Earlier this week I received an email requesting my presence July 17, 2010 At Black Gloves Promotions’ “Rock the Boat” card at The Harbor Amphitheater at Lake Ray Hubbard in Rockwall, Texas. I’m thinking to myself YES, this is much needed after my hiatus from the boxing world, and to top it off its Black Gloves! My first live show was a Black Glove event.

Any who, set, go, I leave my house 30 bound. As I cross the lake I’m giddy with anticipation, a beautiful lake, and live boxing! Now this is going to be a Saturday night. I take the exit and make a right up a small hill and there are cars and people everywhere. My mouth hanging open and I’m saying WOW!!! I drive and drive following a convoy of cars. All of us stopping periodically asking where is the parking for the fight. Over an hour later the sun begins to set and still no parking in sight. I finally try my luck at Cinemark and find a spot. I get out of my car and find my way. I pass everything and everyone; I have to get to The Harbor. It was as if I was a rat in a maze going through shops and restaurants. Through the maze, the ring is in site, but I’m on the back side of the event. I stop and wave to security to let me in, but no luck. Unladylike I open the gate and let myself in.

I’m in, I’m in, and I pass the fighters sitting around trying to get themselves focused for what’s to come. I say good luck guys as I’m looking for a familiar face. I come around the side of the ring and a sea of fight fans in my immediate view. I make it to the front to get my pass and back down to ring side. I’m unhappy because I realized I’ve missed the first few bouts.

I sit down pen and paper in hand, Mark Davis wins his four round bout against Wayne Fletcher by unanimous decision. He scores 40-36 twice 39-37 once.

Next bout the excitement begins. Round after round fans were screaming as Rafael Casias dominated the four round bout against Christian Larazolo. After Rafael was announced the winner Rafael addressed his issue with former Olympian Luis Yanez. This comes from an apparent confrontation during Friday’s weigh in. Casis lets the  public know he’s ready, willing, and able to fight Yanez whenever Yanez signs on the dotted line.

It only gets better. The crowd waits with anticipation to see what Charles “The Future” Hatley has to offer. Ring announcer Roland Gamez, “The Voice of North Texas Boxing” enters the ring and introduces Michael Soberanis then as Roland begins “In corner, Charles…STOP! Dick Cole, boxing administrator for the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation (Uncle Dickey as we love to call him) comes around the left side of the ring shouting, “No Bottles, I don’t want to see any bottles out here. There will be no fight until all bottles are gone.” Security and the event staff scramble around the sea of fans taking up every bottle in site. Even water bottles.

Finally the bottles are up and Roland starts again. Introducing Soberanis again, then he starts again, Charles “The…STOP! Uncle Dickey’s up again and the crowd roars what now. All I can see are the officials taking off Hatley’s gloves. Seems, Hatley’s gloves were smaller than his opponent’s. Once Hatley’s gloves were back on and the introductions were made (again) the bout finally began. Just as we all set on the edge of our seats getting excited with every punch, Soberanis’s team decided they did not want Soberanis to see what “The Future” had to offer so 2:15 into the first round the towel flew into the air and laid on the ring floor. All of the preliminary bizarreness and all we saw were 2 minutes 15 seconds of domination.

As the main event gets ready to start behind the crowd we see flashes of light then total darkness. Apparently a transformer blew and the hotel, the restaurants, and any other businesses in The Harbor were dark. But Black Gloves was well lit, thanks to someone’s foresight to bring a generator for the ring. Maybe this was the Man Upstairs’ way  of thanking the aforementioned businesses for towing cars associated with the Black Gloves. Looking back this should have been a sign that a change was about to come. Music stars, then James “Boogie” Freeman enters the ring. This was to be a rematch with Larry “Slomoshun” Smith and he wants a rematch so bad, word is he’s agreed to getting paid $1.00 per round. Freeman’s fans screaming, his team standing in the corner giving him every ounce of encouragement. 

Then the beat changes and in comes Larry ”Slomoshun” Smith dancing his way up the steps and into the ring. Smith takes a stance and beats himself in the chest as if he was King Kong. Smith looks over to Freeman and they exchanged trash talking and blew each other kisses. Four rounds of serious pound for pound, in your face, grudge match boxing was set to take place. Early on, Smith seems to be holding onto his belt as he can see victory in site a second time. But, Freeman came to do just what the main event said “Rock the Boat.” In the fourth round Freeman tagged Smith with a right and down he went. Time was at 2:09, as James Freeman claims Smith’s Texas Middleweight Championship Title.

This was a night of bizarre happenings from finding parking, picking up bottles, stopping a bout twice, transformers blown, eerie darkness, trash talking after losing, and a title taken. This is what Saturday night boxing is all about and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Thank you Black Gloves, Greg Hatley Sr., and Peggy Harris. We look forward to the next one. My only question is “How do you top this one?”