I’ve been training down at Gleason’s Boxing Gym in Brooklyn for quite some time now. Home of the legends - Jake LaMotta trained there, Ali, 122 world champions in all. Last year I’ve run into Mike Tyson, who was doing his community service by training kids at Gleason’s. I watched sparring sessions by champs and contenders like Zab Judah, John Duddy or Asa Sandell. But none has a life’s story like my trainer David „Awesome“ Lawrence.
He’s been a professor of literature, produced a Jazz record with Nina Simone’s brother, became a multimillionaire, invented White Collar Boxing, used to come to Gleason’s in a chauffeured Rolls, put out some rap records as ‚The Renegade Jew’, became a boxing pro in his 40s, broke Kurtis Blow’s ribs in a hip hop boxing match, was investigated for some fraud and tax evasions, went to prison for a couple of years, got out, started the rap group The Lost Trybe Of Hip Hop, went from true liberal to true conservative, which makes debating him almost as much fun as sparring (we were exchanging ideological jabs in the comment sections of some posts on this blog a few months back). Now he’s mainly focusing on poetry and coaching. He started to write about his experiences again. Which makes a really great read. Which is why it's best to read and hear about it in his own words:
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Read David Lawrence’s essay about his way to and time right after prison - Between Two Drives
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