Rocky Balboa

Do you remember the scene in the beginning Rocky III when the old Italian Stallion is walking through this dingy gym with Apollo Creed? There were plenty of other fighters (who, eh, look just like Creed) and they were all staring at Rocky and his caucasian goofiness.

Well that was me yesterday. But instead of a gross spit bucket near the boxing ring, there were chickens walking around near the doorway.

Thus far, it was my favorite day being a sports reporter on the island.


Meet Julian "The Hawk" Jackson, a three-time world boxing champion. He's in the orange shirt. He's surrounded by his two sons, Julius and John, each of whom competed in the 2008 Olympics for the USVI and are now professional fighters. The guy all the way to the left is Samuel Rogers, another local pro and the big guy in the white is Clayton Laurent, an emerging amateur, who is aiming for the 2012 Games.

The guy in the very back in a sweaty gray T-shirt is some random trainer. As I was leaving, he asked me for a ride to McDonalds.


So I was there to do a story on Julius (red shirt) because he is going to make his professional international debut this Friday in the Dominican Republic.

The kid couldn't have been more polite, genuine and well-spoken. As a writer, when you get to do feature profiles on people like him, your job is so much easier.

My paper won't spring for me to cover him in the D.R. but last night, over some beers, I asked our newspaper's publisher if I could go cover the World Cup in South Africa this summer. He thinks I was joking but he was sorely mistaken.

Anyway, I may actually watch his fight on TV. It's going to be aired live Friday on ESPN Deportes. At least that's what his crazy boxing promoter just texted me. But those guys are full of shit half the time.

There I go. Starting to ramble a little bit...

Before I get loopy, let me just leave you with this.