Joe Torry brings open-air boxing to Downtown
By Glenn McBrady
For the St. Louis American
This past Sunday afternoon, as the mercury climbed mercilessly and neighborhoods hummed with the sound of overworked air conditioners, local amateur boxers shook off the blanket of humidity draped over their shoulders and performed for the crowd at Joe Torry’s “Family Day in the Park” across from City Hall.
The heat was stifling as I abandoned my car and headed west through the heavy air searching for the ring and soaking up the sights and sounds of the event.
Go-carts zipped around an oval track in front of the columns of the Soldier’s Memorial Building. At a pavilion nearby, smoke belched from stacks atop two giant barbeque pits as racks of slabs sizzled inside their massive metal bellies. The dense smell of burning charcoal was tempered by gallons of sweet sauce resting in rows of deep foil trays.
A gleaming fire truck sat alone on a closed-off block, and a fire hose was showering relief on a quartet of children as others jumped off the curb into a deep puddle and called out to their friends to join them.
Fifty yards from my destination, two youngsters were armed with jumbo boxing gloves inside an air trampoline, and a pair of girls shouted encouragement as the boys struggled to push the clumsy gloves forward and knock each other off balance.
The ring was set up across the street from the Missouri Pacific Building, but the towering structure provided no shade from the relentless hazy sunlight as the action inside the ropes got under way.
Preston Freeman continued his amateur campaign with another excellent performance in the 75 lb. weight class. His right cross was his best friend, and he found a home for it early and often on his way to a decision win.
Former junior welterweight world champion Terron Millett was in his nephew Marvin’s corner as the nine-year-old made his amateur debut. Marvin was a head shorter than his opponent, but he pressed forward and landed several straight rights and hooks, anchored by his solid foundation. His hard-nosed effort earned him the judges’ decision.
Midway through the card, City Rec Boxing Director Debra Craig took the wireless mic and provided some background on the following bout between Dyenecha Robinson and Neavechie Patterson. Craig explained that the young ladies were from the same gym and had trouble finding opponents because of the lack of females in the city’s boxing program. She then issued an invitation to the girls in attendance to give the sport a try.
Dyenecha Robinson wowed the crowd with imposing strength and flawless form, and hopefully she will find a willing adversary in future tournaments.
The crowd around the ring grew gradually as more fairgoers drifted over to watch the fighters in the bigger divisions. The fight of the day was a give-and-take battle between Ricky Lane and Lawrence Hughes at 141 lbs. A cluster of Lane’s fans danced in the creaky metal stands as the two traded stiff shots from the opening bell, with each clean combination drawing a reaction from the assembly.
The pace slowed a bit in round two, but Lane managed to draw blood from his opponent’s nose with a strafing right cross. Fatigue had both boxers picking their spots in the third, but a punishing body attack by Hughes led to a standing eight-count. Lane returned the favor with a series of left hooks upstairs punctuated with a straight right to score an eight-count delay of his own.
Lane relied heavily on his jab in the fourth and final round to carry him to shore, and despite absorbing a stern left hook and taking another standing eight in the frame, he finished strong and scored a decision victory.
The crowd that braved the weather was rewarded with some great action, and hopefully some new fans will follow the fighters indoors for future City Rec tournaments and events.
