Amidst the innumerable political debacles and less-than-cheery economic and sports team news, Detroit has some great individual sports news. 

And it emanates from the Downtown Boxing Gym on St. Aubin.

In a national contest centered in Independence, Mo., the gym prevailed with its first national champion, Anthony Flagg, Jr.

Flagg, a 156-pound 16-year-old, took the Silver Gloves Division championship, while another Detroiter - 119-pound Geno Jones, 13, of Motown Boxing - also took a Silver Gloves title that day.

Thirteen-year-old Kadeem Anderson, an 85-pounder and also of Downtown, performed the rare feat of opening his first fight to win the state of Michigan's Silver Gloves title. He did that, says his coach, with only three months' experience, which then took him to the second round of the Regionals.

Two more state champs from Downtown include 13-year-old David Davis, who weighs in at 70 pounds, and 125-pounder Renard Wesly, 15, who was also the first to win an international tournament.

The Downtown gym, which has provided inner-city youth with full-service boxing since 2006, is located just off I-75, within minutes from Wayne State University. The resulting hard work and successes are all managed with no financial help from either the city or state.

Coach Khali Muhammad, who also offers cardio training, is joined in his efforts to enhance the lives and skills of young boxers by volunteer coaches, Pastor Monte King and Coach Third. Theirs has been a struggle, given the current economy, but they have faith in the talent at the gym.

Muhammad is quick to point out Flagg's abilities and promising future in the ring.

"When people see Anthony Flagg, Jr. box, they can't believe he's had only six fights and trained for just a year," Muhammad said. "[But] in amateur boxing, a coach can turn his fighter open class before his 10th fight if he or she is ready."

That, says Muhammad, makes it hard to arrange fights and further inspire the ongoing efforts of the gym's boxers. Flagg was one of the few turned out by the coaches, and he subsequently won the state championship without throwing a punch.

"No one wanted to fight him at his weight of 145 pounds," said Muhammad, "so, we moved him up to 156 pounds - and still no one [challenged]. So, it was off to Ashland, Ky. for the Regionals."

Flagg, whose nickname is Make 'Em Pay AJ, met larger and stronger opponents than he'd boxed to-date, and many had far more experience than he did, says Muhammad.

Rigid training became the focus, followed by two weeks' preparation for the Nationals.

"The guys he faced in Kentucky looked small compared to the killers we were up against there," Muhammad said. "So, we told him to bite down on his mouthpiece and go to work - and that's just what he did...for three days, it was war."

Now back home in Detroit, Flagg is reveling in that victory in the sport he calls "nice," while also holding some lofty boxing aspirations.

"I want to make it to the 2012 Olympics, and then go pro," he said. He is currently in the 10th grade at Martin Luther King High School.

While they celebrate the gym's new national recognition, Muhammad is mindful to keep the boxers on their toes. He says Kevin White, 16 and also from Detroit, is one of their best fighters - if not the best. And, with White in a weight class dominated by fighters with far more experience, that is a sobering thought.

"But [those fighters] are in for a surprise this year," promises Muhammad. White, a 10th grader at the University of Central High School, plans to bring feistiness, born out of teen angst, he says.

"Boxing is fun and I recommend it," White said. "It's a great sport that lets you take out all your anger while you are in the ring."

He also plans to try out for the Olympics in 2012, and then seek a career in boxing.

Downtown's enterprise struggles more than most with finances because it is not otherwise funded. Still, Muhammad credits the efforts of Let's Rumble Enterprises, Sala Thai, and Bellacino's, who came through with donations to support the gym and its boxers.

He is concerned over the lack of boxing recognition that Michigan receives these days, and why other fighting venues don't give serious consideration to our homegrown talent.

"People across the country want to know what happened to boxing in Detroit - and Michigan -- for that matter," said Muhammad. "One word: POLITICS. Let's face it, the gyms with the money to throw amateur events control who goes on there. If you have the money to host a tournament, you're almost guaranteed to win the best team or fight-of-the-night trophy." 

He adds that if gyms have been around for a long time and experienced past success, it's their boxers who will be featured in events.

"It's just like the pro fighters who can get people to come out to the event; promoters will put them on," said Muhammad. He says that, unfortunately, focus is then placed not on whether the boxers can actually fight, but how much money they can pull in for promoters.

"Amateur boxing's the same way," he said. "We have some of the best young boxers in Michigan right here at the Downtown Boxing Gym. With some support from the community, we can help bring boxing back home."

Don't miss the first article on the Downtown Boxing Gym!

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-1800-Detroit-City-Buzz-Examiner~y2009m9d9-Downtown-Boxing-Gym-needs-funds-to-continue-work-with-area-youth

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