Champs at Boxing Club Bash!

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Special Guests at Annual BBQGroupPic

It was a knockout celebration for the Burbank Boxing Club’s (BBC) 18th Anniversary held Sunday in sunny SoCal. Hosted by Head Coach and Founder Steve Harpst and his team of amateur fighters, the annual bash featured a BBQ cookout, potluck-style buffet, games, prizes and special presentations.

VIP guests included WBC and NABF Bantamweight Champ Wayne McCullough (also an Olympic Silver Medalist), WBC, NABF and IBF Super Bantamweight Champ Israel “Magnifico” Vazquez, boxing promoter and Hall of Famer Ken Thompson (Thompson Boxing Promotions), pro fighters Oscar Godoy and Ramon Cardenas, California Boxing Hall of Fame President Don Fraser, singer/dancer/actress Wy Mac, World Boxing Council (WBC) Supervisor Rudy Tellez (also known as the “Mouthpiece Doctor”), Golden State Boxers’ Association President (GSBA) Bill Young, GSBA Vice President Linda Young, Everlast Women’s National Champion Krysti Rosario (currently a USA Boxing and AIBA official), amateur fighter Jill Morley (filmmaker/writer of “Fight Like A Girl”), dancer Gary Lai, musician Denise Fraser and more.

This “BBQ with the Champs” featured perfect weather and great camaraderie as the pro boxing crowd mingled with the young amateur fighters in attendance. Through the years, Coach Steve has seen many men, women, teens and children train with the club (out of the Burbank Community YMCA). In a friendly environment, he’s always happy to see charter members from the club’s earliest years come back to visit. One of the inaugural members is Juan Guillen, who began with the club years ago before serving in the military. Now a successful businessman, Guillen will be running for Burbank City Council. He was one of the very first people to arrive at the park and he and Harpst reminisced about the early years in the gym.

In the past decade and more, Coach Steve (who is a boxing trainer and sculptor of sports bronzes) has had fighters compete locally at USA Boxing shows and has also taken teams to Nevada, Arizona and Canada. A multiple winner of “Best Fitness Instructor,” Harpst has promoted amateur shows of his own and enjoys working with the youth. The team recently competed in the Blue & Gold Tournament and the Oxnard Adidas PAL Championships.

While there was no live boxing at the BBQ, there was a fierce water balloon competition! Promoter Ken Thompson took his place in a long line of “Champion’s Row” of participants gearing up for bragging rights of the annual water balloon toss. Thompson partnered up with teenager Armand, a member of the Burbank Boxing Club. The duo were finalists in a tough back-and-forth brawl. In the end, it was champion Wayne McCullough and Al Avalos (from Thompson Boxing Promotions) in third place, amateur champ Krysti Rosario and Nico nabbing second place with Denise Fraser and Wanda winning first place honors.

Additional highlights from the boxing and Halloween-themed bash included a prize raffle with grand prizes including ringside tickets to Thompson’s “New Blood” October 24 show, Cartoon Network collectibles (items not sold to the public) courtesy of BBC member Bill Flores, gift certificates from The Gastrobus (Antonio Medina) and a boxing glove autographed by all in attendance.

Another big highlight for the guests was Rudy Tellez (in association with WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman and WBC Cares’ Jill Diamond) surprising the kids with WBC patches and stickers. Tellez and Wayne McCullough also unveiled championship belts that the attendees got to check out up close and personal. Coach Steve and Rudy also presented BBC member Sean Ford with a WBC T-shirt for his dedication to the club.

“It’s great to have everyone get together,” trainer Harpst said. “Our fighters really enjoy meeting the champs, and in turn, the pro fighters are a real inspiration to our young amateurs.”

ChampsGroupThe youngsters and teens got to chat with Wayne “Pocket Rocket” McCullough, who was there with wife/manager Cheryl and their 16-year-old daughter (and rising star in show biz) Wynona Leigh, known as “Wy Mac.” The talented teen was also declared “Queen of the Beads” as she won the beads game and the coveted first pick in the prize raffle.

Wayne and his family were a big hit with the crowd. The Pride of Belfast’s McCullough represented Ireland in the Seoul Olympic Games as well as the Barcelona Games (where he won Silver). Wayne gave the amateurs some words of wisdom and encouragement to make their own dreams come true. He is currently working as a boxing trainer (Box ‘N Burn) and is also a well-regarded commentator and author.

Boxing veteran Don Fraser enjoyed seeing the champs at the picnic in the park. Don is founder of the California Boxing Hall of Fame and his prestigious awards show is coming up on October 25. Fraser has held almost every job in the sport and is still dedicated to honoring the luminaries in boxing. He has attended many of the BBC BBQs and Harpst says it’s always an honor to have Don at this function.

This yearly gathering is a fun one for all the families involved in the boxing club and the special invited guests. Ken Thompson and wife Vera said: “We enjoyed every minute there. A nice turn out and we loved meeting the young boxers!”

Champ Israel Vazquez also had a good time at the BBQ cookout. The popular slugger (and current trainer at his El Magnifico Boxing Gym) had a great team with him including wife Laura, their kids Israel Jr., Anthony and Zoe, brother-in-law Jaden Diaz, and pro boxers Oscar Godoy and Ramon Cardenas. The Burbank locals were wide-eyed with excitement when they saw prizefighters Israel and Wayne arrive at the event.

And there was even a friendly ‘face off’ between WBC titlists Vazquez and McCullough! Back in 2006 there was talk of the bantamweight and super bantam possibly squaring off in a bout. But alas, the fight did not materialize and at the weekend fiesta, the pair of punchers enjoyed reconnecting outside the boxing ring.

There was plenty of food for “Round 2” as the BBQ Chef for the day Maya Roseman (co-trainer and amateur fighter) kept the grill hot with fresh ribs, chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs for all.

While the fighters indulged in a delicious potluck, they vowed to hit the gym the next day.

All in all, it was a KO day in the park celebrating 18 years with the Burbank Boxing Club!

Photos by Michele Chong

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Michele Chong has been involved in the sport of boxing for over a decade. Her “Chatter Box” column covers a variety of subjects in both professional and amateur boxing, and features exclusive one-on-one interviews, recaps of fight events, shows and tournaments, book/film reviews and much more. Inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame in 2008, she is also a member of the World Boxing Hall of Fame, Golden State Boxer’s Association and the Burbank Boxing Club. Michele is also involved in many non-profit and charitable organizations.