 Miami (Lub kaum hli ntuj 26, 2016) — Internationally renowned boxing trainer Orlando Cuellar has come full circle, right back to the famed 5th St. Gym in South Beach, where he once visited as a teenager to learn and now trains fighters out of six days a week.
Born in Havana, Teb chaws Cuba, Cuellar’s family resettled in Miami when he was three with Orlando living there through high school. Raws li ib tug pib xyaum ua boxer, Cuellar vividly remembers watching boxers at 5th St. Gym such as Cassius av nplaum, Willie Pastrano, Vinnie Curto thiab Florentino Fernandez, as well as legendary trainers, brothers Angelo thiab Chris Dundee.
“I watched and learned, picking up as much as much as I could,” Cuellar hais tias. “Tam sim no, I find myself working out of the 5th St. Gym for the past six weeks. It’s been an incredible experience. Txhua txhua hnub, you never know who is going to walk through the doors there. It’s been one of the best boxing gyms in the world for more than 50 xyoo. From the days dating back to Muhammad Ali, fighters have been attracted to this gym because of its rich history and great sparring, as well as to the area with South Beach’s restaurants, clubs and beach. The warm, humid weather also makes it easier for fighters to lose weight running and training.
“(Owner) Dino Spencer is carrying on the 5th St. Gym’s tradition. Everyday I’m there is exciting for me. Mixed ethnic groups train there and it’s a magnet for talent. There’s sparring three days a week – I call it Spar-a-rama – and everybody’s welcome to challenge themselves. The sparring is better than a lot of TV fights.
 “5th St. Gym trainer Txiv leej tub Laieta had been trying to convince me to join the team for the last five years. I spoke to Dino on several occasions, expressing my desire to train fighters out of the 5th St. Gym. He said, ‘Let’s do it.’ The success of the 5th St. Gym today has a lot to do with ownership. Dino has a passion for boxing and he is very hospitable, which trickles down to his staff and fighters. Good vibes all of the time!”
Cuellar left for Las Vegas in 1976 thiab, after he realized that being a boxer wasn’t in his best interest, he started training fighters there in 1981 out of Johnny Garcia’s Gym. A year later, he shifted his base Brooklyn and started training fighters out of another boxing icon, Gleason lub Gym. Nyob rau hauv 2000, he resettled in Miami.
Best known as world light heavyweight champion the head trainer of Glen Johnson, Cuellar also worked with future champions such as Nicolas Walters, Rances Barthelemy thiab Erslandy Lara, raws li zoo raws li Luis Franco, Aaron Davis thiab Juan Carlos Gomez, to name a few of the more notables. Hnub no, he’s the chief second for several top fighters including Antonio Tarver.
Recognized throughout boxing as a superior teacher, Cuellar’s success is mostly attributed to his training of fighters on an individual basis, focusing on their personal needs rather than giving all fighters the same instructions and attention.
“Each fighter needs personal and specific work to complement their God-given talents,” Cuellar explained. “You can’t teach all fighters the same way. I specialize on what I call old school meets new school. Old school was upfront and personal to go 15 rounds, new school is about throwing more punches, more foot movement and fighting from the outside. I teach doffense: defense + offense. Punches aren’t vitamins, none should be taken. Boxing is little more than a battle of reflexes; one fighters versus another, but the real trick is how the fighter uses his reflexes. I teach my fighters how to turn the ring apron into a minefield.”
Boxing has played a huge role in Cuellar’s life. Back in the 5th St. Gym is just another chapter in his unique life.
“I live through my fighters,” Cuellar concluded. “Every victory is my proudest moment. There are no big or little victories, every win is a happy moment because of all the hard work and sacrifices me and my fighter made during training camp.”
Orlando Cuellar is thrilled to have gone back to the future.
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Tag Archives: Chris Dundee
Manager John Seip kos Italian super Middleweight prospect Daniele Marco Scardina
Miami (Plaub Hlis Ntuj 6, 2015) – Qub tub rog boxing saib xyuas John Seip muaj kos npe heev dai kom zoo nkauj Italian pib xyaum ua boxer Daniel Mark Scardina mus rau ib qho kom managerial daim ntawv cog lus.
Seip yog zoo tshaj plaws paub coj Peter “Kid Qhob noom xim kasfes” Quillin rau lub Ntiaj Teb Boxing Organization (WBO) lub ntiaj teb no Middleweight title. Cov neeg Tshiab Yorker kuj tswj nce British super Middleweight Steed “Lub Stallion” Woodall (7-0-1, 5 Kos).
Lub 21-xyoo-laus Scardina hails los ntawm Rozzano, ib lub zos ntawm tsawg tshaj li 40,000 cov neeg nyob rau hauv lub xeev ntawm Milan. Nws pib boxing nyob rau hauv 2008 nyob rau ntawm lub hnub nyoog ntawm 16, nram qab no nyob rau hauv nws tus txiv ntxawm tus footsteps uas yog ib tug boxer nyob rau ntawm lub sij hawm, raws li zoo raws li Daniele lub luag hauj lwm qauv.
Scardina, uas muaj 56 pib xyaum ua bouts, yuav rau sab saum toj honors nyob rau hauv ntau Italian tournaments xws li cov Rovereto National, Teb chaws nyiaj hnab looj tes, thiab ob National Golden hnab looj tes. Nws kuj yeej ib bronze puav pheej nyob rau ntawm ib International kev tshwm sim.
Nyob rau hauv 2013, nws boxed rau lub Italia Thunder Boxing Team nyob rau hauv lub ntiaj teb Series ntawm Boxing, winning nws tsuas match tawm tsam ib tug German tus nrog sib ntaus.
Scardina thawj ntes tau Seip lub mloog ntawm lub ntiaj teb no nto moo 5th St. Gym nyob rau hauv Miami puam, Ameslikas qhib nyob rau hauv 1950 los ntawm Chris Dundee, thiab lub tsev ntawm sauv rov qab lub ntiaj teb no yeej muaj kev kawm muaj xws li Muhammad Ali, Carmen Basilio, Willie Pastrano, Emile Griffith, Archie Moore, Roberto Duran, Sonny Liston thiab Willie PEP. Tus nplua nuj kev lig kev cai tseem nyob rau ntawm lub tshiab 5th St. Gym, nyob ze ze 1434 Alton Street, qhov twg sab saum toj neeg tua hluav taws los ntawm ib ncig lub ntiaj teb no xws li Bernard Hopkins tseem qhia.
“Kuv pom nws cob qhia nyob rau ntawm lub 5th St. Gym thiab nws ntsia zoo li ib tug raug kev pib xyaum ua,” Seip piav. “Nws tau muab dav punches thiab tsis paub tias yuav ua li cas muab pov ib tug zoo jab. Trainers Txiv leej tub Laieta thiab Dino Spencer pib ua hauj lwm nrog nws thiab tam sim no nws yog siv nws ncav tsis cuag, sib ntaus sib tua ntawm ib tug deb, thiab ntuav ob peb ua ke ntawm jabs thiab hooks. Nws yog passionate txog boxing, mloog thiab kev kawm txhua txhua hnub. Daniele muaj zoo tes ceev thiab lub hwj chim. Nws yog ib tug zoo nraug kas, heev. Kuv pom ib yam dab tsi nyob rau hauv nws, intangibles, thiab txiav txim siab los kos npe rau nws.
“Dino yog ib qho tswv uas tau tsim ib sab saum toj-nqis siab tshaj gym nrog zoo sparring lub sij hawm nyob rau hauv ib qho chaw featuring li ntawd ntau feemxyuam neeg tua hluav taws uas yeej thawb txhua lwm yam. Nws yog twb khees tias Danielle tau kho nws cov kev txawj kev kawm muaj. Nws yog ntev, ceev ceev thiab muaj hwj chim loj. Nws ua hauj lwm zoo yog zoo kawg; nws yog thawj nyob rau hauv lub gym, kawg tawm. Koj yuav tsis raug mob no kas, yog. Peb tag nrho ntseeg tias nws muaj ib tug heev ci yav tom ntej.”
Tsis zoo li neeg tua hluav taws los ntawm Russia thiab yav tas los Soviet-bloc haiv neeg, raws li zoo raws li cov neeg los ntawm Latin America uas tuaj mus rau hauv lub tebchaws United States los tsim lawv cov kev boxing hauj lwm, Italian-yug tua hluav taws tsis tshua muaj tau ua raws li cov tib txoj kev raws li Scardina, uas tsiv mus rau Miami xyoo tas los thiab pw rau hauv pem teb ntawm nws tus tij laug lub chav tsev.
Cov leeg Italian-yug ntiaj teb no yeej uas tiv thaiv tso nyob rau hauv America yog Vito Antuofermo (50-7-2, 21 Kos), uas yog tus WBC / WBA Middleweight yeej nyob rau hauv 1979-1980. Antuofermo, tab sis yog, tsiv nrog nws tsev neeg mus Brooklyn los ntawm Puglia, Ltalis thaum nws 17 thiab nws kawm tau li cas rau lub thawv nyob rau hauv America.
“Kuv muaj ib txwm xav los ua ib tug champion nyob rau hauv America,” Scardina hais tias. “Qhov ntawd yog qhov American npau suav rau kuv. Kuv xav tias kuv yuav muaj ib lub sijhawm zoo nyob rau hauv lub teb chaws no ua tus loj boxer kuv yuav ua tau nrog txoj cai kev pab. John Seip yog txoj cai saib xyuas rau kuv vim hais tias nws ntseeg hais tias peb ua tau lub ntiaj teb no championship ua ke ua ib pab.”
Scardina nyiam boxers yog Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, Guillermo Rigondeaux thiab Miguel Cotto. “Kuv ua hauj lwm rau tag nrho raws li ib tug sab nraum fighter thiab lub ntsiab kuv txhais tes los ze zog,” Scardina ntxiv. Kuv sib ntaus sib tua los ua lub ntiaj teb no tus yeej.”
Scardina yuav tsum ua kom nws debut pro no May los yog rau hli ntuj.
Ua raws li ntawm Instagram Scardinadanieletoretto. |
