With former champions like James J. Braddock hailing from North Bergen, boxing is a familiar pastime. Now it’s once again becoming the place for up-and-coming boxers, with fighters such as Reynaldo Ojeda, Mariusz Wach, Artur Szpilka, and of course local favorite Danny McDermott moving to town.
Fighters like Wach and Szpilka, who emigrated from Poland, found a home in North Bergen due to its boxing notoriety and plethora of gyms and trainers.
These boxers hope to utilize the same North Bergen resources that have been used extensively by fighters such as McDermott, who began training under former professional “Irish” Pat Murphy when he was just 12 years old.
“I’d love to be the first native-born North Bergen fighter since Braddock to win the world title and bring it home.” – Danny McDermott
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Heavyweight contender
Wach is scheduled to face Kevin McBride, a heavyweight who gained fame after his victory over Mike Tyson in Tyson’s final match.
“I’m very excited to be fighting in Connecticut on July 29 against Kevin McBride,” said Wach last week, through a translator. “Living here in North Bergen has been great for my career because I can focus on preparing for my fights instead of the distractions at home.”
“I love it here in New Jersey for that,” continued Wach, “but I also miss my home sometimes, especially my son and wife back in Krakow, Poland. But I’m making the sacrifices to provide them with a better life so that they don’t have to struggle like I did growing up as a boy.”
Wach, 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, is known for his imposing size. McBride, of Brockton, Mass., is 6’6” and weighs approximately 270 pounds.
“He’s also very big,” said Wach, “It’s not usual that a man I’m about to fight can stare at me in the eyes, but the more dangerous my opponent is, the more dangerous I become.”
By setting his sights for a shot at becoming the heavyweight champion of the world, it’s clear that Wach has nothing but the highest of expectations.
“The two best heavyweights right now are the Klitschko brothers, Wladimir and Vitali,” said Wach. “I will be dealing with a lot of the same physical challenges against McBride that I will confront with the Klitschkos should they still be champion when I get my chance.”
“I will be looking to make a statement in this fight that not only am I here to make noise now but I am here to stay,” said Wach, who continued to state that he needs the support of the public to convince fighters not to back down from facing him. “The public will have to force them to face me.”
The other side of the spectrum
While Wach confidently prepares for his upcoming bout, North Bergen native Danny McDermott, a lightweight prospect, trains to become world champion.
McDermott, who garnered the attention of local residents after his energetic fights in North Bergen’s Schuetzen Park, is scheduled to contend for the World Boxing Union title. The WBU title was recently featured in the Academy Award-winning film The Fighter, which is based on the life of Micky Ward.
The fight is scheduled to take place on August 12 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Atlanta, Ga.
McDermott is no stranger to pressure, having fought at large venues such as Madison Square Garden.
“Madison Square Garden was the most exhilarating fight,” said McDermott, who hopes that winning the title shot can earn him more appearances there.
Although earning more fights at Madison Square Garden is in McDermott’s best interest, there are other perks that come with winning a WBU title – or, more specifically, being deemed world champion.
“It’s one of the major titles out there,” said McDermott, who expressed that to win the title and become world champion has been a dream of his for years.
Trains at Braddock Park
An opportunity like this is not without its share of hard work.
“It [the training] starts early in the morning,” said McDermott. “I usually get up at about 5 o’clock. I go out and I do a long distance run. I usually train over in Braddock Park up on 80th Street. I’ll do a couple miles and then I’ll go to the track and I’ll do a lot of interval training to get my condition up.”
“Every morning I wake up at dawn and run in Braddock Park and it gives me a lot of motivation, knowing that he [Braddock] had previously blazed the trail,” said McDermott.
McDermott’s schedule also includes training under former International Boxing Federation champion and Jersey City Police Officer Mark Medal at the Union City Boxing Gym.
“I’m really looking forward to this championship fight and I want to win it for everybody in this [Hudson County] area,” said McDermott. “I’d love to be the first native-born North Bergen fighter since Braddock to win the world title and bring it home.”
“I’m really motivated and I’ve got a lot of good people working with me,” continued McDermott. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m working as hard as I can to bring the championship back to North Bergen.”
Stephen LaMarca may be reached at editorial@hudsonreporter.com.