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FIGHTING FIRE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 42 wiythear.v”ictory that gave CPD box-
edge.”
man beat them,” Hayes asserted. “It’s nice to know these
First-time fighter Oliver Franklin followed Mulcahy guys are on our side.”
ingIt’as lfeaairdtiot nsaeyvetrharetlitnhqeuainshtiecdi-. Fpraatnioknlinforetvheiasledvetnhtatmhieghtrtahinaevde hbueailvtiluypwiatlhl hyeisarpatnrodl pceartanienr-, PlyhiclrMesiclelenrd,aonedfonunadnsiogmhtetahda-t
with a victory that gave CPD boxing a lead it never relin- So, yes, there might have been an element of wanting to
BOXING 2016 dmitigiohntahlamveotbiveaetniocnriwspheandlocooklidngoauctsroidses tbhuetrwinags. sizzling
his patrol partner, Phil Miller, and found some additional ever been in a boxing ring under the hot lights, you know motivation when looking across the ring.
how draining it gets even after just one minute.
in“tFhieregfyigmh.tIetrws ahsaavenigmhotrteo sthimowe ytoutrapirnidaen, wdhtihcehyLowdegre t7hPinreksiindgentht eDyeawneArenginelob,eSttre. lredshbaypwe,e”ahriengclhairsif“iCedP.D“TBhoxa-t mingo”tijvactkeedt,mgeartbo thraitnahcaerrdteari,npnueswh mDeypsealrftamnednmt saukpeesruinre- thenatdeanllttehveehnaturdalwlyodroknynoeudp. ut in, losing sleep and being awTahyefrdoemcidyoinugr mfamomilyenetvefonrmthoerebpoaxiedrsofsfe.”emed to come lonTog bceafporoeftfhtehyeevnitcetroerdy,thReobrienrgt.CParinofrietlodthtoeosktatrhteofetvhee- nboinugt’s,ftinhaelCbPoDut.tWeaimth hloicskpeirnkrosomckslopoukleleddluikpehtihgeh,sCceane- fireolmd d“Ranocekdy IaIrIo”uwnhdenthReorcinkyg baengdinesmtprahiansinizgedfohrohwistrhee- fmiraetfcighhwteirtshjMusrt.Tcobuyldwna’tlkienegpinutpowApitohllToeCamreeCdP’sDolodngythmis. nTihgihstr.oom was filled with the eye of the tiger.
TAht othmaat stiHmaey,eLso, wdgheo 7ruFnisrstthVeiCceh-iPcaregsoidPeanrkt DRaisytrCicatsBiaonxo- isntegpGpyemd sinatnodthceoaecyheeodftthheeCsPtoDrmteamndfoardtdheidrdscoomnesebciute- twivitehyeoanre, soeft uhpisapsaptecnitaeldtraspineiencghreesgiomf emn ototivmataioken,suinre- tshpeiractoiopns wanoduldaphparveecitahteione. cAesfsoarrmy esrtaaminataeuarndboexnesruoref tshoemceopresnwoowunldkhnaovwenenasouRgahy t“oBboeomsta-nBdoionmg”inCtahseiaenod,.MOnr. tVhiceef-iPrsrtesdiadyenotfftiraeidnuinpgt,heeChPiDt ebaocxheorsfwthitehmawfluitrhryaohfahrids roiwghnt. hand and watched their reaction to see who was tou“Ughndeenrosutagnhd. what you’re going to have to go through tonHieghtht,e”nCapsuiat nthoeimfigphloterersd tahsrtohuegbhotxhereseg-amthineuretde arorouunndds ohfimsp.a“Grreintgintothgeerte,thmeackoepysoruerapduynfochreths,eptrhorteectoynoeu-mrseinlf-, usctoereotuhnodsseopnofinigthstanidghgte.tAtnhdatfiwnianl.l”y, he challenged their, weClla,ntou, wghnoewssa.s fighting for the first time in the Battle of the“IBtoadldgtehse, mnothedeyhdoiwdnm’t upcuht itnhiasllptrhei-sfiwghortkfetrovloert ma laedsseear difference.
“One of the good things was that everybody was in there and the camaraderie made you feel at ease,” Cano described. “You wanted to validate everything they were saying in the locker room when you went into the ring.”
Final validation came when the cops were again hold- ing up the trophy at the end, a victory scored on the virtue of winning six of the 10 bouts, scoring more total points and celebrating the only knockout of the night. Former U.S. Marine and 14-year Department veteran Kevin Gib- bons hit his CFD counterpart with a clap of thunder to the solar plexus that buckled him to his knees, a punch that sealed the victory.
Gibbons confided that he was as surprised as the next guy that his jab struck gold and scored the knockout. Af- ter winning in his first BOTB go-round in 2014, Gibbons came in this time with a simple strategy.
“Focus on jab, jab, jab; one-two, one-two,” he explained. “And just get it over with as soon as I can.”
Cruz followed up Cano with a triumph that gave each side two victories each, and that set up the turning point of the event. Mike Mulcahy, the most experienced police officer/boxer, brought seasoning from his more than 50 amateur fights into the ring and promptly beat his CFD foe, a former Golden Gloves champion, for the third con- secutive year.
“He will fight me every year until he wins,” Mulcahy said. “He came out punching this year, but I think just the combination of my endurance and my movement in the ring allowed me to dodge some of his shots and get an
442 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ MAY 2016
That’s when boxers really know who is in their corner, thinking they were in better shape,” he clarified. “That
quished. Franklin revealed that he trained heavily with show police officers are the tougher breed. But if you have
“Firefighters have more time to train and they were
and every member of the CPD team echoed what Mulca- motivated me to train harder, push myself and make sure
hy had to say about the support filling the De La Salle gym. that all the hard work you put in, losing sleep and being
“The crowd was awesome,” he said. “When you get away from your family even more paid off.”
tirTeod acnapd yooffutshtearvtiscltoowryin, gRodbowernt,Citadnofiesldhetolpo,kestpheceiavlely-
wnihnegn’s yfionualabnoduta. Wgoitohdhpisupnicnhkasnodckysopuuhlleadruthpehcigrhow, Cdagno-
field danced around the ring and emphasized how the ‘Oooohhhh.’”
firefighters just couldn’t keep up with Team CPD on this At the end of the night, however, here is what all the
night. fightingwasabout:Theproceedsfromtheeventwillfund
Thomas Hayes, who runs the Chicago Park District Box- a donation to the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation to
ing Gyms and coached the CPD team for third consecu-
help the families of police officers killed or catastrophical-
tive year, set up a special training regimen to make sure
ly injured in the line of duty. That’s what they were fight-
the cops would have the necessary stamina and ensure
ing for. That’s why it didn’t hurt to take a punch. That’s the cops would have enough to be standing in the end. On
why they battled for this badge of courage.
the first day of training, he hit each of them with a hard
“Without the action, without the knockdowns and with- right hand and watched to reaction to see who was tough
out good fights, we wouldn’t have a good turnout for the enough.
evHenet,t”hGenibpbuotntshseubfimghiteterds.t“hSrouitg’shatlhlarebeo-umtipnaurteicripoautnindgs
ionf aspcahrarrinitgy etovegnettftohrefacmopilsierseoafdfyalfloerntohfefictheres.e” one-min-
ute rounds on fight night. And finally, he challenged their, And so as they stood in the ring after all the bouts were
well, toughness.
done, the CPD boxers heard the cheers of approval from
“I told them they didn’t put in all this work to let a lesser their brothers and sister, a true confirmation that they all
man beat them,” Hayes asserted. “It’s nice to know these are, and always will be, the ultimate fighters.d
guys are on our side.”
So, yes, there might have been an element of wanting to
Stories of a Chicago
show police officers are the tougher breed. But if you have ever been in a boxing ring under the hot lights, you know
Police Officer
how draining it gets even after just one minute.
That’s when boxers really know who is in their corner,
A fast-paced ride through thirty years of police
and every member of the CPD team echoed what Mulca-
work. This 3rd generation Copper provides a
hy had to say about the support filling the De La Salle gym.
collection of strange and outlandish humor as a
p“aTtrohlmeancraondwsdergweanats, coauwpledsowmithet,h”e ghrieslysaid. “When you get tiraend haonrrid cyroecuollescttaiornts sthloatwcainngotdboewernas,eidt. does help, especially
At the end of the night, however, here is what all the
Part Barney Miller and part Hill Street Blues.
when you land a good punch and you hear the crowd go ‘Oooohhhh.’”
The Reviews are in:
“...a perfect blending of the funny, dangerous, sad and outrageous facets of police life in
fighting was about: The proceeds from the event will fund
Chicago. It is an absolute “Must Read”
a donation to the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation to
“The man who wrote it is real! Believe that a policeman’s life is not easy & decisions made
help the families of police officers killed or catastrophical-
in a split second. Excellent read for the non-police educated & a better read for those of us
ly injured in the line of duty. That’s what they were fight-
who lived the life!”
ing for. That’s why it didn’t hurt to take a punch. That’s
“Nitty, Gritty, Humorous, Frequently Profane Depiction of Every-day Experiences of a
why they battled for this badge of courage.
“Family-Tradition” Chicago Cop.”
“Without the action, without the knockdowns and with- ouAbtogutotohedAuftihgohr:tRse,tirwedeSerwgeoanut Cladseny’its ah30a-yveear vaetegraonofdthetuCPrDn. Hoe aucctumfoulratetdhe
100 honorable mentions, 15 major awards and more than two dozen citizens’ letters
event,” Gibbons submitted. “So it’s all about participating
of recommendation. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice
in a charity event for families of fallen officers.”
from Lewis University, along with seven professional certi cations, and currently teaches at a
And so as they stood in the ring after all the bouts were
local community college.
done, the CPD boxers heard the cheers of approval from
Available in hard cover or paperback, or via E-book on Amazon and
their brothers and sister, a true confirmation that they all
Barnes and Noble’s websites.
are, and always will be, the ultimate fighters.
SPECIAL for FOP Members: Go to https://storiesofachicagopoliceofficer.com/ to pdurchase the book directly. Save a few dollars AND One Dollar from each book sold will be donated to the Gold Star Families.