Dewey Bozella and the spirit of boxing

ESPN’s ’26 Years: The Dewey Bozella Story’ is an inspiring tale of the indomitable human spirit. For those that have yet to see it, boxing fan or otherwise, it’s well worth a watch.

Dewey Bozella was a man wrongfully imprisoned for the 1977 murder of a 92-year old woman. He refused to acknowledge any role in the crime, even in front of a parole board that denied him freedom on four occasions.

In 2009, evidence surfaced that cleared Bozella’s name and he was finally released after serving 26 years.

Whilst imprisoned, Bozella took up boxing as part of the prison’s rehabilitation program, showing a natural talent for the sport. His dream upon his release was to fight one professional bout – to find out what it was like to a be a pro, an opportunity that the justice system had denied him.

His wish was granted in October 2011 on the undercard of the Bernard Hopkins vs. Chad Dawson match-up. He defeated Larry Hopkins in a four-round unanimous decision and retired the way he’s always lived-battered but unbeaten.

Bozella’s remarkable story reminds me of why I continue to defend this noble sport. Boxing is an underdog’s game.

Rarely will you find a professional pugilist who grew up behind a white picket fence. No, this sport is reserved for the Manny Pacquiao’s who came from third-world poverty. For the Oscar De La Hoya’s who subsisted on government food stamps growing up. For the Dewey Bozella’s who have faced injustice at every turn.

Is boxing perfect? No. To say that it’s place in society is morally grounded would be questionable, too. It’s a sport that maims.

And yet, it’s provided a safe haven for many a wayward youth. Young thugs like Mike Tyson and Jeff Fenech channelled their rebellious energy towards gym workouts. Meldrick Taylor was kept safe from street fights in his native Philadelphia due to his reputation as an amateur.

Ex-cons like Hopkins and Dwight Muhammad Qawi used it as a tool to rehabilitate their criminal ways. Yes it maims, but so do many other things in this imperfect world.

For these individuals, boxing provided a means of escaping the harsh realities of life. It’s the Rocky Balboa cliché of the hero literally punching his way to greener pastures.

The punishments they take inside the ring are comforting compared to the beatings that life has dealt them. Yes it maims, but you don’t hear Muhammad Ali or Freddie Roach complaining.

In Bozella’s own words, “Everyday I had to ask myself, how do I survive this nightmare (in prison)? A place where hate and anger are the order of the day.

“I didn’t merely want to survive, I wanted to thrive. Boxing awakened me, I felt free during my workouts for the first time – I was no longer a prisoner.”

As long as we live in an imperfect world, there will be a place for boxing.