Blogging the News

“Killa Mike” and “Caveman” are just two of many individuals who fight and have their own set of reasons for doing so. These two were focused on their match ups at FNT, with DJ and promoter Bekim Trenova in his regular role of hosting the leagues event. Trenova was born in Atlanta Georgia and is the “Ring Leader” of FNT according to earphones website “House of Marley”. Caveman is a regular and popular in this league, while Killa Mike was making his first appearance, “I was invited here by Staxx, who is a fighter at FNT, and fought at our league BX Fight Club once, after that we became friends and he invited me over here.”

FNT winners are decided by crowd vote, a somewhat flawed system, especially if you’re facing a fighter that is more popular than you are. BX fight club winners are determined off points according to Mike. Unfortunately for Mike he would lose his bout, and Caveman would win his, though it’s more debatable than the crowd reaction showed it to be.

Although both men like to fight, these events are respectful, at least in the ring. A fight broke out right behind me between two men over a comment one made to the other’s girlfriend. They may or may not have been intoxicated but my solution would have been to just throw them both in the ring. If you’re into boxing that has seats and a venue where a ticket is needed and a nicely lit arena, this isn’t for you, but if you’re down to stand for hours and watch some guys/girls duke it out then look no further.

Wait times in-between fights at FNT are brutal if you’re sober and not partying like most of the crowd, whereas the BX Fight Club fights start almost as soon as one ends. Depending on your preference either may be right for you. Because both leagues charge, be ready to shell out anywhere between $20-$40, unless you know a fighter of course.

“Killa Mike” and “Caveman” are just two of many individuals who fight and have their own set of reasons for doing so. These two were focused on their match ups at FNT, with DJ and promoter Bekim Trenova in his regular role of hosting the leagues event. Trenova was born in Atlanta Georgia and is the “Ring Leader” of FNT according to earphones website “House of Marley”. Caveman is a regular and popular in this league, while Killa Mike was making his first appearance, “I was invited here by Staxx, who is a fighter at FNT, and fought at our league BX Fight Club once, after that we became friends and he invited me over here.”

From undisclosed sketchy locations, ring card girls, booze and blood, the underground boxing scene has developed almost a cult following. Two leagues I have become aware of are Friday Night Throwdown, a 5 year old league that doubles as a party scene that just happens to have a boxing ring nearby, and the BX Fight Club, a relatively new upstart league, looking to promote boxing while encouraging people to not engage in violence and put the guns down.

However, Just who are these boxers, where did they come from, and why are they even involved in this form of boxing? One of the main attractions of FNT is a young man named Charlie Hammelstein, or simply know around these parts as “Rockstar Charlie.” He wasn’t always this underground fighter, in fact, he has experience in the Golden Gloves, an annual amateur competition where he caught the attention of a person from the underground. ” I was fighting in the Golden Gloves and then someone recognized me at a party, we hooked up and then I started fighting in the underground.”

Charlie has fought on FNT since it began and has only lost one fight. But, in his short stint, he was successful in the Golden Gloves as well, “I made one final” Rockstar Charlie said,”The other two I made semifinals, one of them I lost, and one of them I had a job so I couldn’t do it.” He has also trained at well known gyms such as Mendez Boxing Gym, and Gleason, which he currently trains at now. He believes he will have a couple of professional fights before his career is over but he really wants to open up a gym, “I have a building in Soho, me and my friend are opening up a gym there.”

He is a newcomer on the scene, joining the BX fight Club around October and already making a name for himself, or being given one that is already taken I should say. Chris Cunningham AKA Manny Pacquiao, got involved through instagram and the rest is history. “Initially the first time I went there, I just went to check it out” Says “Pacquiao”,”but when I got there I felt the vibe and they told me I could just throw the gloves on, and everything went smooth sailing from there.”

It didn’t take long for the Queens fighter to build up some popularity and fight at FNT, a larger more distinguished league, where he would rematch his second fight at BX Fight Club against Harlem Fighter “Staxx.” “One of my friends who goes to BX fight club with me got a call, and he called me telling me that I got invited, another fight club is all about the experience.” The differences between the leagues are apparently to “Pacquiao”, “right off the bat, I could already tell it’s more of a party scene, it’s more music and liquor, I wouldn’t knock on the BX it just started, its more unprofessional, but the hype around it more than makes up for it.”

“Pacquiao” is also not someone who always wanted to pick up the boxing gloves, instead was rerouted from a different form of fighting, Muay Thai. “I learned all my boxing from Muay Thai, originally my style is Muy Thai, im picking off pieces from youtube, textbooks, and old trainers,” says Pacquiao,” if it was a Muy Thai bout over here I would feel a lot more confident.” He joked that he wished there was an underground Muay Thai league.

Both the BX Fight Club and FNT are hard leagues to gain access to if you don’t know someone involved in some form or fashion. If you would like to attend any of the events for these leagues try reaching out to a fighter or the league directly to inquire about locations and possible entrance fees.

From undisclosed sketchy locations, ring card girls, booze and blood, the underground boxing scene has developed almost a cult following. Two leagues I have become aware of are Friday Night Throwdown, a 5 year old league that doubles as a party scene that just happens to have a boxing ring nearby, and the BX Fight Club, a relatively new upstart league, looking to promote boxing while encouraging people to not engage in violence and put the guns down.

However, Just who are these boxers, where did they come from, and why are they even involved in this form of boxing? One of the main attractions of FNT is a young man named Charlie Hammelstein, or simply know around these parts as “Rockstar Charlie.” He wasn’t always this underground fighter, in fact, he has experience in the Golden Gloves, an annual amateur competition where he caught the attention of a person from the underground. ” I was fighting in the Golden Gloves and then someone recognized me at a party, we hooked up and then I started fighting in the underground.”

(Rockstar Charlie, left, yellow trunks)

Charlie has fought on FNT since it began and has only lost one fight. But, in his short stint, he was successful in the Golden Gloves as well, “I made one final” Rockstar Charlie said,”The other two I made semifinals, one of them I lost, and one of them I had a job so I couldn’t do it.” He has also trained at well known gyms such as Mendez Boxing Gym, and Gleason, which he currently trains at now. He believes he will have a couple of professional fights before his career is over but he really wants to open up a gym, “I have a building in Soho, me and my friend are opening up a gym there.”

He is a newcomer on the scene, joining the BX fight Club around October and already making a name for himself, or being given one that is already taken I should say. Chris Cunningham AKA Manny Pacquiao, got involved through instagram and the rest is history. “Initially the first time I went there, I just went to check it out” Says “Pacquiao”,”but when I got there I felt the vibe and they told me I could just throw the gloves on, and everything went smooth sailing from there.”

It didn’t take long for the Queens fighter to build up some popularity and fight at FNT, a larger more distinguished league, where he would rematch his second fight at BX Fight Club against Harlem Fighter “Staxx.” “One of my friends who goes to BX fight club with me got a call, and he called me telling me that I got invited, another fight club is all about the experience.” The differences between the leagues are apparently to “Pacquiao”, “right off the bat, I could already tell it’s more of a party scene, it’s more music and liquor, I wouldn’t knock on the BX it just started, its more unprofessional, but the hype around it more than makes up for it.”

(Pacquiao, right, brawling with Staxx, left)

“Pacquiao” is also not someone who always wanted to pick up the boxing gloves, instead was rerouted from a different form of fighting, Muay Thai. “I learned all my boxing from Muay Thai, originally my style is Muy Thai, im picking off pieces from youtube, textbooks, and old trainers,” says Pacquiao,” if it was a Muy Thai bout over here I would feel a lot more confident.” He joked that he wished there was an underground Muay Thai league.

Both the BX Fight Club and FNT are hard leagues to gain access to if you don’t know someone involved in some form or fashion. If you would like to attend any of the events for these leagues try reaching out to a fighter or the league directly to inquire about locations and possible entrance fees.

Intended Use Of Social Media:

My topic is underground boxing and even though a lot of things like locations are disclosed tp certain people by word of mouth, I think it’s still possible to promote the blog through social media. A way I would promote the blog would be through a twitter account. On that account I would either post a snippet of a video or a photo with a brief description which links to the blog for either the video or slideshows. The point of linking would be to get traffic to the site and have it possibly be retweeted to garner more readership.

Who Will I Reach?

BX Fight Club (@BXFightClub)– They are one of the underground leagues and with the content of their events I would provide, this could lead to connections from within and more views if they promote my projects on their page

Friday Night Throwdown (@FNTXNYC) – This is another league and New York City and the reason for connecting with them would be for similar reasons as the BX fight Club

“Rockstar Charlie”(@CharlieHimmelstein) – He is a popular fighter from FNT who I spoke with and if there is content on him he could possibly direct some of his 11,000 followers to my blog

“Killer Mike”– He is a boxer from BX fight club who I spoke with as well. His followers and fans can be interested in my content if they like him

“Caveman” – He is another popular fighter from FNT who I interviewed and because people who go to these events consistently or become new fans may like him, they may also be interested on a personal piece on him or some highlights. He could retweet a post and it could peak his followers interest

“Manny Pacquiao”(@ICan_IWill) – Although he is still a relatively new fighter from BX Fight Club, he fought his first time at FNT Nov21st, same as killer mike and most likely increased his popularity with his one sided victory. He probably doesn’t have a large fan base but it would better to be one of the first to really cover him and build popularity through one another.

“Staxx”(@Staxx_Juherd) – He is my main source of information. He lets me know where the fights are and what times and when they are taking place. He is pretty popular at Friday Night Throwdown since almost beating Rockstar Charlie. He would have no issue retweeting and posting links on his personal sites to promote my coverage of each event.

Rick (@RickyJims10) – He is one of the more known fighters at BX fight club with over 1000 followers on instagram. A possible interview with him and maybe some content involving him can reach those followers

“Violator” – He is another fighter at BX figh club who many people know, a main event attraction last event, even had 50 cent betting on him to win his fight. My strategy for Rick would be the same strategy I would use here

New York Times – I believe they had some journalist at the last event because FNT is becoming a popular underground scene and they obviously get a lot of traffic to their site. If they like something of mine and put it out there it could only help the blog.

Grantland (@Grantland33)– This is website that doubles as a sports site and pop culture blog. I think it’s a perfect fit because it isn’t as serious as ESPN but it still provides good content. Boxing is a sport but leagues like FNT also have a certain type of pop culture fan base who like to party. I think if Grantland would either retweet, or post a link to my content on their sire, it may be appealing to the type of readers they attract.

Golden Gloves NYC – My main reasoning for including GG is because Rockstar Charlie has fought there before though briefly. People who seen him fight there would be interested to see what he has been up to since.

My Social Media Accounts:

On twitter, I would write a brief description of the borough the event took place, and the fighters names, and include maybe a 30 second clip of a couple of things that happened during the event. There would also be a link to a full video or a slideshow. I would try to post short information on fighters or brief podcasts a couple days a week to fill out layoffs between full videos or slideshows. I would use instagram to post short 15 second clips of event coverage. I would post those frequently because they are short so possible every other day at different times during the day and night to make sure it’s seen by my followers. I would also tag the leagues and fighters involved which can possibly lead them to directing people to my content

Tweets and Headlines:

First Post: Young Harlem Fighter Looking To Take Underground By Storm #Harlem #Boxing #Underground #NYC http://bit.ly/1Fi04io

Second Post: El Barrio Gym is Closing But Training Resumes #ElBarrioGym #ElBarrio #SpanishHarlem #Harlem #Boxing #NYC #Underground #Training #Workout http://bit.ly/1xJZwQ6

Third Post: Yonkers Rapper Jadakiss Lends His Popularity to Start Up Boxing League #Jadakiss #Host #Bronx #BXFightClub #Yonkers #Rap #Boxing #Underground #NYC http://bit.ly/1tppnGN

• Underground Boxing isn’t restricted to New York City, it’s expanded to the UK, Bare-Knuckle style. The fighters in the UK aren’t too fond of boxing gloves, instead choosing to fight the way it’s done in the streets. (Cool-Material, Video by Vice)

• NYC photographer Devin Yalkin discovers the boxing underworld through his camera lens. He heard about the event like most people do, through word of mouth, there are no ads on the subway for these type of events. (Time Light Box)

• Boxing event in the Lower East Side attracted police attention and was shut down at 1:30 am. Entry into this event required a $15 cover charge but that’s the easy part. In order to attend the event you need to know someone and be invited via email, then receive a text message the day before with the location. (New York Eater)

• Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is starting to take the underground by storm with a league called the “Underground Combat League.” MMA events were banned by New York State in 1997 and Peter Storm created the league instead of waiting for a change. (Fightland)

• Friday Night Throwdown, an unsanctioned boxing league in NYC draws some interest from New York Times Magazine writer Jacob Brown. FNT’s event had it all, models, promoters, a “star” by the name of “Rockstar Charlie”, booze, and three ringside judges away from being a legal event. (New York Times)

• Underground Boxing isn’t restricted to New York City, it’s expanded to the UK, Bare-Knuckle style. The fighters in the UK aren’t too fond of boxing gloves, instead choosing to fight the way it’s done in the streets. (Cool-Material, Video by Vice)

• NYC photographer Devin Yalkin discovers the boxing underworld through his camera lens. He heard about the event like most people do, through word of mouth, there are no ads on the subway for these type of events. (Time Light Box)

• Boxing event in the Lower East Side attracted police attention and was shut down at 1:30 am. Entry into this event required a $15 cover charge but that’s the easy part. In order to attend the event you need to know someone and be invited via email, then receive a text message the day before with the location. (New York Eater)

• Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is starting to take the underground by storm with a league called the “Underground Combat League.” MMA events were banned by New York State in 1997 and Peter Storm created the league instead of waiting for a change. (Fightland)

• Friday Night Throwdown, an unsanctioned boxing league in NYC draws some interest from New York Times Magazine writer Jacob Brown. FNT’s event had it all, models, promoters, a “star” by the name of “Rockstar Charlie”, booze, and three ringside judges away from being a legal event. (New York Times)

• Underground Boxing isn’t restricted to New York City, it’s expanded to the UK, Bare-Knuckle style. The fighters in the UK aren’t too fond of boxing gloves, instead choosing to fight the way it’s done in the streets. (Cool-Material, Video by Vice)

• NYC photographer Devin Yalkin discovers the boxing underworld through his camera lens. He heard about the event like most people do, through word of mouth, there are no ads on the subway for these type of events. (Time Light Box)

• Boxing event in the Lower East Side attracted police attention and was shut down at 1:30 am. Entry into this event required a $15 cover charge but that’s the easy part. In order to attend the event you need to know someone and be invited via email, then receive a text message the day before with the location. (New York Eater)

• Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is starting to take the underground by storm with a league called the “Underground Combat League.” MMA events were banned by New York State in 1997 and Peter Storm created the league instead of waiting for a change. (Fightland)

• Friday Night Throwdown, an unsanctioned boxing league in NYC draws some interest from New York Times Magazine writer Jacob Brown. FNT’s event had it all, models, promoters, a “star” by the name of “Rockstar Charlie”, booze, and three ringside judges away from being a legal event. (New York Times)

• Underground Boxing isn’t restricted to New York City, it’s expanded to the UK, Bare-Knuckle style. The fighters in the UK aren’t too fond of boxing gloves, instead choosing to fight the way it’s done in the streets. (Cool-Material, Video by Vice)

• NYC photographer Devin Yalkin discovers the boxing underworld through his camera lens. He heard about the event like most people do, through word of mouth, there are no ads on the subway for these type of events. (Time Light Box)

• Boxing event in the Lower East Side attracted police attention and was shut down at 1:30 am. Entry into this event required a $15 cover charge but that’s the easy part. In order to attend the event you need to know someone and be invited via email, then receive a text message the day before with the location. (New York Eater)

• Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is starting to take the underground by storm with a league called the “Underground Combat League.” MMA events were banned by New York State in 1997 and Peter Storm created the league instead of waiting for a change. (Fightland)

• Friday Night Throwdown, an unsanctioned boxing league in NYC draws some interest from New York Times Magazine writer Jacob Brown. FNT’s event had it all, models, promoters, a “star” by the name of “Rockstar Charlie”, booze, and three ringside judges away from being a legal event. (New York Times)

At an undisclosed, somewhat sketchy area in the Bronx, there was a boxing event. This isn’t your typical sanctioned fight, in fact, the cops aren’t too fond of these events, shutting it down before. The BX Fight Club is a new league but is slowly making a name for itself in this form of boxing. The fights have usually taken place outside but on this night, it was inside a boxing gym. The cover charge was $20, a relatively small fee for 6 fights but also the first time the league has ever charged before. Yonkers Rapper Jadakiss was the host and instagram comedian “Loopy” was also in the building.