Sunday, July 21, 2002
Wanna box? Forget all you think you know
By Shannon Russell srussell@enquirer.com
The Cincinnati Enquirer
If you think boxing is nothing more than a violent display of head crushing, nose breaking and blood letting, spend five minutes with 25-year-old aspiring amateur Vinnie Vilardo.
“People give more attention to basketball and other big sports like that. I don't think (boxing) is a recognized enough sport, so people don't know what to really expect,” Vilardo said.
Vilardo has been rigorously training at Covington's Shamrock Boxing Club and Gym for several months. During that time, he hasn't set foot in the ring.
His daily regimen starts with wind sprints and a 40-minute run. When the gym opens at 4p.m., Vilardo begins stations work, alternating between shadow boxing and punching bags, then situps, pushups and jumping rope. He exercises two to three hours a day, five or six days a week.
The more fit the 160-pound middleweight becomes, the closer he comes to his dream: his first amateur fight.
“I've loved boxing since I was a kid,” Vilardo said. “Fighting got me in trouble most of my life. I'm hoping to turn the negative into a plus.”
The benefits of a boxing workout aren't limited to pugilists. Professional and amateur coach Rob Radford brings the sport to the suburbs through Boxing for Fitness, located on 3711 Madison Road in Cincinnati. Radford offers noncontact exercise classes similar in design to Vilardo's daily training schedule.
The sessions, which include men and women of varying skill levels, combine strength and rhythm development with boxing techniques — but without the perceived risk.
“I think at first, most people are intimidated about going into a boxing gym. They have the tendency to think it's just about punching, but the hardest part is really the timing of their hands and feet,” Radford said. “It's a great workout and a fantastic stress reliever.”
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Wanna box? Forget all you think you know
