Workouts, AA, Yusaf Mack and Spanakopita

Diet

I mean, I guess it's going well. My eating has been on point, and yesterday I got in two miles at the track and a 45 min boot-camp style workout at Peraza Boxing Gym. One thing I don't want to do here is become one of those cheerleader weight loss blogs....I mean, I like them.  Don't get me wrong.  I just can't relate.  I am not on my "gym flow," and I saw a pizza emoji yesterday that made me hungry.  I gotta do this though, for my career, for my family and for myself. I love my family, but seeing them struggling with preventable health issues in their later years terrifies me.  

To AA or not to AA

I read a book many years ago called Good to Great, by Jim Collins.  It was about improving your business, but there are a few things that have stuck with me over the years.  One is this concept that, in order to improve, you have to pick up the rock and look underneath and see all the squigly bugs and things.  Through this process, I have to face the squigly things...the things that make me uncomfortable about myself and my lifestyle.  

I have a problem... I love alcohol. It's been an issue most of my adult life. I should be great at quitting, I've done it 1000 times (har har).   I can't really make a good run at this project/goal without addressing it. I have enlisted a friend, who has been sober for years, to be sort of a sponsor for me.  The kind you call when you have the desire to drink (I guess?).  I tried AA years ago and found it super depressing.  I stopped Sunday... I'm just going to try to stay stopped I guess. Have any of you dealt with this issue? What did you do?  I am new at this but I think you can comment on this blog or send me a message privately. 

Yusaf Mack

Leave Yusaf Alone! 

I watched the whole Yusaf Mack thing unfold on twitter yesterday.  I felt bad for the guy, and was glad he wasn't on twitter.  If you don't know the story, Yusaf Mack, former professional boxer, was in some gay porn. Somebody stumbled upon it (probably looking for gay porn), and put it out there.  He scored a front page spread on a Philly publication where he explained he was drugged, and he is an engaged "whore monger," who loves women.  First of all, who gives a fuck, really. If the guy wants to do gay porn, great. If he wants to lie about it, great.... I mean, I hear people say, "Well, if he'd just come clean..." well...he doesn't owe that to anyone.  He has a fiance, maybe he was trying to save her the embarrassment. Maybe she knows, maybe she doesn't. The point is, that I certainly don't.  My second point is that I would do unspeakable things to make sure my children were fed and sheltered.   This guy has ten kids. TEN KIDS. I struggle with three. You know something I would do to feed my kids? Gay porn. Gay porn that is discovered by everyone who cheered me on and kissed my ass when I was successful, and then I'd deal with the onslaught of the internet and the shunning by my friends and family. $4500 buy a lot of meals and pays the mortgage.  So go on, Yusaf.  Be your best self.  You don't owe anyone shit. 

Spanakopita

Last, but not least, I promised to share my spanakopita recipe for Matthew Swain.  I  don't really use measuring tools for everything so bear with me. 

Most important:  Respect the phyllo.  Don't think that you can take the phyllo dough out of the freezer one minute late and that you will be able to use it.  Phyllo is sold in the freezer section.  Take it out and put it on your counter 2 hours or more before you plan on using it.  My first phyllo experience ended in tears. 

You'll need
For the filling:
1.5-2 bags fresh, washed spinach (feel it out - I use about a bag and a halfish)
1/3c yellow onion, grated
1 small white onion, chopped
1tbsp dried dill
.5 c heavy cream
5 eggs
Like a handful of chopped fresh parsley
.5 c melted butter
1lb feta, crumbled 
Salt & pepper to taste

For the pie:
1 package phyllo dough
.5c olive oil
.5c butter

Mix all the filling stuff together.  (Can you tell at this point I have never written down a recipe?)

For the pie, grab a 13x9 cake pan and brush the botton and inside sides with oil.  (Duh, of course the inside sides. Like you'd do the outside sides).  Lay two sheets of phyllo next to each other so that they cover the bottom of the pan and sort of hang off all the sides.  Brush the phyllo with your oil and butter mixture (oh yeah, mix those two together. I am awesome at this).  

Holy crap. Heat the oven - 350 degrees. I totally spaced it. 

Okay... basically repeat the whole laying down phyllo and brushing it with the oil/butter mixture until you have a good bottom/side crust. It's a little less than half the package of phyllo.  Take your filling and put it inside, and spread it around until it's flat.  Then take the sides that are hanging off the pan and fold them over onto the filling. It won't cover the filling probably.  Brush the phyllo edges. By this time you've noticed how dried out the phyllo gets. You gotta do this part kinda quickly. No pressure.  Repeat the laying of phyllo/brushing with oil/butter thing til you have a nice top crust.  You'll still have phyllo left and if your kids are around, give them a sheet or two to eat. Then clean up all the crumbs it makes. 

Score the top few layers of phyllo with a sharp knife to make cutting easier for serving.  Flick some drops of water across the top.  

Bake for an hour at 350.  Give it about 20 mins to get itself together when you've taken it out of the oven. Then eat it... and tell me about it because I'm hungry and would love to live vicariously through you. 

The end. 


You can find me on most social media platforms as @emilyboxing.

Neat Moments, Showtime Event Recap & Day 1 of my Diet

There have been a few moments over the course of my career in boxing where I realized it was time to stop, take a breath, and take it in.  I had one this weekend so I thought I'd share the top three that came to mind today. 

1.  Ray Beltran:  "I have been waiting my whole career for this."  

I have known Ray since probably 2007.  I was training at Central Boxing Gym in Phoenix, and we became friends.  When I got more involved in the business, I began working with him.  In April, 2014, he was coming off a devastating robbery in Scotland, where the judges inexplicably scored his one sided beat-down of Ricky Burns as a draw.  He faced, and had beaten Arash Usmanee on the undercard of Pacquiao-Bradley II.  I was there in the dressing room, not doing anything particularly useful, aside from taking photos of him for his social media account. 

After the main event, we were due at the post-fight presser, and security got together about twelve guys to rush us over there, all holding on to one another... it was crazy, all the fans trying to take photos and grab Ray. We took some underground tunnels so we could make the presser on time. 

After the presser, security asked if he wanted to go underground to get back to his hotel room...Ray looked at the guy and said "No, I've waited my whole career for this," and we made the trek back to the MGM Signature upstairs as a big crowd surrounded Ray. I kept getting pushed back so I grabbed a couple photos and took a moment to enjoy watching it all unfold. He was so happy, and as his friend I was happy for him.  

2.  "Put in your notice."  

I worked a day job the first four or so years I was involved in boxing.  It was tiring, frustrating, and difficult on my family. One day I threw up my hands, lamenting the sacrifices I'd made for what seemed like nothing. I had worked for Iron Boy for a couple years, and had been helping Cameron Dunkin for a while, but it wasn't quite enough to leave... 

I was in Las Vegas for a fight of Junior's in March 2014, and I got the call. "Put in your notice."  I had finally been able to make the transition from a boxing part-timer to a full time boxing person.  It isn't easy, and there has been a steep learning curve, but I'm learning from some of the best in the business.  I literally had a 'pinch me' moment. Like...wait, am I dreaming this?  I said something stupid like this to Jose and the other Team Benavidez folks that were at restaurant we were eating at when I got the call. 


And that brings us to this weekend...

3. Showtime Boxing in Phoenix

Anyone who knows me knows that I see Iron Boy Boxing as my baby. This past Friday night, we wrapped up our third show in 28 days (doesn't sound like a big deal but we have a small staff, and it was a rough month) with a Showbox: The New Generation event at Celebrity Theatre. It was a co-promotion with Roy Jones Jr. Boxing and Greg Cohen Promotions (who were all a pleasure to work with).  It was kind of a tough night.  We had some snafus with some media seats that were sold, and there were new rules and procedures with working with Showtime for the first time.  Right before 'go live,' there was a rush to get a bunch of stuff done.   I had this moment down in the Celebrity Theatre green room... I felt like my nine year old when she has a caffeine crash.  I felt stressed and overwhelmed and started to feel a little emotional.  I'm a cryer. It was 7:30 p.m. and I looked up at the TV monitor as the Showbox broadcast began, and there were Steve Farhood and Raul Marquez...there, in between them on the corner post and on the rope covers, was the Iron Boy logo.  I checked my phone and a couple friends texted and tweeted that they saw it...and I took that moment... I teared up a little and felt proud that we'd reached another milestone. I wasn't going to have that moment alone...Johnny Murato walked in and when he asked if I was okay, I made a little fool out of myself trying to explain myself, but whatever. I am who I am. 

I have been sort of wondering what would be next in my career boxing wise, and now I know. I have a one year plan... and you'll see it all unfold here. The next step in the plan requires that I get back in shape, so I begin once again the arduous task of losing weight. I'm trying to have a good attitude about it, since, even if my plan doesn't work out, it's something I need to do anyway for my family. I started the diet today...meeting with the trainer and another person who will be helping me tomorrow.  I guess I don't feel ready to let that cat out of the bag yet. Maybe later. 

One last and final thought in this super way too long blog post:

I am more annoyed at Caitlyn Jenner being named Glamour's woman of the year than I am about Rhonda Rousey being on the cover of Ring.  That being said, I don't feel strongly enough about either to take a lot of time explaining it or arguing it.  Maybe I'll make a list of more suitable women of the year... I don't know.  

Have a great rest of your Monday. 

I guess when I decided to start a blog, I didn't know about what I'd be writing.  A woman working in the boxing industry? A mother of a teen and two girls about to hit tweenhood?  A big girl trying to get some weight off?

It's a Wednesday morning, and I'm sitting on my patio, working for the first time since we over-hauled our back yard with proclamations about doing everything outside aside from sleeping. This was months ago... but the weather finally allows it.

And as I sit here, I'm reeling.  I got a call last night that could change my life completely.  I can't really share the details, but what I can share are some of the major changes I'll have to make over the next year to put things into motion.  So I guess that's what I'll share here... those changes, and the journey that will end (hopefully) with.... well...we'll get to that eventually I guess.

In the mean time, it's fight week...we have an event in two days and I don't have an opponent for my 112-115 lb kid.  It's a constant struggle, every time he fights. There are only a handful of guys his size in the US and at any one time you've got one out of the gym, one who can't get out of work, a few that won't fight him and a few the commission won't approve.  Today we'll focus on possibly rematching a kid that he had a tougher time with.  Clock is ticking.