reality shows on VH1.
The champ was Jockney Jang, who was signed to Kennard’s management company although on paper he belonged to Ms. Katie. The Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act didn’t permit promoters to manage and promote boxers, so this was the way to maneuver around that rule. Jang had been with Knockout Management for eight years. He had an undefeated record and was known for his flamboyance and trash talk.
He punished the guys who got in the ring with him and afterward would feel so bad about the damage that he’d done that he’d often send flowers and letters of apology to some of his opponents’ mothers and wives for having to witness their loved ones take such an embarrassing beat down in front of them.
His opponent was a guy who, three years ago, no one thought would ever fight another match that didn’t involve him in taking a dive. At that time, Taymar Woodley was nothing more than just another washed-up boxer who appeared to lose his drive and passion for the art of boxing. The rumor mill had it that his sole purpose for even being in the ring was to get the IRS off his back and get current with child-support payments to all his babies’ mothers.
One day, Kennard and Taymar were talking about life and the sport in general.
Taymar said he wished he had a chance to do it all over again, how he would train like there was no end and never take anything for granted. Would’ve, should’ve, and could’ve were all Taymar kept saying, as Kennard listened attentively to him.
For years, Kennard had seen something in this man that Taymar didn’t even see in himself anymore: a champion.
Kennard decided that since odds had always been in his favor, he’d take his chances and roll the dice on Taymar. The guy just needed the right people in his corner, and it started with the trainer.
Kennard’s dad, Bernard, was the best of the best when it came to training champions. Bernard had been in the boxing game since he was ten years old. He started out as a prizefighter and went on to become one of the best trainers in the sport. Then one day, he gave up training professional boxers to dedicate all of his time and money to giving back to the youth, training underprivileged kids to become Olympic-quality fighters and even better men became his new passion.
Bernard had high expectations and big dreams for his only son, Kennard, who was once a boxing phenom himself. He’d never lost a fight all the way through the Junior Olympics, generating huge buzz. Everybody in boxing knew that Bernard’s boy was destined for stardom and would one day become the heavyweight champion. There was no doubt that Kennard had the potential to exceed any of his father’s expectations, if only it was what he wanted.
The problem was, at the time, Kennard was sixteen and being a champion in the ring wasn’t what he wanted. That was his father’s dream and his father’s father’s. Not at all his.
Kennard’s dream at the time was to be a street champion. He was more interested in running the block than moving around in the ring. Eventually he lost his focus for boxing, and instead redirected his attention to building a drug empire.
But after his girl and unborn child were kidnapped and murdered, Kennard got back into boxing, fulfilling his promise to Kyra. To channel his frustrations, he went to the boxing gym faithfully, but this time around, he took interest in the business end. At first, Bernard was still upset that his son, a natural boxer, had thrown away his career, but he couldn’t deny that the boy’s business sense was impeccable.
He had all the qualities a good businessman needed: he was funny, charming, calculating, smart on many levels, egotistical, demanding, and slightly neurotic. All these components made him a force to be reckoned with. He could cause a vertigo effect on people by talking circles around them if they weren’t careful. For this reason alone, most people preferred to negotiate with Kennard on paper
The champ was Jockney Jang, who was signed to Kennard’s management company although on paper he belonged to Ms. Katie. The Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act didn’t permit promoters to manage and promote boxers, so this was the way to maneuver around that rule. Jang had been with Knockout Management for eight years. He had an undefeated record and was known for his flamboyance and trash talk.
He punished the guys who got in the ring with him and afterward would feel so bad about the damage that he’d done that he’d often send flowers and letters of apology to some of his opponents’ mothers and wives for having to witness their loved ones take such an embarrassing beat down in front of them.
His opponent was a guy who, three years ago, no one thought would ever fight another match that didn’t involve him in taking a dive. At that time, Taymar Woodley was nothing more than just another washed-up boxer who appeared to lose his drive and passion for the art of boxing. The rumor mill had it that his sole purpose for even being in the ring was to get the IRS off his back and get current with child-support payments to all his babies’ mothers.
One day, Kennard and Taymar were talking about life and the sport in general.
Taymar said he wished he had a chance to do it all over again, how he would train like there was no end and never take anything for granted. Would’ve, should’ve, and could’ve were all Taymar kept saying, as Kennard listened attentively to him.
For years, Kennard had seen something in this man that Taymar didn’t even see in himself anymore: a champion.
Kennard decided that since odds had always been in his favor, he’d take his chances and roll the dice on Taymar. The guy just needed the right people in his corner, and it started with the trainer.
Kennard’s dad, Bernard, was the best of the best when it came to training champions. Bernard had been in the boxing game since he was ten years old. He started out as a prizefighter and went on to become one of the best trainers in the sport. Then one day, he gave up training professional boxers to dedicate all of his time and money to giving back to the youth, training underprivileged kids to become Olympic-quality fighters and even better men became his new passion.
Bernard had high expectations and big dreams for his only son, Kennard, who was once a boxing phenom himself. He’d never lost a fight all the way through the Junior Olympics, generating huge buzz. Everybody in boxing knew that Bernard’s boy was destined for stardom and would one day become the heavyweight champion. There was no doubt that Kennard had the potential to exceed any of his father’s expectations, if only it was what he wanted.
The problem was, at the time, Kennard was sixteen and being a champion in the ring wasn’t what he wanted. That was his father’s dream and his father’s father’s. Not at all his.
Kennard’s dream at the time was to be a street champion. He was more interested in running the block than moving around in the ring. Eventually he lost his focus for boxing, and instead redirected his attention to building a drug empire.
But after his girl and unborn child were kidnapped and murdered, Kennard got back into boxing, fulfilling his promise to Kyra. To channel his frustrations, he went to the boxing gym faithfully, but this time around, he took interest in the business end. At first, Bernard was still upset that his son, a natural boxer, had thrown away his career, but he couldn’t deny that the boy’s business sense was impeccable.
He had all the qualities a good businessman needed: he was funny, charming, calculating, smart on many levels, egotistical, demanding, and slightly neurotic. All these components made him a force to be reckoned with. He could cause a vertigo effect on people by talking circles around them if they weren’t careful. For this reason alone, most people preferred to negotiate with Kennard on paper
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