BROCKPORT — If you’re a fan of boxing, you’ve heard of Golden Gloves. For those that haven’t, they host amateur boxing tournaments all over the country and many big-name boxers have been national champions at their respective weight classes. Legends like Joe Lewis, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield are some of the names that got their start in the fight game through Golden Gloves.
On March 4, 25-year-old Anthony Antonuccio of Brockway will take part in the Western Pennsylvania Police Athletic Association Golden Gloves tournament as he’ll fight at The Bellamauro in Reynoldsville to kick off his boxing journey.
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A Ridgway Area High School graduate that now lives in Brockway with his wife, Kara, and son, Alexander, Antonuccio said he went to BC Boxing sometime last summer in order to get in better shape with some strength and conditioning programs. There he met BC Boxing owner Chris Cella and Antonuccio’s foray into boxing began.
“They offered separate classes to either train to box or just to do general exercises, and pretty soon I found myself attending their group boxing classes and then onto private one-on-one training with Chris,” Antonuccio said. “I think Chris is an exceptional coach since he at one time was a professional fighter himself, giving him great insight into what to do and not to do with regard to boxing, and isn’t afraid to be honest when it comes to what mistakes I make. I think he has greatly improved my boxing ability within the relatively short time frame I’ve been training.”
Antonuccio started his competition training in September.
“I was training at BC Boxing and Chris had mentioned the annual event, explaining to me that he had trained fighters before for it,” Antonuccio said. “He thought I had a natural talent for boxing and was confident that he could train me well enough to where I had a great chance of winning this year’s. My wife has a background in martial arts, having been trained in karate from a young age and achieving the rank of third degree black belt.
“I’ve always wanted to do something similar, so training for the Golden Gloves seemed like a great way to achieve that. Plus I’ve been a boxing and MMA fan for a long time. It’ll be a great story to tell one day to friends and especially my son.”
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BC Boxing was opened by Cella in 2013 as he brings quite the resume of boxing for Antonuccio to utilize.
“I began boxing when I was 11 and had the chance to train and spar with some of the best in the game,” Cella said. “I wanted to bring something new to the area and share my passion for the sweet science. I won the USA Bare Knuckle Middleweight Title in 2015, and wanted to pass along all I had been given by some of the sports best. We offer group classes, private training, competition training and general fitness. Over the years we have worked with the Brockway soccer teams providing them with conditioning to get them ready for their season, as well as trained several competition fighters.”
Antonuccio trains three to four times a week. A typical training session involves “technical training” that Antonuccio says is “hitting hand mitts in certain combinations to practice throwing punches in a particular order with speed and accuracy, hitting a heavy bag in different ways to simulate sparring with a person, and then actually sparring with other fighters that Chris has come by the gym.” Then comes conditioning that includes running, jumping rope, pushups, pull-ups, core workouts, punches with weighted gloves, etc.
“All of it is to ensure my body is capable of lasting three, two-minute rounds operating at full capacity,” Antonuccio said.
“My job is to make him miserable and force him to train outside of his comfort level,” Cella said. “I always say, we train hard, spar hard, so the fight is easy. He trusts me to lead him to battle, and I have to make sure every second we train he is growing and progressing. It’s hours of roadwork, mitt work, sparring, conditioning, and every day I ask him if he is training harder than his opponent.”
If Antonuccio wins on March 4, he’ll advance to the Western PA finals on April 1 in Monroeville. Even with Antonuccio’s limited experience, high goals have been set for both he and Cella.
“My expectations are to win,” Antonuccio said. “I’ve put a lot of work inside and outside the gym to give myself the greatest chance possible and I’m going to do everything I can to beat my opponent.”
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“I’ve trained many amateur and professional fighters, but Anthony is a rare breed,” Cella said. “He is like a sponge and has absorbed everything I have taught him.”
Antonuccio hopes he can parlay Golden Gloves success into something down the road, perhaps even a career as a professional.
“Chris has confidence I will do well not only in amateur, but potentially in professional boxing as well,” Antonuccio said. “Depending on how the Golden Gloves turns out, I may be pursuing a boxing career. It’s difficult to say for sure, since I am at an older age range for new boxers, but anything is possible.”
Cella said he really enjoys passing off his knowledge to others like Antonuccio.
“I have been blessed to be trained by some of the best trainers in the game, so having the opportunity to pass it on is beyond gratifying,” Cella said. “Boxing is sadly one of those sports where someone can watch a YouTube video and think they’re a trainer. I paid my dues over the years — inside the ring as an amateur, a bare knuckle boxing champion and professional boxer — so I can firsthand share my experience of what Anthony can expect.”
BC Boxing is also celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year as Cella said he’s really enjoyed being in the area and involved with the community.
“I am grateful for the local community for embracing what we’ve done for the past 10 years,” Cella said. “Going forward, we are planning on staying involved in community engagement and giving back as much as we can.
“And lastly, my wife Becky — who puts the “B” in BC Boxing — has allowed me to do what I love.”
Source: https://t-tees.com
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