It’s pretty much a given that if one is to succeed in life they must be willing to accept change and take the necessary chances that are available. Settling for the daily routine that life offers may typically be the most convenient of options but it’s only when we break the mold and look outside the box that we start to get a grasp for what our lives may become.
When looking at the career of Welterweight prospect Rashad Holloway you sense a man whose life has changed dramatically within the past few years because of one simple move he made in his life. A native of Cincinnati. Ohio, Holloway has bounced around a few places during his time in the sport but it wasn’t until he came out to California that he got a true sense of how high he could take his career.
Sporting an 11-1-2 record with 5 knockouts and eyeing a rumored February 5th ShoBox appearance against Freddy Hernandez, Holloway has gotten a wealth of exposure in recent times due to a few key reasons. The fact that Holloway simply knows how to fight is a plus but the 28 year old will be first to tell you that when he set foot in the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles that his career was forever altered.
Upon entering the facility Holloway was introduced to an atmosphere unlike any other, as he immersed himself around world class fighters and trainers at the highest of levels. From sparring the likes of Antonio Margarito, Manny Pacquiao, and Alfredo Angulo to forming a bond with trainer Freddie Roach, Holloway found his refuge in the Vine Street gym while also blossoming as a fighter.
With his next fight apparently a few weeks away, Holloway recently opened up to me about his move to California, his early days at the Wild Card, his friendship with Manny Pacquiao, and much more. In his own words, this is what Holloway had to say…
Coming out to California… “Actually at the time I had a deal and I was living in Houston. My deal ended up going sour and I had a friend at the time named Steve, the same guy who trained Lamon Brewster when he won the world title when he knocked out Klitschko. He got together with some investors and a mutual friend of mine and decided that it would be a good move for me to move to California. I ended up going to Cali and things didn’t work out the way as expected but I did end up going to camp with Shane Mosley. When I went to camp with Shane we ended up one day going to the Wild Card and it has been on ever since.”
An introduction to the Wild Card… “The first time I went into the Wild Card Bernard Hopkins was training in there, I believe for his fight with Winky Wright. I remember that my friend Joe Greene was sparring with him at the time. My first time going in there, which was the first day I was in California, they ended up putting me out of the gym because they said I looked familiar. They thought maybe I was scouting and that I was somebody from Winky’s camp. Freddie Roach didn’t know me at the time and it was funny because when I actually came and worked out they said ‘Wow, this kid can fight’. When we talked afterwards I joked with them that they had kicked me out but he told me there were no hard feelings and that they simply didn’t know who I was.”
Like home… “It felt like home. I come from a cruddy gym, and even though it wasn’t a ran down gym it just had that gym feeling. It wasn’t clean and it wasn’t like a fitness center because you just had every kind of fighter in there. You had hungry fighters, fighters who just came to work out, and the fighters who stuck around and ended up becoming trainers. It’s just a different vibe. You really feel like you are really in a gym.”
A welcome environment… “Everybody is cool. For the most part, what people don’t realize is that people from all over the world come to that gym. When you come into that gym you will be training alongside other prospects, world contenders, and champions but you also have actors in there training alongside us, regular Joes, and photographers also. Everybody is familiar with everybody and we welcome them all. Everybody is cool with everybody and there is a mutual respect. Just because you are not a fighter doesn’t mean you will get treated different than anybody else.”
Knowing Manny Pacquiao… “Me and Manny are good friends. Manny didn’t really know me at first. At the time I was just another guy in the gym and he didn’t really know who I was until Freddie hired me for one of his fights. After the first day I was sparring and Buboy and all the other guys were looking at me and they thought I was good and ended up saying that I was going to be Manny’s chief sparring partner. The first day I sparred with Manny I got his respect. We went at it and I did real well. Manny respected me from that point.”
Growing comfortable… “Ever since then we have been cool. He would invite me to the Palazzo, over to his house, and I would go and kick it with the guys. They didn’t treat me like a sparring partner. Nobody did and I never have been treated like that. They all gravitated towards me and everything was cool. When I come in the gym all the Filipinos chant ‘Holloway, Holloway!’ or they call me the ‘Super sparring partner’. I’ve just gotten real cool with everyone in there.”
Highlight of knowing Manny… “I think the highlight of knowing Manny was around the time of the De La Hoya fight. After the weigh in we all went into the back of the MGM to eat. A brought a friend of mine back to meet him and he was a real big fan of Manny’s. Manny brought him back with us and even though nobody was supposed to be allowed back Manny made sure it was cool and he said ‘If you’re a friend of Rashad’s then you are a friend of mine because Rashad is like my brother’. It was great and it was just me, him and Manny. Also, every time I would go to Manny’s house Manny would always invite me to come sit down with him and his wife or him and whoever else was over there.”
Getting respect from Freddie Roach… “Freddie is a very good dude. A lot of people don’t realize how funny that guy is. Me and Freddie will sit back and crack jokes and he’s just a normal guy. He likes people and he stays to himself. I’ll put it to you like this; he respect good fighters. And if you are a good person, regardless of how well you can fight, he will like you. I’ve said this before but Freddie wasn’t the greatest of fighters. But because of that he was able to see some of his flaws and he understands boxing. He isn’t one of those egotistical people who think they know everything about boxing. He understands what he has and he perfects it. He sits there and he will analyze what you have and come up with a game plan for you to win. Me and him can sit and talk about boxing forever.”
A good move… “When I am away from Wild Card I am sick. Wild Card is my home and I love all those guys. The heart and soul of Wild Card is Pepper Roach, who to those who don’t know is Freddie’s brother. Whenever you look up my videos on Youtube you will see Pepper in there with me; that’s my guy. It’s just a family and we are tight at Wild Card. It was just a good move for coming out to California.”
