By Mike Natalino

Resilient Historic Fight Town Finds Strength In Past & Present Boxing Heroes

By Mike Natalino

The Great Depression remains one of the darkest hours in our great nation’s history.  The catastrophic windfall it endowed on the people of its era, both socially and financially, was of nightmarish proportions. For those who survived the wrath of these disastrous times, the thought of experiencing a replay of this massacre sends an unpleasant, cold chill through their spine unlike any other. Unfortunately for our generation, we’ve reached a point in time in which our current situation shows resemblance to this trying period, which has been branded by the public as “The Great Recession“.  The question remains whether we will fall victim to these hard times or fight our way out of the fox hole, like our nation’s predecessors.

On the flip side of this coin, it must be recognized that a number of the greatest heroes we’ve come to hold dear in our heart spawned out of this Great Depression era of hardship. The unconquerable fortitude that they, along with their entire generation displayed, won them a place in history known as the greatest generation that ever lived. If there is one thing this generation has demonstrated to us, it is the significance that heroes play in influencing the recovery process of a nation under severe conditions. The arts, entertainment, and sports industries provided a large quantity of these heroic individuals during the Great Depression era, most notably out of the boxing fraternity. During this time, former Heavyweight Champion of the World, the “Cinderella Man”, Jimmy Braddock, was a frontrunner in showing the people the path back to prosperity. Braddock was only one of the many prizefighters who took on the role, both locally and nationally, as the adopted hero for the people of this era.Like always, history has a way of repeating itself. Just as the prize fighters of the Depression era stepped up to the plate to provide acts of courage at a time when the publics’ self confidence was dwindling, today’s  fighters are marching to the frontline to do their part to pick up the spirits of the people of this generation.The valiant efforts of these young lions provide a clear picture that the iconic American spirit cannot be broken. 

New Haven, Connecticut, a small town in the Northeast most recognized for housing the reputable Yale University, is putting on a display of these attributes with a massive resurrection in the fight game in the community. Over the years, New Haven has served as landmark for influential people looking to hang their hat outside of the big city spotlights of Manhattan and Boston. In passing through New Haven, these big city players left quite the impression on the local community. Their influence of art and culture helped to stimulate the minds of the locals to host sizable city type events, which brought upon the creation of one of New Haven Connecticut’s most historical event landmarks, the New Haven Arena. The “Arena”, as it came to be know, played host to some of the most prestigious names in all sectors of  the entertainment industry., with professional boxing being the most memorable.On a monthly basis, fans would pack the Arena to get a glimpse of the local young heroes mixing it up. These young gents carried the pride of the neighborhood on their shoulders every time they stepped in the ring. They included the likes of the local legendary Compo Brothers and Julie Kogan, just to name a few. Although the Arena, along with its combatants, is now long gone, its memory, and the strong message the young men that competed on its grounds sent out, are far from dead. This very message produces a burning flame that ignites the desire of New Haven’s current young combatants. Although these young members of the New Haven fight fraternity don’t have the local setting that the fighters in the past had at the arena, they do have the same support of the community. The promising and established boxing talent that New Haven has to offer is quite intriguing, especially to the naked eye. At the very top of the list we have one of the top pound-for-pound fighters, former world champion Chad Dawson.  Dawson is currently on the path of having the boxing torch passed down if he’s successful in dethroning the legendary Bernard Hopkins in their scheduled outing on April 28th in Atlantic City, New Jersey.Also at the top of the totem pole you have the very popular fan favorite Elvin Ayala, who is currently on a comeback trail in hopes of fulfilling his lifelong dream of being crowned world champion. Ayala’s recent efforts have attracted the attention of opponents such as the reputable Hector Camacho Jr. to step into New Haven’s realm of boxing. The two are scheduled to square off this coming March 30th at MGM in Foxwoods. Additionally, there is the group of undefeated and highly regarded prospects clawing their way to the center of attention, which includes the laundry list from Louis Rosa’s Boxing In Faith. This list consists of young knockout sensations such as Javier Flores and Luis Rosa Jr., along with masterful boxers such as Edwin Soto and Charles Foster. In addition to these fine young pugilists, Rosa has a thoroughly stacked amateur squad. New Haven has a number of other successful gyms, including Mike Conroy’s American Martial Arts, home of up and coming fighters Christian Lao  and Josh Crespo, along with New Haven Boxing, which houses the explosive Dominic DeSanto and “Slick” Rick Dawson. We also can’t forget the pioneer of New Haven’s boxing revival, Brian Clark’s Ring One Boxing. Brian, as always, has the most promising of young talent recognizable in Tremaine “Midget” Williams and Georgie Naclerio. Anyone who’s partaken in boxing in New Haven as somehow crossed paths with Clark’s historic Ring One. This concludes a brief journey on our city’s past and the promising future it holds in the palm of its hand. Being both a competitor and a spectator of the New Haven boxing group, it’s going to be an honor providing local coverage on the sport to my local community. The New Haven boxing scene is only one of many in the state of Connecticut.  Gyms in other cities in our great state carry their own historical tales and talented group of young men fighting their way to prosperity who deserve their just due.  I will be sure to elaborate on them as well in the near future.