CA.TSKILL BOXING CLUB WEST

Jim Mongey

Head Trainer/Coach

 Registered Member #629986

In 1976 Our local priest was very much into boxing and was building a makeshift boxing ring behind the local church. Somehow I was lured into the boxing ring with another local kid from the neighborhood and got walloped in the mid section. Death seemed to be the easier way out at the moment. I quickly realized I was never going to be a boxer. This was also the same summer that "Rocky" the movie came out.. What kid was not inspired by that movie..? Later in 1978 I was at a Green Mountain race track in Vermont when I noticed a boxing ring in the middle on the infield of the track. My Dad said they were going to have amateur boxing there after the races. After the races I notices a few guys I went to school with In Catskill, New York.. I asked "Hey, What are you guys doing here?? Were boxing this evening.. I was really taken at how professional everyone looked. Unknwown to me at the time my father knew Teddy Atlas their coach from the Catskill. While Teddy was talking to my dad. Teddy had asked me "how come you don't come to the gym.?" I said, I'll come check it out when we got back to town. Well, I was so anxious to get to that gym. It was a few days later. I found my way to the third floor of the Catskill Police Station, where the Catskill boxing gym still is today. I met with Teddy and Cus.. Cus told me to sit and watch.. At the time never heard of Cus D'Amato.. I knew who Floyd Patterson was.. but didn't follow boxing. Cus sat down next to me and asked me all kinds of questions. He told me to watch as watching is the most impotant part of boxing, "watching was learning". Well... I watched, for over two weeks.. I was about to leave and never come back,  I wasn't going to just watch boxing forever, everynight I would watch for over three hours everynight, seven days a week. When one night I was saying goodnight to everyone and Teddy told me. "Hey bring my trunks tomorrow, I'll start working with you". Later to find out, they thought I would quit. They sat me there for two weeks to see if I would quit?? They wanted to see if I was really serious about training. and to see if I would show up everyday, and sit there for three to four hours.. Little did they know, that night was going to be my last night of watching, but became the begining of my passion.. I went on to have an undeafeated amatuer career. Never turned pro, but trained with many sucessfull amateur fighters and sparred with many great pro fighters. How lucky could I get to be trained by greatest trainers in the business. There are no words to discribe the thanks, caring, and nurturing they gave to me.

Thank you, Cus D'Amato, Teddy Atlas, and Kevin Rooney