May 7, 2009 Rochester, New York

Ruslan Khayrtdinov (2-0-0) who came from Moscow to train with me two months ago, defeated a local fighter, Dwayne Hardaway (0-0-1) in his American debut.

Congratulations!!!

Luke Campbell becomes 2008 European Champion!

May, 2008

If you come to a new country with the ambition of becoming a world level professional boxing coach competing with coaches who are originally from here, you have to always be in good shape. You have no time to be sick, especially in America where medical insurance is so expensive...

On May 25th, I finished my annual 10 days of fasting.

Congratulations !!!  Luke Campbell 2008 boxing Champion of England !!!

April 13, 2008, New York

On April 13, 2008, I went to LaGuardia Airport to get my new student, Billy Dawson, who just flew in from England. Both his father and grandfather were boxers.

The day after I got back from the Men’s Nationals in Colorado Springs, I unexpectedly met this determined young athlete while getting coffee in Starbucks next to Gleasons Gym. Two young men from England...

At this championship Shemuel Pagan (whom I train with his father, Robert Pagan) represented the PAL 132 lbs weight division.

It was obvious that Shemuel won his first bout against Connor Johnson, who represented the US Army (20:4) and next he beat Texan, Eric Fowler (24:13).

This is the first World Championship where boxers who made it to the quarter finals became qualified for the 2008 Olympics Games in Beijing, China.  Over one thousand boxers representing over more than one hundred countries showed up in Chicago to participate.

I had also hoped to participate more fully, but my student Shemuel Pagan, who I co-train with his father, Robert, lost in the semi final of the US Olympic trials.

September, 2007. After more than 12 years, I find myself in Moscow again. My daughter Valeria and I were chauffeured from the Sheremetyevo Airport to the hotel.

I saw Moscow has changed a lot over the years. On one hand it is still the capital of the Soviet Union that I remember from when I lived there. But in other ways, it has become much more western.

The U.S. Olympic Team Boxing Trials – Eighty-eight of the nation’s top amateur boxers competed for 11 coveted Olympic berths at the Olympic Trials, August 20-26, 2007.

Shemuel Pagan, bronze medalist of 2007 National Championship at 125 lbs, who I co-train with his father...