Bengal News West Reporters
Boxers at the West Side Boxing Club
get a smile from ear to ear when they see local pro boxer, Anges Adjaho walk in
to train with them.
“Boxing is my life,” said Adjaho. “If
I’m not training, I’m training the kids. They’re like my family here.”
Adjaho was an Olympic talented
boxer. He trains professionally and is currently training for a fight that
could put him back on the map to compete for a welterweight title. When he
doesn’t train he helps with other amateur boxers and beginners to give them
advice on what it takes to become a pro.
“They look up to him as a role model,” said trainer Andrew
Upchurch. “He has an amazing effect on the amateurs. They look to him for
pointers in the sport because of his experience. He shares his wealth of
knowledge of boxing with the rest of the boxers in the club.”
Adjaho emerged as a professional
boxer back in Benin, Africa. He had his first 20 matches in
Africa and was recognized as one of the great boxers to come out of the country
due to his undefeated record and a three time African champion.
He says he always wanted to be an
Olympic champion. He was strongly encouraged to start boxing from his father,
who was also the coach for Benin’s Olympic national boxing team, according to
number1contender.net Adjaho was Benin’s only qualifier for the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympiad. However, with Benin being so poor, the country could not afford to send
Adjaho to the Olympics.
Adjaho moved to the United States
after being discovered by the boxing promoter Don King. Adjaho moved to live with King in Cleveland, Ohio after he signed a
contract with him to fight in the United States. He faced professional fighters
such as Shawn Porter, Antoio DeMarco and Joel Julio. Adjaho was even featured
on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights. Adjaho didn’t
agree with some of King's requirements after the contract was signed.
“When I came to the United States
with Don it didn’t work out like I thought,” Adjaho said. “Sometimes I would
fight only once a year when we agreed on three fights per year, and so he
eventually dropped me down.”
Adjaho has lost his past three
fights. Andrew Upchurch is one of the head trainers at the West Side Boxing
Club. Upchurch says Adjaho brings such a great upside to the area and the club.
He’s had opportunities to be a
number one contender, but in order to get a decent paycheck you need to win
those fights. Unfortunately with the fights not going in his favor, he is
forced to work outside of his boxing career.
Adjaho eventually came to the West
Side when he met head trainer of West Side Boxing club, Ricky Diaz. Adjaho said
he likes living on the West Side. He said he loves the facility he works out at
and that it reminds him of home. He has become a great influence on some of the
Amateur and beginner boxers that participate in the club.
“He helps with everything. He will do any thing that we ask,”
said 17-year-old beginner boxer, Benjamin Serrano. “You look up to him. You
admire to him. Its not often you get to train in the same gym with a pro.”
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