Fourth-generation boxer making debut
Leaving the sunshine of California, Team Los Angeles has traded in their tank tops and flip flops for thermal underwear and snow jackets, as they head north today for an International amateur boxing show in Calgary, Alberta.
One Team L.A. member, RC Young, is set to make his debut tomorrow night. As a novice, the heavyweight and fourth-generation boxer will be facing Mitchell Steinke from Edmonton in three two-minute rounds. He’s been training with his father, Bill, and Steve Harpst, Head Coach of Team L.A., at the Burbank Boxing Club in preparation for the show.
Harpst, club founder, has traveled to Canada five times in the past twenty months to compete in various boxing shows, originating when he met Canadian coach Louie Raposo at a tournament in Kansas City, MO. Raposo invited Harpst to bring a team from Los Angeles to Canada. Since then, it’s been a big hit for all teams involved, “A lot of the kids had never been out of the country before. The first time we went, it was cold and it was snowing–and for some of the team members, it was their first time seeing snow!” Harpst chuckles. For the Canadian kids, they got the opportunity to soak up the sun, visiting Hollywood and Disneyland when Harpst and Team L.A. played host.
Billed as “Friday Night Fights,” the amateur boxing show will be held at the Red & White Club, 
overlooking the football field where the Calgary Stampede play for the Canadian Football League.
“Terrible” Terry Norris is the guest star at tomorrow night’s dinner show, promoted by Raposo, who is Team Canada’s head coach. He and his wife, Dianna, also own the Impact Boxing Club and Fitness Gym. Dianna, the show’s marketing manager says that besides Team L.A., “We have lots of Canadian fighters on this show from Edmonton, Vancouver, Regina, Ontario, and Calgary.”
This sets the stage for the debut of Ronald Cory (RC) Young, the baby of the Young boys. The heavyweight’s great grandfather was a state champion in Missouri, his grandfather is Dick “Tiger” Young (famed referee of the Ali-Norton fight), and his father is Bill Dempsey Young. Bill was the 1960 Golden Gloves champion and fought at the Olympic Auditorium and in Germany. He is the Vice President of the Golden State Boxers Association and a member of the California Boxing Hall of Fame organization.
During the days, the 190-pound RC works as an emergency medical technician (EMT) but his nights are often spent in the ring with his father Bill, who still puts on the mitts to get in the ring for RC’s workouts at the Burbank Boxing Club. Married to Linda for 33 years, Bill and his wife have raised six children (three boys and three girls) and the couple are proud grandparents of six grandkids.
Bill, who’s own father, Dick, passed away in 2001, is wistful when thinking about RC debut, “I wish my dad was here to see RC fight. I remember when I was leaving for a fight at the Olympic, my dad told me to shorten my left jab. I always remembered that every time I fought and I wonder what advice he’d give RC.” Dick Young was a longtime referee and judge, overseeing many in the ring including Jose Napoles vs. Emile Griffith, Alexis Arguello vs. Ruben Olivares, and Cornelius Boza Edwards vs. Rafael Limon, and was a judge in the Hagler-Hearns bout.
RC’s mom, Linda, is looking forward to the Canadian experience, as RC, his parents and his brother, Drew, a musician, all with brand new passports in hand are making the trek up to Calgary this afternoon. Linda is both nervous and excited about the experience, as would any mother watching her son box in his first amateur bout, “This is a very prestigious way for RC to make his debut at such a nice place. It’s a thrill for us.” Before heading back to the much warmer climate of Los Angeles, the family plans to stay in Calgary an extra day just to be “tourists,” as they relax and have fun.
Canadian resident Raposo is heading into his sixth year as a promoter and his enthusiasm has not wavered, “It’s for the kids…our motto is ‘Giving kids a fighting chance.’ The kids work so hard– people see that their hearts are into it–going four rounds for that trophy.”
Wife Dianna says, “I’m looking forward to meeting Terry Norris. Not everyone can say they’ve met 
such great champions in their life. I look forward to putting on a good show for the community and the boxers, and that they’re rewarded for their hard work.”
Her husband and gym mate, Louie, explains, “We’re also honoring Terry Norris, who will coming up from San Diego. He runs Terrible T’s, a youth foundation, so this show is partly a fundraiser for our amateur kids, as well as Terry’s kids.”
You won’t find much trash talking between the two teams, although Louie says of his fighters, “These kids are tough–they have to deal with these cold winters here.” He jokingly continues, “So Team L.A. is going to have to deal with some ‘white stuff’ here called SNOW!”
Dianna chimes in, “Yeah, the very first snowfall of the year happened last night. Team L.A. is coming, so the snow comes! This happens every time Steve comes up here.”
On a less lighter note, Dianna explains why she and Louie strive to make the sport of boxing known through the community, “In Canada, most of the funding for amateur sports goes to hockey. Our mission is to bring boxing back to Calgary; the only big champion from here is Willie DeWitt, a heavyweight champion and Olympian, so we’re trying to keep kids interested in the program.”
Other highly-decorated amateurs who have traveled to Canada, as part of Team L.A., have continued on to garner their own achievements: David Lopez Jr. became a Junior Olympic champ; Daniel “Twitch” Franco (younger brother of Mike “Lil Warrior” Franco) continues to make his own mark in the ring; Johnny Suarez has gone pro and will be fighting in Chicago, IL on November 21; and Elliot Seymour, will be making his pro debut also on November 21 in Montebello, CA. Two notable Team Canada members, Janks Trotter and Robert Sherman, also continue to make their names known in the amateur circuit.
Culled from Los Angeles’ best amateur prospects, the fighters (and their respective individual coaches) have competed in shows in both Calgary, Edmonton and in Los Angeles. Harpst even took cutman Chuck Bodak on two trips to Canada, before the 92-year-old Bodak was halted by a stroke. Harpst has fond memories of Bodak getting the chance to once again mentor some youthful team members, “Chuck wrapped some of the kids hands and then presented handcrafted caps to all the fighters. He had a blast.” They even had some time to take in the local sights, “Louie took us all to Banff for an incredible day trip and we had such a great time up there.”
They may throw flurries of punches in four two-minute rounds but when the bell rings, the team members also get a chance to sightsee and meet and make new friends across the border. Memories and lasting friendships may sound corny, but these opponents in the ring become fast friends once the show ends. The boxing shows have proven to be a great opportunity for all involved and the two head coaches, Harpst and Raposo have built a friendship through these shows, even meeting twice at the halfway point of Las Vegas, NV with their family and friends in tow.
The L.A. coach’s own promotion–the “Northern Explosion” amateur boxing show–was held exactly one year ago, with teams from Los Angeles, Calgary and Edmonton, Canada, and a special guest team from Houston, Texas, all battling it out in front of a packed house of over 800 attendees. During this show, Team L.A. showcased many top-notch amateur fighters, including Seniesa Estrada, Angel Bojado (Francisco Bojado’s younger brother), Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez, and Adelaida Ruiz (out of Ben Lira’s El Monte gym), and Harpst’s own fighters from his club, David Lopez and Oscar Portillo also scoring wins that night.
The Burbank Boxing Club recently celebrated their 12th anniversary and Harpst is glad to be able to take team members up to Canada through fundraisers and sponsor donations. Harpst, voted 2008 Best of Burbank Fitness Instructor and a Board of Director of the World Boxing Hall of Fame, sums it up, “This is a great experience to see competitors on International turf and see the difference of styles in competition. And the lifelong friendships we’ve all built make it even more worthwhile.”
For tickets to the November 7th boxing show, please call 403-250-1771.
Photos by Michele Chong
Banff and Calgary photos courtesy of David Lopez,
Louie and Dianna Raposo