighting in bars more," he said with a laugh.
He began playing flag football to break the monotony, but that wasn't enough, and one sport continued to draw him in: boxing.
"My uncles always liked watching boxing, and after watching the fights, I wanted to learn the art of it," he said, noting that a cousin of his had also been a Golden Gloves fighter.
Although he didn't necessarily receive support from his mother ("She said, 'I don't want your face to get busted up.'") or his friends ("They said, 'People train their whole lives for that tournament.'"), he pushed on and eventually found a home at Final Round Boxing.
"I told them that even if I don't (win), at least I can say that I tried," he said. "And my father is psyched about it too. He thinks I could do good in there."
So, for the past two months, DeLade has been training under the watchful eye of Final Round's boxing coach, former heavyweight fighter Lou Esa of Wayne.
"When I joined, Lou asked if I wanted to fight amateur or not, so we did a couple sessions to see if I was good enough," DeLade said.
After those sessions, Esa agreed to train him for the tournament.
"He said I hit hard and that all the other things will come together," he said.
Esa, 59, is a giant of a man with bear paws for hands who once fought on Muhammad Ali's undercards during his pro career. He's not one to mince words, but said that the kid's getting better, and quickly.
"He's used to street fighting and all, so he's not afraid to get hit, but when I get him sparring more I'll be able to better judge (his ability)," Esa said. "But the way things are going now, I think he'll breeze right through the (Golden) Gloves."
Esa joked that DeLade still has the "white man's disease"— a term he coined for having little rhythm and slow feet (similar to "Rocky").
However, one thing the 6-foot-1, 225-pound DeLade has that makes Esa grin is a big right hand that he thinks could devastate opponents.
"That right hand," Esa said, "is going to put somebody on Queer Street if he hits 'em with it."
On top of his natural power, DeLade has exhibited a ceaseless work ethic that Esa admires.
"He goes right into his workout, he doesn't play, and that impresses the hell out of me," he said. "He wants this so bad."
DeLade said that he can't wait to get in the ring for what would be his first amateur fights when the Golden Gloves tournament starts in the first week of February.
"(Boxing) isn't a team thing. I played football my whole life, but this, the whole weight is on you. It's between you and the other fighter," he said. "It's 'Let's see what you got, let's see how much you want it.'"
Grueling workouts… daily
Those who have boxed might attest to the punishing nature of the sport's training.An hour's worth of running every morning, and later on, after laboring all day, it's another hour or two of training a variety of skill work, from shadowboxing and jumping rope to speed and heavy bag work, all with one goal: to be able to hurt another man so badly that he can't continue fighting.
At the start, it can be discouraging as fighters engage muscles they've never used before and find out that it's not as easy as it looks.
"It's pretty hard, especially in the beginning," DeLade said. "The first time I hit a speed bag, I thought, 'I'm never gonna be able to get this.'
"It takes a while, and you've got to do little things like shadowbox at home in front of a mirror, and when you're getting tired, you have to go right through it," he said.
The practice, however, is paying off in a big way.
"The other day he hit the bag with a 1-2-1-2," said Esa, "And that thing went flying… The whole gym noticed. I told (DeLade) that that's what I want. He's been doing fantastic."
Coincidentally, working the heavy bag happens to be DeLade's favorite hobby.
"I get some frustration out, and if you do the right combo or hit it right, you can tell right away," he said.
The close relationship between trainer and fighter is already beginning to form even though they haven't been working together long, and DeLade trusts Esa's every word.
"He knows everything about boxing and he tells it how it is. He doesn't sugarcoat things," DeLade said. "Whatever Lou says, I do."
With the tournament looming ever closer, the training becomes more and more crucial for what will be the first test of DeLade's skills in the squared circle.
"I think my chances are really good since I'm training hard, and I'm really serious about it… (Winning) it would probably be the biggest accomplishment of my life," he said. "I've got the conditioning and I've got the confidence. I can't wait."
E-mail: janoski@northjersey.com
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