Tag Archives: congress

FNU Combat Sports Show: Canelo/GGG controversy, Featured Guest Eddie Barraco

This episode of the FNU Combat Sports Show features special guest Eddie Barraco. Eddie was a fighter who last connected with us when MySpace was still cool (check out Eddie’s Facebook page Here), and it’s been too long. We cover a wide range of issues and catch up on what he’s been up to as a first class MMA trainer in Las Vegas. Tom, Tony and Rich also discuss the abhorrent judging of Adelaide Byrd, who scored the Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin fight 118-110 in favor of Canelo, who by most accounts lost a close fight at best. Additionally we touch on Ana Julaton’s transition from boxing to MMA, Conor McGregor’s upcoming appearance before congress, and former heavyweight champion boxer Michael Moorer’s new job punching out looters in Florida.

 

Part One and Show Close:

 

Eddie’s Interview:

BOXING CHAMPION BOYD MELSON LAUNCHED CAMPAIGN FOR CONGRESS IN NEW YORK’S 11TH DISTRICT

 

STATEN ISLAND-Today, Boyd Melson, former WBC USNBC champion, 2008 Olympic alternate, and Captain in the U.S. Army Reserve, publicly launched his campaign for Congress against Republican Dan Donovan. The campaign released a video to mark the announcement which highlights Melson’s dedication to helping others through his service to our country, his passion and commitment to finding a cure for spinal cord injuries, and the personal struggle and vow he made to help those struggling with drug addiction.
Melson’s deep passion for helping others motivated his stalwart advocacy and support for spinal cord research. He donated all of his professional boxing winnings and worked to raise a combined total of nearly $400,000 to fund research to cure spinal cord injuries. Melson has continued to support the non- profit he co-founded “TEAM FIGHT TO WALK” and has also taken on a new challenge-raising awareness about opiate and opioid addiction. He has donated earnings from fights to a non-profit which aims to defeat drug addictions among young adults and he conducts a weekly free boxing clinic on Staten Island for any resident in the borough who is battling a drug addiction.
“I’ve spent my entire life fighting-for people I love, for causes I believe in, and for this country,” said Melson. “I want to represent those who live on Staten Island and in South Brooklyn because I can be their Champion and make sure their voices, needs, and concerns are heard throughout the halls of Congress.”
Melson, who is mixed with Louisiana Creole and Jewish, is a native New Yorker who spent most of his childhood in South Brooklyn and Staten Island. After graduating from High School, he earned an appointment at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, following in the footsteps of his family to serve his country. While at West Point, Melson was quickly recognized as a skilled pugilist and racked up many achievements,  including his winning of the National Collegiate Boxing Association National Championship.
 “The struggle that so many people here in New York, in this district, and all over the country are facing every day is tragic,” said Melson. I understand the challenges and barriers individuals with a drug addiction face and I want to do everything I can to help them. Ramping up law enforcement part of the solution, but by itself, is not the solution. We need to tackle this issue by helping people and giving them the resources they need to get healthy.”
Melson filed paperwork to run for Congress in April. For four weeks spanning from May to June following Melson’s filing, he was away on Active Duty orders serving at Fort Huachuca in Arizona. His campaign raised more than $50,000 in the second quarter of the year.
For more information on the campaign, please visit : www.boydmelson.com

Retired boxer/NY-11 Congressional Candidate Boyd Melson keeping busy with community events

 
Staten Island, NY (August 2, 2017) – 2018 Democratic Congressional candidate Boyd Melson, a West Point graduate, retired professional boxer and Captain in the Army Reserve, is dedicating three days from his busy schedule to help others in Staten Island and beyond. 
 
The 35-year-old, who is running in New York’s 11th district, is known for his selflessness. He regularly speaks to students of all ages, volunteers to run a free weekly boxing clinic on Staten Island at DeMarco’s Boxing Club for people battling or overcoming addiction and assists with various charitable causes.
 
On Thursday, August 3, Melson is volunteering to help Staten Island youths battling addiction. Melson, through the help of his network and assistance from Staten Island based organization Tackling Youth Substance Abuse (TYSA), arranged a full day of events for select youths on Staten Island trying to knock out their drug addictions. This free of charge event begins in the morning, where he’ll take roughly 15 teenagers to Breezy Point in Brooklyn. The trip to the beach at Breezy will involve swimming in the ocean, participating in guided meditation and team building events. Later that day, he’ll lead them to the Bronx for a tour of Yankee Stadium. 
 
The next day, he returns to Staten Island to organize and play in the Heroes vs Legends Charity Softball Game at Richmond County Bank Ballpark, home to the Staten Island Yankees. The full day, which has two charity games followed by the SI Yankees against the Aberdeen Ironbirds, helps raise money for families of injured soldiers. Melson played in this game in 2015 when the World Boxing Council asked him to attend as their representative during the game. He was originally invited to play on the Celebrity (Legends) team, but asked for the privilege to play for the Heroes instead. 
 
The Heroes team is made up of Veterans who earned Purple Hearts in combat. This year he’ll once again play for the Heroes team. The event is presented by Heroes Sports, a 501(c) (3) providing organized support and sporting activities for veterans. All staff members are volunteers and 100% of all donations go straight to veteran support. More information on Heroes Sports can be found atwww.HeroesSports.org.
 
The morning of Saturday, August 5, Melson is going to Ten Mile River (TMR) Boy Scout Camping Grounds and will serve as the keynote speaker for their 90th anniversary celebration. An Eagle Scout himself, Melson began his life in scouting at the age of 5 as a Cub Scout and earned his Eagle Scout rank during his plebe (freshman) year at West Point. 
 
Melson camped at TMR’s Camp Keowa for 5 years as a Cub Scout and then at Camp Aquehonga for 4 years as a Boy Scout. He worked as a counselor at Aquehonga for two summers as well before reporting to West Point. There will be over 400 campers and Boy Scout leaders in attendance at the TMR 90th anniversary. Melson vividly remembers the annual Jamboree and Ghost-o-ree events that took place at Camp Pouch.
 
“What more can I ask for,” said the jubilated Melson. “I was put on this earth to help serve humanity. This is what I was built for. I am very thankful to all of the individuals who go to bat for me helping me help others. There is nothing more important to me than helping children. I have turned my full focus on helping knock out addiction on Staten Island.”
 
“I need to start with helping the children on Staten Island who have fallen to the disease known as drug addiction. Through the help of my publicist Matt Yanofsky, we were able to get in touch with the former NBA star Rex Chapman and he’s flying in Thursday to spend the day with these children. I need these children to understand how loved they are and that even former NBA players and the NY Yankees are behind them knocking out their addictions.”
 
“As for the softball game, my commitment to helping improve the lives of Veterans is second to none. There are 24,000 Veterans that live on Staten Island. I am committed to helping each and every single one that I can. I hope I’m able to lead by example and show how much can be accomplished with hard work and love. I am in the community on Staten Island every day and I am not of the constitution where I sit around and wait for any entity to help those who need help when I’m capable of using my ability to personally assist. I am the best version of myself when I am fighting to help improve the lives of those around me. We can do this Staten Island because We Are Strong Now and I living daily in your corner.”

Melson to host Campaign Kickoff June 26!

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For Immediate Release
New York, NY (June 14, 2017) – Retired professional boxer, current public speaker, 2003 West Point graduate and Army Public Affairs Officer Boyd Melson will host a campaign kickoff reception Monday, June 26 for his congressional bid.
Melson is running in the November 2018 election for New York’s 11th district, covering Staten Island & South Brooklyn. The reception takes place from 7-9 PM at 445 Lafayette St. Suite 16B New York, NY 10003. Special guests include actor Burt Young, TV producer and screenwriter Ira Steven Behr, QVC’s Sandra Bennett, Super Bowl XXV champion Odessa Turner and United Nations staffer Miriam Danar among others.
“The goal with the campaign kickoff goes far beyond helping me as a congressional candidate. This will help improve the future of those living in Staten Island & South Brooklyn,” said Melson, who currently runs a free weekly clinic on Staten Island to help men and women battling or overcoming any type of addiction. “Please spread the word and you can still help even if you’re not able to make it.”
Donation levels range from $100-$2700 and checks can be made payable to Boyd Melson for Congress. RSVP’S and questions can be directed to Shelby Kestler at Shelby@maysondixon.com.
Those unable to attend can help Boyd by joining him on his mission to get elected into office by going to https://secure.actblue.com/donate/boyd-melson-for-congress-1.

Melson to run for New York Congress

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For Immediate Release
New York, NY (May 3, 2017) – Retired professional boxer, current public speaker, 2003 West Point graduate and Army Public Affairs Officer Boyd Melson announced he’ll run for Congress in 2018 for New York’s 11th District, covering Staten Island and South Brooklyn.
Born to a Jewish mother & Louisiana Creole father, Melson’s a lifelong New Yorker who’s dedicated most of his adult life to serving the public. The 35-year-old has resided in Manhattan, Brooklyn and White Plains. Melson also has close ties to Staten Island, where he currently runs free boxing clinics for men and women battling or recovering from addiction.
Following an outstanding amateur boxing career, Melson turned pro in 2010 with the sole intention of raising funds and awareness. Between donating 100% of his fight purses, private donations in his honor and charity galas, Melson, Co-Founder of Team Fight To Walk, helped raise more than $400,000 to help cure Chronic Spinal Cord Injuries, combat Staten Island’s drug epidemic and assist his childhood friend with a son battling brain cancer. He retired from boxing in 2016 with a 15-2-1 record, winning a World Boxing Council (WBC) United States Championship in 2015.
Upon the competition of his final professional fight, Promoter Lou DiBella said he’d never promoted a better man than Boyd Melson.
His unique mission through boxing was chronicled by The Huffington Post, ESPN, Yahoo, Sports Illustrated, HBO Real Sports and The Wall Street Journal among many other media outlets.
As a public and motivational speaker, Melson’s addressed an array of audiences, many of which he spoke to pro bono. His audiences include attendees at New York’s 2017 Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Conference, elementary to college age students, Army Battalions, Army Corps level leadership, college sports teams, Fortune 500 companies and religious organizations. He also served as a mentor at Steve Harvey’s Youth Mentorship Camp in July 2016 and was a special guest at various charitable events in New York.
Currently serving our country through the US Army Reserves, literally fighting to raise funds and having traveled the country to assist and motivate others, Melson epitomizes the meaning of a public servant.
“I need to continue my service to this nation. I have a heavy task in front of me. I am committed. I have a tremendous fight in my spirit for what is right. I was born mixed with African, Irish, Native American, French, Dutch, Spanish, and I am Jewish. Perhaps I am a good example of one of the aspects as to why us American citizens are what makes us great- we the people. We combine our strengths. We are the best of all cultures. We are strong, and we do not allow ourselves to be seduced by fear. I understand that my decisions will hurt people, despite my intentions.”
“I understand that in the American citizens’ eyes, I will be the face in the district I am running in, that will be responsible for anything good or bad our government may cause in any of the constituents lives. This is why I will always be present. I focus on how many I still have hurting, not how many I have helped. I will be in the community, at events, highly visible, and highly accessible. My job will be to answer to you, the constituents I am responsible for. I am built for this, my life has prepared me. I will continue my willingness to be knocked down and get back up to keep fighting. I will inspire you to believe in my spirit. Fighters fight! I am a fighter. District 11 must know that I am ready to fight in their corner.”
Please help Boyd by joining him on this mission to get elected into office by going tohttps://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/boyd-melson-for-congress-1.

Melson Reflects on Career; Next Fight For a Seat in US Congress

New York, NY (January 17, 2017) – Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson may be the only fighter in boxing history not in the sport for financial gain and even came out of retirement for one final match to raise funds for others.

 

A multi-time champion as an amateur that defeated future pro standouts Keith Thurman, Charles Hatley, and Deandre Latimore, Melson had a different vision of what boxing would do. The 2003 West Point graduate and Army Reserve Officer used boxing as a vehicle and a voice for causes close to his heart throughout his 18 fight career, donating 100% of the money he earned in the ring.

 

Overall, Melson helped raise $400,000 between his boxing purses and charity galas. The majority of the funds was for Team Fight to Walk, a 501(C)3 which raises funds and awareness for a clinical trial focused on to curing Chronic Spinal Cord Injuries. He also donated one of his purses to a childhood friend that had a son battling brain cancer and another to Big Vision, which helps people battle drug addictions among young adults.

 

Fighting for causes was his ultimate passion, but the literal fights were often very difficult. Melson spent the first few years of his professional boxing career traveling from his New York City residence to New Jersey where he worked for Johnson&Johnson as a medical device sales rep. When he was preparing for a fight, he’d run on his lunch break, train in the evening after working a full day and often run again in the middle of the night to help cut weight. At the same time, Melson served in the U.S. Army Reserve, having military duties one weekend a month and two weeks a year.

In addition, Melson would teach fitness classes at Equinox Fitness to earn extra money and regularly traveled to public schools providing motivational speeches to students for free. The exhausting schedule was hard for Melson, who suffered multiple injuries including a stretched brachial plexus which temporarily paralyzed his right arm during his fight against Donald Ward, multiple tears in his left rotator cuff, kidney stones due to dehydration and a fracture in his left orbital bone. Still, he made weight for every fight in his career and finished 15-2-1 with 4 wins by knockout, winning the WBC USNBC junior middleweight title against Mike Ruiz in May 2015.

 

Melson believed his championship winning performance would be his last bout as lingering injuries from boxing still bothered him and a laundry list of other commitments occupied much of his time. He came out of his unofficial retirement for one final match last November against Courtney Pennington. Melson’s fight financially assisted the aforementioned Big Vision, an organization which he works very closely with that has a mission of helping young adults battling drug addictions return to sobriety. Unfortunately, Melson took extreme measures to cut 30 pounds in 8 weeks and entered the ring devoid of energy, losing via 7th round stoppage.

 

Following the fight, Melson officially announced his retirement and plans to run for U.S. Congress in 2018. Promoter Lou DiBella, who promoted most of Melson’s fights including his career finale, said to the crowd at the Foxwoods Casino “I’ve never promoted a better man than Boyd Melson.”

 

Overall, Melson is satisfied with his boxing career and is greatly appreciative for the incredible support from the boxing community.

 

“When I turned pro, I had no idea how far or long professional boxing would take me. This is a brutal sport not just physically but mentally as well. There were many days where I wanted to stop fighting for a number of reasons, but it was on those days that I had to always remind myself that I needed to fight to help others. The causes I fought for and continue to fight for outside of the ring are as important as anything in my life. Through boxing, I made many great friends and am incredibly thankful for that. I also appreciate everybody that donated to Team Fight to Walk or Big Vision as well as all the media that helped raise awareness for these great causes by covering my career.”

 

With the gloves hung up, Melson’s focused on running for United States Congress, advancing his career in the US Army Reserve, assisting others in need and continuing his growing career as a public and motivational speaker.

 

“I fell on my sword in order to compete in this last fight. The weight loss took the fight from my body, so I used every bit of strength in my mind to give whatever I had. I had one purpose for this last fight, and that was to raise awareness and money to help combat the heroin epidemic in Staten Island. I took a beating for this mission and I hope my example demonstrated the need to risk everything, even your body, when you believe it will help the lives of others suffering. Boxing has created a future that has continued to allow me to serve mankind now that I have left the ring as a competitor. I am on the board for the charities Boxer Inc., Stop Soldier Suicide, Team Fight To Walk, and hopefully Big Vision sometime soon. I was recently asked to join the 501c3 titled “The In Bed and Chair Recovery Foundation” so that I can serve on their board. They have a patented multi-faceted exercise apparatus which is meant for anyone who is confined to a wheelchair or a bed. They’ve asked me to help raise money through donations so that they can provide their unit, free of charge to groups of people in need such as disabled veterans and children battling cancer. There is a lot of pressure I continue to put on myself through various commitments and organizations I’m involved with, but this is what makes my world go round as I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

 

“I continue to have more opportunities presented to me so that I can positively reach children through my words. Although I have only fought once in order to help create a larger awareness regarding the heroin epidemic in Staten Island, my mission for this cause has only begun. My goal is to begin offering my time to host free boxing clinics on the Island at Rustam’s Boxing Gym as well as one of Teddy Atlas’s boxing gyms. These clinics will be meant for heroin addicts, and the aim is to knockout heroin on Staten Island. My hope is to help Staten Island’s heroin addicts fall in love with boxing and have that as a vehicle to help overcome the addiction. These human beings are sick but they’re are not criminals. Sometimes people who are sick are not able to be healed on their own and when that happens it is upon us as human beings to come together to help heal them.”

 

Melson is currently on military orders at Fort Meade, Maryland for 9 weeks in total. He is in school there being trained for his new duty as a Public Affairs Officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. Upon completing training in March, Melson will be looked at in April for a much welcomed promotion to the rank of Major. When he is finished, Melson looks to take his political aspirations to the next level.

 

If elected, Melson’s mission will involve helping many aspects of human beings’ daily lives with a focus on battling bullying, sickness and disease, poor health care for veterans, veteran suicide, heroin addiction, racism, hunger and unemployment.

 

“Every part of my journey these past 6 years as a professional boxer has led me to my decision to run for U.S. Congress in 2018. I hope to make my official announcement some time in 2017. Various celebrities and generals have given me their words that they will stand by my side in the public during this run. I am tired of being the human being always asking for help and never being the one asked for help. My mission is to bring the type of fight I brought every fight into the ring and implement it while serving the people as an elected official. I’m confident I can be very effective in using my abilities to help improve the lives of human beings that I am responsible to and for. Most importantly, I need to inspire the hearts and minds of those necessary to help get me elected.”

 

Melson is also proud to announce that the cause that brought him to boxing, Team Fight To Walk, should have FDA Approval to conduct the clinical trial here in the United States by this Fall. Melson, along with Christan Zaccagnino and publicist Matt Yanofsky have raised $400,000 to help conduct this clinical trial. The trial will consist of 27 Spinal Cord Injured human beings in total. It will divide the 27 into three groups of nine treated between the University of Newark Hospital in New Jersey along with Mount Sinai and Long Island Jewish Hospitals in New York.

 

The study presented to the FDA was published in May of 2016 in the Medical Journal “Cell Transplantation,” with its results being heavily investigated by American physicians. All reviewing physicians agreed with the results, a requirement in order to be published. This exact study conducted in China resulted in 15 out of 20 Spinal Cord Injured patients, as a group paralyzed an average of 7 years, now able to walk at least 10 meters with the help of a walker. The results also showed that 12 out of these same 20 had their bladder and bowel functions restored. Melson, Zaccagnino and the rest of Team Fight to Walk believe this is the beginning of our long awaited cure for Spinal Cord Injuries in the United States.

 

Fans can keep up with the latest on Boyd and contact him via Twitter @Boydmelson, Facebook at Boyd Melson, and Instagram @BoydMelson

Team Fight to Walk’s Briefing with Congress a major knockout!

 

 

New York, NY (June 28, 2015) – When Dr. Patricia Morton, Dr. Wise Young and Captain Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson presented their case to Congress at a briefing in Washington, DC they had one goal in mind. The goal, which has been the focal point of Melson’s life since meeting Christan Zaccagnino 13 years ago, is to see her walk again. Zaccagnino suffered a diving accident as a child that left her paralyzed from the waist down and has been confined to a wheelchair ever since.

 

A major step for Zaccagnino being able to potentially walk again would be congress approving a clinical trial to take place in the United States focusing on non embryonic stem cell research. The trial, which samples random patients, includes surgery and rehabilitation with the end result hopefully being that person walking again. In China, this trial produced great results under the lead of Dr. Young and a number of the patients were able to walk again following surgery and three months therapy.

 

On June 22, Morton, Young and Melson emphatically presented their case at the Rayburn House OfficeBuilding in our nation’s capital.

 

With a packed room filled with interested parties, Dr. Morton, Director of Planning and Development for the Spinal Cord Injury Project, served as the moderator. Dr. Young, widely considered the best in the world for Spinal Cord Care, presented scientific data to support why the trial would be successful in America. Melson moved members of the audience and congress by detailing how he’s risked his life as a professional boxer to raise funds to cure Chronic Spinal Cord Injuries. Ms. Ida Cahill, CEO of Conqueor Paralysis now, and Dr. Balpreet Grewal-Virk, whose father was paralyzed during Hurricane Sandy, also gave heartfelt speeches.

 

Overall, each speaker played a key role by presenting different reasons why they believe the trial needs to take place and can be the reason hundreds of thousands of paralyzed Americans are able to walk again.

 

“Everything went perfectly,” said an ecstatic Melson. “Congressman Fattah really had our back too and I owe everybody who was there special thanks. Tuesday was one of the most important days of my entire life and even though we may be waiting a little bit for the word if this trial officially gets the green light, my confidence is at an all-time high. Members of congress understood the importance of these trials and the results fromChina presented by Dr. Young can’t be denied. If this briefing were a fight, it definitely would’ve been a knockout in our favor!”

 

For more information and updates, please visit Teamfighttowalk.com.

Melson to speak at Congressional Briefing in Washington!

New York, NY (June 17, 2015) – Since meeting Christian Zaccagnino in 2002, Captain Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson’s goal has been to see her walk again. In order to spearhead his efforts, Melson’s raised a significant amount of money by donating 100% of his fight purses to Team Fight to Walk while also helping run two successful charity galas.

 

Having literally been punched in the mouth for his efforts during a 17 bout pro career, Melson’s active efforts to see Christan walk again and cure Chronic Spinal Cord Injuries haven’t been easy.

 

On Tuesday, June 23, Melson will have the opportunity to lobby congress when he serves as a speaker at an upcoming Congressional Briefing at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC. Dr. Wise Young, a Neurosurgeon and world leading Spinal Cord regeneration researcher, will also be attending to discuss the progress and promise of clinical trials before Congressman Chaka Fattah. The trials could take place if all goes as planned.

 

“The bell is about to ring beginning the next round in this fight to help make the clinical trials take place. This is a mission I’ve put my whole life towards for my entire professional boxing career,” said a very emotional Melson. “We have worked extremely hard to get to this point with lobbying politicians, fundraising, awareness and so many other things. The truth is this is the biggest moment ever for Team Fight to Walk and the hundreds of thousands of Americans that suffer from Chronic Spinal Cord Injuries.”

 

“I truly believe that Representative Fattah will be amazed with what Dr. Young and I present to him. Dr. Young conducted this exact clinical trial in China a few years ago. The amazing results from the trial in Chinaare what we are trying to replicate here through the FDA’s approval to conduct this trial in America. I would love all of Team Fight to Walk’s loyal supporters to attend the briefing June 23rd.”

 

The briefing is being held in room 2226 of the Rayburn House Office Building, located at East Capitol St NE & First St SE, Washington, DC 20004.

 

For more information or to donate, please visit Teamfighttowalk.com. Any questions about the pending trial or briefing can be emailed to Bamstrong81@gmail.com.