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By Michael Hirsley
Tribune staff reporter
April 20, 2005, 11:00 PM CDT
Tom Zbikowski loves to box, and he is going through a lot this week to prove it.
Although Zbikowski, a starting free safety at Notre Dame, is preparing for the Blue-Gold spring football game Saturday and for finals next week, he traveled to Chicago on Wednesday to fight in the Golden Gloves tournament.
The only inconvenience he didn't have to negotiate to get to his bout at St. Andrew's Gym on West Addison Street was to drive the car. His father, Ed, picked him up on campus for the round trip.
Zbikowski, representing Chicago's Windy City Boxing Club, found a tough and ready Jimmy Perez of the Harvey Boxing Club across from him in the ring. After an even first round, Zbikowski set up Perez with body shots and then rocked him with a flurry to the head, forcing referee John O'Brien to give Perez a standing eight count. That was the defining sequence that gave Zbikowski the decision.
"He was a tough kid," Zbikowsi said. "He never gave up."
What turned the fight in Zbikowski's favor, he said, was following trainer Danny Nieves' instructions to "let him come in because he stood right in front of me so I could catch him with my best shots."
Zbikowski thus advanced to the final of the heavyweight open division, which will bring him back to St. Andrew's in two weeks. The tournament continues Thursday and Friday, then moves to the finals May 4-6.
"I was always watching boxing on TV as a kid, I got hooked on it and it always has been in my blood," said Zbikowski, whose 20th birthday is next month. "I love one-on-one sports, and boxing fills that for me. I realize it's a sport that some people hate and some people love."
He has been among the latter since he began boxing when he was 9. Including competition in the Silver Gloves tournament for those younger than 15, he has fought about 80 amateur bouts.
The first time he wanted to compete in the Chicago Golden Gloves tournament, he was too young at 16. Then football became his focus.
But while his journey in that sport has gone from star quarterback and Tribune All-Stater at Buffalo Grove High School to free safety at Notre Dame, he never has given up his dream to fight in the Golden Gloves.
Ed Zbikowski said he and his friends boxed in the Chicago tournament.
"I was never as good as Tommy, but he used to listen to our stories, so that's why he has wanted to fight in the Gloves," the elder Zbikowski said. "This is his first opportunity."
And it may be his last. As he looks to add about 10 pounds to his current 201 for football, this could be his final chance to box below the super-heavyweight division. His parents and coaches don't want him fighting opponents in that weight class, who could be well above 210 pounds.
"I've thought about professional boxing," said Zbikowski, who has admired Oscar De La Hoya, the early career of Mike Tyson and the late career of Bernard Hopkins. "Right now I'm trying to take football to the pro level. If not, I'd look at boxing."
He has trained with veterans such as Nieves and former contender John Lira, and he was in the ring as a youngster with top local amateurs-turned-pros like Frankie Tafoya and Luis Perez. Then, as he grew, he sparred with such solid pros as Angel Manfredy and Fres Oquendo.
Whether he pursues boxing further or not, his father says, the discipline of training to box has been invaluable to his son.
As a football player heavily recruited upon graduation from high school, "the whole process put a tremendous amount of pressure on Tommy," said Ed Zbikowski. "We believe his ability to handle pressure came from boxing."
Tribune staff reporter
April 20, 2005, 11:00 PM CDT
Tom Zbikowski loves to box, and he is going through a lot this week to prove it.
Although Zbikowski, a starting free safety at Notre Dame, is preparing for the Blue-Gold spring football game Saturday and for finals next week, he traveled to Chicago on Wednesday to fight in the Golden Gloves tournament.
The only inconvenience he didn't have to negotiate to get to his bout at St. Andrew's Gym on West Addison Street was to drive the car. His father, Ed, picked him up on campus for the round trip.
Zbikowski, representing Chicago's Windy City Boxing Club, found a tough and ready Jimmy Perez of the Harvey Boxing Club across from him in the ring. After an even first round, Zbikowski set up Perez with body shots and then rocked him with a flurry to the head, forcing referee John O'Brien to give Perez a standing eight count. That was the defining sequence that gave Zbikowski the decision.
"He was a tough kid," Zbikowsi said. "He never gave up."
What turned the fight in Zbikowski's favor, he said, was following trainer Danny Nieves' instructions to "let him come in because he stood right in front of me so I could catch him with my best shots."
Zbikowski thus advanced to the final of the heavyweight open division, which will bring him back to St. Andrew's in two weeks. The tournament continues Thursday and Friday, then moves to the finals May 4-6.
"I was always watching boxing on TV as a kid, I got hooked on it and it always has been in my blood," said Zbikowski, whose 20th birthday is next month. "I love one-on-one sports, and boxing fills that for me. I realize it's a sport that some people hate and some people love."
He has been among the latter since he began boxing when he was 9. Including competition in the Silver Gloves tournament for those younger than 15, he has fought about 80 amateur bouts.
The first time he wanted to compete in the Chicago Golden Gloves tournament, he was too young at 16. Then football became his focus.
But while his journey in that sport has gone from star quarterback and Tribune All-Stater at Buffalo Grove High School to free safety at Notre Dame, he never has given up his dream to fight in the Golden Gloves.
Ed Zbikowski said he and his friends boxed in the Chicago tournament.
"I was never as good as Tommy, but he used to listen to our stories, so that's why he has wanted to fight in the Gloves," the elder Zbikowski said. "This is his first opportunity."
And it may be his last. As he looks to add about 10 pounds to his current 201 for football, this could be his final chance to box below the super-heavyweight division. His parents and coaches don't want him fighting opponents in that weight class, who could be well above 210 pounds.
"I've thought about professional boxing," said Zbikowski, who has admired Oscar De La Hoya, the early career of Mike Tyson and the late career of Bernard Hopkins. "Right now I'm trying to take football to the pro level. If not, I'd look at boxing."
He has trained with veterans such as Nieves and former contender John Lira, and he was in the ring as a youngster with top local amateurs-turned-pros like Frankie Tafoya and Luis Perez. Then, as he grew, he sparred with such solid pros as Angel Manfredy and Fres Oquendo.
Whether he pursues boxing further or not, his father says, the discipline of training to box has been invaluable to his son.
As a football player heavily recruited upon graduation from high school, "the whole process put a tremendous amount of pressure on Tommy," said Ed Zbikowski. "We believe his ability to handle pressure came from boxing."
