Iowa City's ICOR Boxing hosts its first 'Black History Boxing Showcase'
Black athletes have been prominent influences throughout all sports, and boxing is where their impact was felt the earliest.
From the biggest names such as Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali to lesser-known pioneers such as Jack Johnson and Sugar Ray Robinson, their contributions to the sport are undeniable. Iowa City's ICOR Boxing sought to recognize those legends with its first "Black History Boxing Showcase" last weekend.
Created by the gym's head coach and co-owner Clif Johnson, the inaugural event was a way to shine a light on the many accolades of Black boxers while also bringing the growing boxing community together.
“Black history should be a thing here in Iowa that is known to everyone,” Johnson said. “Black history is history. Black history is what has made this country what it is today, even though it might not have been put on display. So that is what we wanted to highlight. A lot of the fighters we chose were fighters who had a very difficult time starting off in such a great sport. Still, they are legends to this day.”
Johnson joined ICOR in 2013 and in the past decade has helped it grow from a small gym whose boxers competed sparingly to a well-respected team that routinely hosts fights throughout the year while also providing a strong foundation for their current team.
One of Johnson's boxers who is appreciative of the sense of community that ICOR provides is 27-year-old Dady Mansaray, who has been with the club since September 2021.
A lifelong athlete, Mansaray said that since he started his boxing career, it has allowed him a sense of comfort that he had never had before.
“It is important to have that diversity and different sports for people to try,” Mansaray said. “Even having a head coach like Clif who is a Black man, I have never had that in my past experiences with sports. To me, it means more to me to have someone like that I can look up to and who is pushing me more. It is inspiring and shows that we have come a long way.”
Mansaray was one of many boxers to compete in the 29-bout showcase, which featured fellow Iowa clubs as well as boxers from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Missouri.
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Helping Johnson to bring all of the teams together was former ICOR boxer (and now coach) Emily Klinefelter.
Quite familiar with the importance of facing a wide variety of opponents from her own professional boxing career, Klinefelter said that it was important that the gym's current crop of boxers had those same opportunities.
“Boxing is a unique family,” Klinefelter said. “Iowa boxing is growing and it is strong, but there is also great competition in our surrounding states. We have the benefit of having several large cities not too far from us like Minneapolis, Chicago, St. Louis and others. It is just a great experience because it elevates your level of competition because you are not just fighting other Iowa boxers, you are fighting the best in other states too. You are only going to get better for it.”
One of those coaches who made the trip to Iowa City was Robert Bell, the head coach of the Knockout Kings, based in Peoria, Ill.
A frequent participant in the competitions that ICOR hosts, Bell said that the Showcase was an especially important one to be a part of because it brought so many people together.
“The world has been through so much,” Bell said. “So for us to be able to come together and have a successful event with so many races, that’s huge. That’s why I love boxing because it has no color.”
That was evident by the spectators in attendance − Black, Latino, Asian, white and more − who came together for their love of the sport.
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Muhammed Ali's sparring partner, boxer who faced Mike Tyson and Tyrell Biggs both came to the event
Some of the attendees had stronger ties to the event than other casual fans.
One of the officials for the event was Francis Sargent, a referee for 35 years, a former boxer who served as Muhammad Ali's sparring partner in 1980.
Seeing the event as a positive example of young people staying on the right path, Sargent said that these events are necessary for the community.
“These events are important because some Black people don’t think that we can be recognized if we don’t go in different directions like robbing people or stealing,” Sargent said. “There are a lot of good kids out there.”
William Hosea Jr., a former boxer and a judge for the ICOR event, echoed Sargent's sentiment. He admitted to being on the wrong path before starting his boxing career.
“I think that boxing is a good motivation tool for people of all ages,” Hosea Jr. said. “Boxing helped me out because I used to have a bad attitude, but once I started my attitude changed for the better.”
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Hosea Jr. went on to have a boxing career that spanned 12 years, during which time he had high-profile bouts against Mike Tyson and Tyrell Biggs.
The next major boxing event in Iowa City will take place in April when the Golden Gloves Championship Tournament will be held at The Graduate Hotel. Semifinals and finals bouts for the tournament will take place on April 1-2. For more information, visit https://www.iowagoldengloves.org.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: ICOR Boxing hosts Black history showcase, honors legends in the sport
