Jolene Blackshear: You’ve come a long way…

(NOV 18) This last weekend I had the pleasure of spending quality time with Two-Time World Champion Jolene Blackshear—–all of 5 feet tall—-and if it is the “right” doctor she has a documented 5′ 1/4″ record.    Blackshear said, “I like that doctor!”

I find it very interesting that I can spend massive amounts of time on the net to find out what is going on with the female boxers, and most the time I get it right and stories then go up on WBAN.

But, there is NOTHING to compare with spending a day, in person, with a boxer, as I had that opportunity to do so on Saturday, when Jolene Blackshear came to Ontario, California, to attend the Andre Ward vs. Delvin Rodriguez fight. Spending time with this pint-size Two-Time World champ proved beyond any doubt that “size” means nothing in the world of “Blackshear.”

What was so incredible was seeing the “person”, behind the gloves.

Sharing stories that were for some publications—and other stories that were not!

Let’s just put it this way—do NOT EVER try to steal Blackshear’s cell phone, as one unfortunate male teen found out recently at a high school track.  AND—don’t EVER let her catch you bullying someone!

Blackshear reflected on one of her stories:  “A few years ago I saw some punk a… teenagers bullying another kid out in the alley. So I ran over and intervened by reprimanding them, and asked how they liked being picked on…AFTER I picked one of them up and threw him in the dumpster.”

Yep…no stealing from Blackshear, and no bullying!

Another nice thing about seeing boxers in person is we really talk one on one about the sport. I find out about some of the real problems that plague the sport in a firsthand conversation.

Now…going back in time for a moment…

The very first time I met Blackshear was in February of 2000, in Kenner, Louisiana, where she was fighting Margaret Sidoroff on a televised card on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights. I was standing in a line at the hotel where she and her then manager/trainer Herb Cody was also waiting to check in.

I had only been covering the sport, just short of two years or so at the time, and I believe this was the third card for me to actually be present at an event.

One of my most vivid memories, was how Blackshear and Cody made me feel —so comfortable, so accessible to them when I had questions.

So what does one see in a boxer when you spend quality time with them, in contrast to Facebook, the Internet, and Internet stories and press releases?

I will tell you.  You find out about the person—-Their dreams, their struggles, their past, who they really are, their humor, and what their focus is, inside the sport and what they want to do outside the sport.

On the boxing side of things….potential fights that Blackshear could see herself in:  Yesica Bopp,  and Ibeth Zamora just to name a couple.

One of the most endearing moments I shared with Blackshear was looking at old photos  on her phone when she was a teen, and old fight photos of past fights, photos I had never seen and more…

All I can say to Blackshear…is that you have come a long, long way since those past photos of when you were a mere teen!

But lastly—–seeing how Blackshear interacted with another six-time world champion, Layla McCarter where the two had met for the first time this weekend.

I do not think I had more fun than being with these two boxers— Blackshear and McCarter.

We laughed, shared stories, talked about the sport, fights they wanted to be in, networking about things that need to take place in the sport…

This was truly a very unique experience that I will always remember and treasure.   Seeing the boxers in person, OFF the net–as they say, when something is indescribable:   “Priceless.”

Stay tune for my story on meeting up with Layla McCarter.