May 9, 2007


Amateur boxing financed by passion

BY BRIAN McCALLUM
FLORIDA TODAY

Bob Nicholson will be at the Cocoa Expo Arena each day this week,
officiating boxing and performing other duties as needed to run the
USA Boxing Eastern Trials.

Last week, it was Chattanooga, Tenn., and though that trip was paid
for because Nicholson was invited to work, his typical involvement in
boxing is financed out of another place: his own pocket.

"I love the sport, love the kids," Nicholson said. "Most of the
(events), you pay your way and take care of yourself."

This week, it's easy. Nicholson, the registration chairman for USA
Boxing in Florida, is a Merritt Island resident and won't need a
hotel. He's been involved in boxing since 1995 and is retired from
the aerospace industry. He plans to be involved in the sport "just as
long as I can stand," and it will continue to make demands of his
wallet and time.

"My wife tells me I'll only be home for a full 24-hour day three days
this month," he said.

Other events in May include the Western Trials in Salt Lake City, and
he plans to be there. Nicholson, the USA Boxing Official of the Year
last year, said he once put 60,000 miles on a new car in one year
with his boxing travels, mostly to Tampa and Naples.

Rob Burwell has been running Christian Warriors Boxing out of Orlando
for 13 years. He was mostly a kickboxer and does teach some of that,
but he got involved in boxing as a ministry once he became a
Christian.

"I was really bad. I mean really bad," he said of his former
behavior. "God put it on my heart to do this for kids."

He has five children of his own and is training four boxers in this
week's trials. He regularly has young fighters he's found in rough
situations living with him -- always at least one and up to four at a
time -- and has even divided his living room into two additional
bedrooms at times. He occasionally makes a little money from the
boxers he's tutored to professional status, but the bulk of his work
is with youngsters who come from family situations that don't allow
for them to pay him. He said the only payment he receives from most
of them is good grades and good behavior.

"This is the job (God) wants me to do, and He always keeps me
afloat," Burwell said. "We never, in the beginning, knew where the
money was going to come from. Now, I don't even worry about it."

Burwell and his family clean homes and offices to pay bills, but much
of his time is spent on his own property, where he has a covered
pavilion with a ring and some equipment. He started with just a rug
in the yard.

His wife, Tammy, was also an amateur fighter, and Burwell admits some
of their interest in working with young fighters is keeping in touch
with the sport they love.

"That's a lot of it," he said. "Boxing is a very addictive sport. You
either love it or you hate it, and if you love it, you really love
it."

USA Boxing provides stipends for the top four boxers in each of 11
weight classes based on their finish at the national championships
each year, but they must pay their own way to get that far. Through
its 56 local boxing committees, USA Boxing's main funding for
amateurs is providing insurance coverage to its membership and to
events.

Local trainer Johnny Hernandez doesn't support himself with his
training, either. He works for Health First and does the training on
his own time.

"As coaches, very, very, very few will get paid," he said. "It's a
passion. You're a volunteer to help the community."

Contact McCallum at 242-3698 or bmccallum@...

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