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Boxers high on loew
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WINNERS: Wesley Triplett, 22, of Youngstown, left, poses with Kelly Pavlik's trainer Jack Loew, center, and fellow amateur champion Chris Hazimihalis, 23, also of Youngstown at the Southside Boxing Club. The boxers won titles last weekend.
The Bob Roth Memorial Boxing Tournament will feature 13 boutson Friday at the Saxon Club.
By JON MOFFETT
Vindicator Staff Writer
YOUNGSTOWN — Jack Loew, Kelly Pavlik’s boxing trainer, saw two of his proteges win gold last weekend.
Youngstown natives Chris Hazimihalis and Wesley Triplett competed in the 2008 Ringside World Championships.
Hazimihalis won the amateur title in the lightweight division for 132 pounds while Triplett won the super heavyweight division at 201-pounds and above.
Both fighters train at Loew’s Southside Boxing Club, the same venue where Pavlik began.
The one-room gym barely holds a ring and some punching bags, but it has plenty of room for success.
The gym took 10 boxers down to the tournament, and six went to the finals, Loew said.
The tournament featured fighters from 12 countries as well as the United States.
“It was a huge tournament,” Loew said. “I’m real proud of those guys for the way they won the tournament.”
Hazimihalis said watching the “Rocky” movies and watching boxing matches with his dad sparked his interest.
“I’ve been boxing about six-seven years, all down here,” Hazimihalis said. “I just always wanted to [box] since I was a little kid.
“I was always asking my dad, ‘take me to the gym, take me to the gym!’ and after I annoyed him so much he took me.”
Triplett’s introduction to the sport was much different. The 6-foot-6, 213-pounder is in his third year and tried boxing out just to keep him busy and out of trouble.
“[I started] just to stay out of the streets; stay out of trouble and to do something positive and look for a career,” Triplett said.
Both boxers agreed that having a local hero like Pavlik to look up to has been big on their careers.
“It’s awesome to have a guy from your hometown,” Hazimihalis said. “If you want to figure something out or if you’re having trouble with something, just go to the gym and watch Kelly and you’ll figure it out real quick.”
Triplett said, “It gives me more confidence to be the champ too; just and train hard and follow in his footsteps and make it too, hopefully.”
Although Pavlik has been an inspiration, both boxers acknowledge that Loew’s tutelage is what earned them their success.
“[Jack Loew] is a great guy,” Hazimihalis said. “He’s always there for whenever we need him for something.”
The Southside Boxing Club will be holding an event on Friday. The Bob Roth Memorial Boxing Tournament will feature 13 bouts, including fights that involve Hazimihalis and Triplett. The event is in memory of Bob Roth, a longtime Vindicator sports correspondent who covered boxing.
“There probably wasn’t a more knowledgeable man in the world of sports, that’s for sure,” said Loew of Roth. “He loved boxing, and I thought this was a good way to honor him.”
The event will be held at the Saxon Club, located at 710 South Meridian Road and will begin at 7 p.m.
jmoffett@vindy.com