Posts Tagged ‘Jake Giuriceo’

Jake Giuriceo came into his Universal Boxing Organization Championship Fight against Bryne Green in top shape.  When the ten round fight ended, Giuriceo was still fresh and full of energy.  The Bull has the conditioning regimen of a champion, now he has a belt to go with it.  In a unanimous decision, Giuriceo garnered his first piece of hardware and can now be referred to as a champion in boxing circles.

“I knew we had to go ten rounds tonight,”said Giuriceo.  “Frankie [Duarte] told me ‘you have ten rounds to work this kid‘.  I came on stronger and stronger with each round.  I felt like my left hand was going to work tonight.  It is amazing to be a champion, I don’t know where I would be.  I can’t thank God enough for the people he has put in my life, the way he has orchestrated my team, it is really amazing.”

The Welterweight bout started off with a typical first round of two fighters trying to dictate the pace.  Both Giuriceo and Green established they could jab.  In the second and third round, it almost seemed like a contest of who could control the pace.  Green was effectively counterpunching Giuriceo, but The Bull was throwing, and landing, jabs with good accuracy in piling up at least two of the first three rounds.

In the middle rounds, Giuriceo started working the body and using uppercuts to stop Green from covering up his face with both gloves.  As the fight progressed, it became obvious that Giuriceo was not tiring, not in the least.  To start the fourth round, I would estimate that Giuriceo threw at least 30 punches in the first minute.  Constant motion and deception mixed in between every punch.

The ninth and tenth rounds were new territory in Giuriceo’s career.  Stamina will never be a problem for The Bull.  As this fight went on, somehow his energy level seemed to continue rising with each passing round.  The tenth round was Giuriceo’s best of the fight.  A fair estimation was about a 3:1 ratio of punches thrown in favor of Giuriceo.

After the fight, Giuriceo was handed the belt that his 14 wins have earned him.  The jubilant, newly crowned champion was ecstatic and did a little in-ring announcing of his future plans.

“I am going to take some time off and marry my fiance, Jackie Mazias.  We are going to get married on May 20, and I am going to be a very happy man.  There are rumors that I might be on an ESPN show early next year, but I don’t like to spread rumors.”

Giuriceo told me after the fight that his wedding reception would be at St. Lucy’s, the same venue that this fight took place in.  The wedding itself will take place at Giuriceo’s church, Metro Assembly.

“I might wear the belt to the wedding.”

“I talked in the locker room before the fight about the sparring I had in California”, said Giuriceo.  “I worked with Ponce de Leon, John John Molina, and many other great fighters.  There was no way I was going to come here tonight and lose to this kid.  I was hoping for an easier night, couldn’t finish maybe the way I wanted to.  I felt excellent during every round, I felt like I won every round.  I even think the scoring was a little off, except for the one judge who had me losing only one round.”

The official scoring for the fight was 99-91, 96-94, and 97-93, all for Jake Giuriceo.

“I feel like I landed some great shots tonight.  I can hear the noises as I punch, the grunts and groans.  I just have to learn to be more accurate.  My opponent tonight was tough, he just upset an undefeated fighter in his very last fight.  He came here to win this belt tonight. If I had to grade my performance, I would say I get a B+, the only reason it isn’t an ‘A’ is because I thought I could have stayed closer to him longer, making it more of a Giuriceo type fight. I let him off a little and I shouldn’t have.”

Joe Corvino, the multi-tasking leader, has something in Giuriceo that few find.  A pure marketability that this sport needs right now.  The handlers, Giuriceo, and Corvino will all be sure to strike while the iron is hot.  Keith Burnside and Duarte will continue to physically shape him.  His bride-to-be will help keep his emotions in check.  God will continue to be the battery that propels him.

For Jake Giuriceo, UBO Champion, the iron has never been hotter.

As I sat at a Perkins Restaurant with Jake Giuriceo and his manager, Joe Corvino, the different phases and a progression of expectations were pretty well outlined to me by both men.  As your career as a boxer grows, the rounds you fight increases.  As you train and master skills, you work hard to develop new tactics to remain unpredictable.  Giuriceo has a unique mindset, very much against the typical athletic stereotype.  He is pretty quiet, but talks when you get him going a little.  He has very strong beliefs and holds sacred his religious values – a rare mix.

Paneech: I said earlier that the mix of boxing and religion could seem barbaric to some, which you quoted a passage in the Bible to counter with.  Do your Christian acquaintances come to the fights?

Giuriceo: Oh yeah.  They are very supportive and a lot of them do come to the fights.  My pastor comes to the fights.  We group up in the locker room and pray before the fight.  I can’t say that everybody from my church comes because I am not that close with everyone that goes, but there are quite a few people from that avenue who support me when I fight.  As far as praying with people that I work out with goes, there are a few guys at the gym – Dunner, Big Shawn – we talk a lot.

Paneech: Do you feel like you could be an ambassador to spread the message you believe so strongly in?

Giuriceo:  I believe that God called me to boxing. I also believe that I shine the light of Jesus on everything that I do and by winning these fights, I believe that I am doing exactly that, being somewhat of an ambassador.  I would rather see somebody go to heaven than me winning a fight, it’s definitely more important.  That doesn’t mean that I am not going to work as hard, or go lose a fight so somebody might get to heaven, it just means that you never want to see anyone die and go to hell.  You don’t want to see that.  At the end of Matthew, you have the great commission, we are told to spread the word of Christ.  So many things have been changed.  I’m not a guy that could stand in front of a crowd and give a sermon, that’s not me.  This is the way I do it.

Paneech: Have you ever thought about adding a religious side note to your name.  Something like “Sugar” Ray Robinson… like Jake “The Apostle” Giuriceo?

Giuriceo: (laughs)  No, I haven’t thought of doing anything like that.  One thing I am doing though is on my next t-shirt, on the back I want them to say ‘Blood, Sweat, and Prayers’, because I believe that is everything that I put into this.

Paneech: You have a unique situation in your training.  You will go to California and work with Frank Duarte (above) for about five weeks, and then when you come home, you work with Keith Burnside.  How do you sort through what two different trainers tell you and decide what is best for Jake?

Giuriceo: That is actually a pretty easy question.  Whoever is my lead trainer at the time is who I listen to.  For the first nine fights, I worked very good with Keith and listened to everything that he told me to do.  When I went to California and started working with Frankie, for the last four fights, I listen to Frank.  I am out there for five weeks with him.  If Keith and Frank have a disagreement on something, we get them together and try to work it out.  Ultimately though, I am working more with Frank now, so I have to listen to what he is telling me to do.  I listen to the head trainer who is training me for my next fight, and the last four, it has been Frankie.

Paneech: How has Keith reacted to having to take a backseat to Frank with the current arrangement?

Giuriceo: The great thing about our team, is that we are actually a team.  We want to do everything together.  I don’t really hear any complaining from Keith or Frank.  They keep it between themselves and Joe [Corvino] and keep it away from me.  We work together, and if it is a situation that they need my input, they will pull me in and ask me what I think.  Realistically, Keith is one of the guys that pushed me to go to California.  He was honest and up front with me and told me there was only so far he was going to be able to take me.  Keith is a great guy, like a father-son type relationship, and they all really want the best for me.  Anything he can do to be there for me he does.  People say things to get into his head.  Sometimes it gets hard because Keith and Frankie miscommunicate.  Sometimes Frankie doesn’t answer the phone, sometimes Keith never calls.  It goes both ways, maybe a little power trip on both ends.

Paneech: Joe Corvino is someone who is very involved in your career.  You have told me that he is a good guy and that he has done great things for you.  Expand on his role in your betterment.

Giuriceo: Joe is my boxing manager/promoter/father/public relations guy (laughs) – he really does everything.  There isn’t anything that Joe does not do.  We have built a solid relationship because of boxing.  He runs his business like a family, which is why he is in the lead role of my team.  When I go to California, he foots the bill or I wouldn’t eat over there.  He takes care of me, I work part time for him.  It is hard to find a job where you can leave for months at a time and just come back, he took care of that for me.  He helps me in all aspects and I love him.

Paneech: How supportive are your family, friends, future wife, future in-laws, and everyone else?  It’s nice when you are winning, but those people will be there for you in the end.  How supportive are they as you ascend?

Giuriceo: My family is pretty small.  There is really only my mom, two brothers, and an uncle.  I have a few aunts that are here and there, but they all love me and are very supportive, and it is nice to know they will always be there, no matter what happens.  The family that I am marrying into is absolutely awesome.  My fiance is very family-oriented.  We go to those birthday parties and there are twenty or thirty people there.  They have embraced me and love me as long as I treat Jackie right.  My closest friends are just people I share my Faith with.  The close friends I had growing up, I only associate with about three or four of them.  The whole big group is very supportive though.

Paneech: Joe said maybe doing some stuff out of town to increase exposure, maybe grab some television time.  What is on the recent agenda?

Giuriceo: My next fight is on November 19 and will be for a UBO Lightweight Title.  It is a vacant title that we will be fighting for over at St. Lucy’s in Campbell.  The card is called November Fury and is being put on by Mike Cefalde and Lights Out Promotions.  It is to be the biggest fight of my career,so far.

That career can extend quite a ways if Team Giuriceo can start to grab that bigger spotlight.  Win or lose, Giuriceo has the heart and spirit of any athlete I have ever interviewed.  He is someone that large circle of friends and relatives can be proud of for his beliefs, his Faith, and his never say stop work ethic.

There will be a complete preview for the November 19 card here next week.

Anthony Pientrantonio went to New York’s biggest venue to box, an accomplishment that few can put on their resume.  Madison Square Garden is the big leagues, and Pientrantonio saw his fight against Sean Monoghan as a big opportunity. Unfortunately, the Sharon, PA native could not pull off the upset and was defeated by TKO in the fifth round.

Monoghan (10-0) is a lot like John Duddy.  He is from Ireland, and is a good draw when fighting in New York.  Duddy was exposed by Billy Lyell before he got too big. Duddy has since retired at the age of 32 and owns a bar in New York now.

Pientrantonio (7-8) knew he was an underdog going in, but felt like he might be able to pull the unthinkable off, but no such luck.  Pietrantonio trains at the Southside Boxing Club under the watchful eye of Jack Loew and can take some punches, which makes a statement about Monoghan being a little better than Duddy when it all shakes out.

Lots of upcoming boxing stories including Jake Giuriceo‘s November 19th bout, Kelly Pavlik‘s rumored split from Jack Loew, a feature piece on Popo Salinas, and Jack Loew‘s night before Thanksgiving Show.

Lights Out  Management and Inside Boxing are gearing up for what looks to be a terrific boxing card on November 19.  The fights will take place at St. Lucy’s Assumption Center in Campbell.  Jake Giuriceo will headline the card as he goes for his first belt, the UBO All-American Lightweight title.  Several other local boxers are listed to be on the card.

Giuriceo (13-0-1) will face stiff competition in his first quest for national respect.  The Bull is set to take on Bryne Green (7-4-1) who fights out of Finland, New Jersey.  Don’t let Green’s record deceive you.  In his last three fights, Green beat a fighter who came in at 4-0, received a draw verdict against an opponent who was 5-2, and won his last fight against a fighter who was 14-4.  This will be no cake walk for Giuriceo.

Other fighters, some local, who are set to appear at the event include Chris Koval, Juan Salinas, Marco Hall, Vincent O’Neil, Wilkins Santiago, and Dante Moore.  The fight will be the second with Mike Cefalde calling the shots for Lights Out.  Giuriceo headlined a good card at Cene Park in August for Cefalde.

Tickets for the event are available at Patsy’s Bar, First Choice Rentals, The Wine Cellar, Check-N-Go, and Jensen Lock & Alarm.

More details leading up to the event will be posted as I get them.

Jake Giuriceo‘s stock is on the rise. The young boxer from Campbell, Ohio is winning fights and looking impressive in the process. ‘The Bull’, as he has been nicknamed, is 13-0-1 as a professional and looks better than the last fight each time I see him. Part of his success can be attributed to good management with Joe Corvino at the helm, good training with Frank Duarte and Keith Burnside splitting the responsibilities, work ethic, and a fiance who believes in him. The other part of his success is a direct result in his strong Faith and religious beliefs.

On a rainy and gloomy night, I met Guiriceo and Corvino at a local restaurant where we conducted a lengthy interview that will be broken down into three segments. I learned a lot about the charismatic young man who signed autographs for young fans who recognized him that night. I learned how focused he is on getting himself to become the best possible boxer he can be. I asked questions about religion because I have heard that Giuriceo is a very spiritual being.

Here is the first part of the Jake Giuriceo trilogy, which focuses mostly on his love of Jesus Christ and his teachings.

Paneech: Some see boxing as a barbaric sport. Some see religion as a tranquil non-violent and non-combative practice. How do the two mix in your life?

Giuriceo: That is a hard question to answer. I am going to just speak freely on the mixture of the two. What I am is a follower of Jesus Christ. My church affiliation is an Assembly of God where we strictly follow the Bible and nothing else. I am a Christian at heart. Nowhere in the Bible does it tell you not to box. Actually, there is a passage in the Bible where Paul in First Corinthians 9:26, quotes boxing. It is not barbaric to the point where it demeans religion.

Paneech: Have you faced adversity because you are so open about your beliefs?

Giuriceo: Face-to-face nobody has ever said anything to me. Aside from the time that I wore the Jesus trunks (above photo), where Jesus’ name was on my trunks eleven times and I did catch some adversity, I haven’t really had an issue with anyone. The Lord has blessed me and it has been a really good and smooth career. As far as the boxing and religion mixing, it is simple, I put The Lord first in everything that I do. The Bible tells you to put God first with all heart, mind, body, and soul, and everything else falls into place. I give 100% in the gym at all times. The Lord tells you to give 100% at all times, don’t slack or just go through the motions. There is no problem with it.

Paneech: Let me rephrase it then so you see the question from a different angle. Let’s say you had a bad day in the past couple of months. You are at a point in the day where you are going to either say, ‘I am going to the gym to work my frustration out’, or, ‘I am going to go home and get into my Bible’, which route do you go?

Giuriceo: It would depend on what time of the day it is. If it is time to go to the gym, than I am going to go to the gym. When I get done at the gym, I will go home and read my Bible. If I go to the gym and come home frustrated, I will go home and read my Bible. I do both. I know I am beating around the bush and not answering the question, but I really do both, and that is my honest answer. If I am driving down the road at three-thirty, I know I have to go to the gym. Maybe I will stop and pray first, I always pray before my workouts anyway. I stay in contact with God 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I don’t necessarily need a Bible in my hands to stay in touch.

Giuriceo is genuinely persuaded by his religious beliefs and I admire the way he handles himself under any circumstance. His Faith is real and those around him could not begin to tell you that there is no gimmick in his prayers. He would be thankful and religious without boxing and should be an inspiration to those who take shortcuts in life and make excuses of never having enough time to read scripture.

In Part Two next week, we will talk about boxing, the dual-trainer situation, the future, and the expectations.

In the main event of the Lights Out Production boxing card, Campbell’s Jake ‘The Bull’ Giuriceo (left) squared off against Ramesis Gil.  Giuriceo had a slow first round but dictated the tempo for the duration of the bout and rode that momentum to his 13th victory against zero losses.

In the first round, Gil hit Giuriceo with a couple of solid shots in the early going.  Giuriceo showed no ill-effects of the shots he was taking and by the end of the round, he landed a nifty combination of his own.  However, I would award the first round to Gil.

Rounds two and three saw some serious leather exchanges between the two fighters.  It was an even round, one that makes me happy that I am not a judge.  I would say crowd reaction on the evenness was enough to give Giuriceo the rounds.

Giuriceo had his best round of the fight in the fourth when he staggered Gil with a combination.  Giuriceo caught fewer punches in the fourth than he had in any of the previous rounds and landed more than he probably had in the first three rounds combined.  Big round for The Bull.

In the fifth round, Giuriceo continued connecting and notched another round.  In the sixth, The Bull hurt Gil in a neutral corner with a spectacular flurry of punches.  Gil spent much of the sixth round running rather than engaging.  Giuriceo was ahead at least four rounds to two.

In the eighth and final round, Giuriceo was in a good position.  Gil’s corner had to be telling him he needed to knock Giuriceo out to win. Giuriceo showed good poise, knowing that he was fighting with a lead.  He was not hasty to get in and punch.  He did enough to maintain his lead in that final round.

The judges scored the fight 77-75, 78-74, and 78-74, for the winner by unanimous decision, Jake Giuriceo.

“I felt better than usual in the ring.  I thought I landed more punches even though I caught a few”, commented Giuriceo. “He did a lot of running in the late rounds, he went southpaw for a couple of rounds, and it was a great experience against a very tough opponent.”

When asked if there are conflicts between Frank Duarte and Keith Burnside as co-trainers, Giuriceo gave a good answer.  “There are obviously conflicts sometimes.  It is the best of both worlds though, and I am blessed to have two great guys helping me.  They can disagree, but it works itself out.  We stick to what works best.”

Giuriceo improved to 13-0-1 with 3 KO’s.  Gil fell to 6-3-4 and has nothing to be ashamed of, he took all Giuriceo had to offer tonight.

*Photos Courtesy of Ron Stevens

On Saturday night, Ramesis Gil and Jake Giuriceo will lock horns at Cene Park.  Giuriceo, pictured above with Frank Duarte, will be looking to run his record to 13-0.  Gil is no putz. He has lost to two fighters with combined records of 29-0.  He also scored a first round KO over a 7-1 fighter and has been tough.

Giuriceo is on the brink of national attention.  He won last month in a slugfest at the Covelli Centre and looks to be in line, results of this fight pending, for a step up the ladder and a potential championship match in October on another Lights Out Productions card.

Gil talked about his trip to Youngstown.  “I am here to fight ‘The Bull’. I am the bullfighter. I feel really good and have been training hard for a good fight, I want to make a statement and show the people what I can do.”

Giuriceo also feels good.  After intensive training and sparring in California under the watchful eye of Duarte, The Bull is ready to charge forward in his career.  Should be a good fight and a decent undercard to lead into this Main Event.

Cefalde spoke about potential weather hazards.  “If it rains, the entire ring will be covered by a giant tent and the perimeter will stay dry.  It is going to happen nd we might have a slight delay, but you can bet that everything is in place.  Two days ago, it was 70 percent, today I heard 40 percent and it wasn’t supposed to start until later Saturday night, who knows?  Either way, we are ready.”

Lights Out Productions, a locally-run company, is unveiling a boxing card called “Destruction On The Diamond” this Saturday at Cene Park.  Jake Giuriceo will headline the card as he takes on Ramesis Gil in the main event.

Giuriceo was unsure who he would be fighting until Sunday when Gil was named his opponent.  Mike Cefalde and company have scoured the talent pool in finding a good foe for Giuriceo, who returned from California late Saturday night.

Giuriceo (12-0) has been working with Frank Duarte on the West Coast.  “It’s good that Jake is getting some work with Frank [Duarte]”, echoed Cefalde.  “He is sparring some of the best competition in the world while he is there and Frank is really working hard to sharpen him up.”

Gil, who is a Dominican fighting out of Puerto Rico is 6-2-4.  His only two losses came to a fighter who was 17-0 and a 12-round decision loss to an opponent with a record of 12-0.  He beat a fighter with a 7-1 record last time out with a first round barrage to earn a quality knockout over a quality opponent.

A co-feature on the card, pits popular Cleveland  native Miguel “Silky Smooth” Gonzalez (18-2, 4 KO’s) against Tyrone Harris (24-7).  These two light welterweights should have quite a battle.  Cefalde hinted that Gonzalez will bring quite a following from Cleveland and said landing him for this particular card was huge.

Chris Koval, of Austintown, gets back into the ring after 14 months of inactivity.  Koval returns in much better condition, down about 75 pounds, for his fight against James Porter.  Koval comes in with a record of 24-7 with 18 KO’s.

Besides the Koval – Porter heavyweight battle, there are two more matches scheduled for the big boys.  Nicolai Firtha squares off against Ross Thompson in a six-round match.  Jasson Massie will step in to face Mujaheed Moore in a four-round heavyweight fight.

Aaron Dufour and Paul Parker will meet in a light heavyweight match.

Also set to compete on the card are light middleweight, Dante Moore, and Nicole Woods, a female lightweight (not against each other).

Tickets are $15 for bleacher seats, $25 for general admission, and $50 for ringside.  You can get tickets at Patsy’s, Crickets, Dona Vito’s, and the Wine Cellar.

For more information, contact Mike Cefalde at (330) 787-4228.

People on the inside recognize the name of Frank Duarte.  Duarte was an active professional boxer from 1973-1989.  He was once the number two ranked Bantamweight in the world.  Keep in mind, in those days there were only really two governing bodies controlling boxing – the WBA and WBC, so it was much harder to be highly ranked.  In his career, Duarte compiled an impressive record of 47-8-1.

After he left boxing, Duarte took on a new profession — cutting hair as a California barber.  “When I was cutting hair, I would really question myself as to why I was now a barber.  I missed boxing.  I started giving private boxing lessons and eventually quit the hair business.”

One of Duarte’s biggest fights was against Bernardo Pinango.  “It was a good fight”, recalled Duarte.  “I was 32 years old and it was my first title shot.  I knocked him down in the 12th round and he had three points taken away for low blows. Unfortunately, the three South American judges scoring the fight awarded Pinango with the decision.  I was never really hurt or dazed in that fight and it was one of the last 15 round fights to ever take place before boxing went to 12 round fights.”

In conversations with Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Duarte was told about a young fighter from Campbell, Ohio named Jake Giuriceo.  “Ray would talk to me about Jake and thought that I would be able to make Jake better because Ray saw how I taught. In February of this year, Ray sent Jake to me after I had watched some video of his fights.  In those videos, I saw a very aggressive fighter who stayed active and liked to throw a lot of punches.  I picked up immediately that he needed to move his head and his feet more.  The possibilities for Jake were endless that first training camp in preparation for his Angel Hernandez fight.  He was not a complete or polished fighter yet, but there was so much potential there.”

Giuriceo said he is not distracted when he is at home and that he is training hard in California in preparation for his August 13 fight at Cene Park against George Mchedlishvili (8-4-1).  “It is easier to focus when I am here because I don’t have to worry about work and can concentrate strictly on boxing”, commentd Giuriceo from California.

Duarte disagreed with the distraction factor.  “Going into his last fight, he trained hard but there are things that mentally take him out of that zone.  He was trying to sell a car, looking for an apartment, and making phone calls a lot.  When he is here, there is really nothing else for him to do except focus and stay dedicated, both physically and mentally.  I expect him to look like a polished contender and he has added stuff each fight that I have gotten to work with him.  It started with head movement and  his footwork, it has now progressed to angles and sliding away from punches.  He eats right, runs daily, and lives a very clean lifestyle, physically he is where he needs to be. He has sparred with some great fighters here and I am really happy with his progress and attitude.”

Duarte will be in the Youngstown area for the fight on August 13.  He will work with Giuriceo and his local trainer, Keith Burnside, in the week leading up to the Cene Park card.  Mike Cefalde is promoting the event and it will mark the third time that Giuriceo has headlined for Cefalde.

Jake Giuriceo went into Friday’s bout against Winston Mathis hoping to get good work in preparation for a hedlining gig at Cene Park in August.  Giuriceo got his wish defeating Mathis by unanimous decision in their six round Jr. Welterweight contest.  Mathis was not a punching bag though and did give The Bull problems at times.

Giuriceo was the aggressor most of the fight and dictated both the pace and the action from almost bell to bell, every round.  Mathis caught a strong Giuriceo left hook about halfway through round three which triggered an arsenal of shots by Giuriceo over the last minute of the third.  By the end of the fourth, Giuriceo was tagging Mathis with some serious body shots, doubling over the Georgia native more than once.

The judges awarded Giuriceo (12-0-1) the decision with score of 60-54, 59-55, and 59-55.  The Campbell, Ohio fighter was sharp in his scoring made good decisions and was well trained for the contest.  Credit to Keith Burnside (below) and Joseph Corvino for keeping Giuriceo very focused in the days leading up to this match.

A very spiritual person, Giuriceo wore trunks that had “Jesus” name everywhere and in different colors and thanked God after the fight for getting through it without harm.

“He was a very tough opponent and knew when to hold and not to hold, I was surprised”, Commented Giuriceo afterwards.  “My heart made the difference.  I was standing there thinking, man, should I keep bouncing with this dude? He was a very tough opponent.  I feel really tuned up and ready for August.”

Giuriceo will headline an outdoor card at Cene Park on August 13.  When details become available, you can read them here.