Jerry Keene said: November 24, 2011 12:05 pm PST
Doug:
All the best in your career! My son, James, trained with an old veteran black trainer with a gym on Potomac Avenue close to the intersection with Washington/Franklin. His name was John. To me he had a gravity and mythic quality that would have easily let him go off the real world into the boxing trainer role of some big budget boxing movie. I liked his handshake and his direct gaze and it was a great pleasure meeting and knowing him. If you know him, you know he wouldn't just take any kid...not with kids typically so messed up in Hagerstown. He gave my son the onceover and then the twice over, asking him questions and warning him that a boxing program wasn't easy and only the serious need take it up.
This was back in 2000 and I note his gym is no longer in business on Potomac. He was quite old at the time but impressed me as one who would never retire so he might have passed.
My problem is I can't find any Google stuff on him or his gym and don't know his last name? Can you give me any information on this guy. His gym was exactly the kind of no nonsense no frills place that's getting hard to find nowadays and that too impressed me although I'm 59 now and not getting any cooler.
Thanks for any help you can give.