Industrial Strength & Performance™ Interview
Ricky Ray Taylor
Ricky Ray Taylor has been boxing for over 20 years and has served as a Judge & Timekeeper for the United States of America Amateur Boxing Federation. He’s also the founder of Boxer Drillz, a popular training institution based in New York City and star of the short film, The Fight Within co-starring ring legend Gerry Cooney. We recently sat down with Ricky to discuss his amazing career and share his insight into the “sweet science.”
Name:
Ricky Ray Taylor
Age: 38
Height: 5'5
Weight:
150
Notable Victories - ’87 Mid-south Regional Golden
Gloves Champion,’88 Finalist Eastern Pre-Olympic Regional Qualifiers,’90
Wisconsin Golden Gloves Champion, ‘90 Milwaukee Region Golden Gloves
Champion,’90 Michigan ABF Champion,’91 Wisconsin Golden Gloves Champion,’91
Milwaukee Region Golden Gloves Champion,’92 Mississippi./Louisiana ABF Champion
I.S.P: What inspired you to get start boxing?
Taylor: I was inspired to start Boxing from my first day in a Boxing gym. There were so many fighters in there who made such an impact on me - a young, wide-eyed kid who loved to compete - that something in me KNEW that I'd be in this sport forever. 25 years later I haven't missed a beat.
I.S.P: What is the typical diet of a boxer before
a fight?
Taylor: Pasta in just about any variation minus the
greasy sauce of course.
I.S.P: What do you enjoy most about boxing?
Taylor: Nothing quenches the competitive aspect in
my life the way boxing can. In so many ways a boxing ring is the great "unveiler".
The way a person "boxes" unveils so much of their true character. I love
seeing this as a Trainer in the gym everyday with all of the egos that come
through the door. Winning a competitive match that you've trained hard for -
there's nothing like it...
I.S.P: What is a “boxer workout” (ex: sample
exercises, frequency, duration)
Taylor:
Most people should start their workout out with a series of stretches and boxers
are no exception. I've learned through the years that a large majority of
pulled muscles and quirks in a person’s body is a result of not stretching
before training/running/hitting the bag/sparring etc. Usually
Boxers immediately climb into the ring or stand in front of a mirror shadow
boxing to get "in the groove". Shadow boxing is many times overlooked by
trainers but I truly think that fighters should place heavy emphasis on it.
Styling, pivots, combinations and maneuver-ability are all polished while shadow
boxing and should never be taken lightly.
*3 - 3 minute rounds (1 minute break) are
typical to start out a workout but more rounds shadow boxing certainly won't
hurt.
*10, 15 or 20 minutes on the rope -
straight, no breaks
*3 to 5 INTENSE rounds on the heavy bag
experimenting with new styles throughout each round - no monotany!
*3 rounds on the double-end and/or speed
bag - stay on your toes
*Personalize 4 (cardiovascular) exercises
which will test you and are conducive for some of the movements you'll do in the
ring while fighting, separate each exercise with 15 push-ups & 25 sit-ups
*1 more round of
shadow boxing concentrating on style ~ you should be pretty much shot by now,
similar to what a boxer will feel in the final round of a match. Though
countless variables contribute to swinging the judges in your direction in a
close fight - how you look is a biggie.
I.S.P: Who are some of your role models in the
industry?
Taylor:
I
truly appreciate & respect "students" of the game. Oftentimes someone will
stumble upon a couple of ex or current fighters talking; pick up on their
conversation and find that they're talking over old fights or fighters. That's
because nearly all competitive fighters invest their time studying and analyzing
fights. They are students of the game. And it doesn't have to be "fighters"
exclusively carrying this wealth of knowledge to gain my respect. When a person
knows their stuff - more than most "competitive fighters" - I look up to them.
Max Kellerman comes to mind.
I.S.P: How did you get involved with The Fight
Within movie?
Taylor:
It was kinda funny; I got a
call from Jay Rodriguez (the director) telling me about a short film that he
was scheduling auditions for starring Gerry Cooney as the dad/trainer of an
aging fighter. He asked me to be the Fight Cordinator for the flick and wanted
to know if I could make it down for the auditions (for the boxer) the next day,
I obliged. Jay had them shadow Box for 10 seconds before moving down the line
of 50 or so actors auditioning for the part. I sat through about 30 of them (it
was brutal!) and finally turned to Jay and said that he was going to have to pay
me double if he expected me to make ANY of them look like a real Boxer! In
turn, he said "you mean they don't look like real boxers?" before
requesting that I demonstrate what real shadow boxing really looks like.
He phoned the next
day offering me the role.
I.S.P: What’s the movie about?
Taylor:
Basically, it's the storyline for countless fighters who fought as amateurs
- retired for a few years and then attempted to resurrect their careers in the
pro ranks. A rocky marriage, a dead-end job, family issues and that lingering
burden of doubt cloud the main character’s mind as he begins to realize just how
far he has to go to be a champion again. In fact, the final scene of the film -
with the referee (James Anderson) picking me up from the canvas and asking, "Do
you wanna fight ... Can you go on?" acts as the undercurrent to the characters
shaky state of mind.
I.S.P: Where can it be seen?
Taylor:
The
Fight Within is a 9-minute short-film that to the best of my knowledge is only
seen online. There's a piece of it on Youtube as well as on my website (www.boxerdrillz.com).
I.S.P: Why should a housewife or a businessman,
for example, learn to box? What are the benefits?
Taylor:
I for
one am in total agreement that housewives are routinely over-worked & highly
under-appreciated. The stress level that many of them endure each day with the
kids may only be comparable with high-energy business people who are crunched by
numbers through the day. Both of these genres need a fresh, new balance in
their life taking them off of a lifeless treadmill and leading them away from a
weight room. Learning how to box unleashes a lion inside of them that is stuck
behind a pencil, confined to a monitor screen or attached to a vacuum cleaner.
I.S.P: What do you enjoy most about being a
trainer?
Taylor:
I
enjoy witnessing the change that occurs in my client’s mannerisms when they
begin to allow the "addiction" to set into their lives. Boxing is addictive.
When a person steps into a busy boxing gym for the first time they are often
immersed in all that’s going on and more often than not, intimidated. They
stand their first day mostly in front of the mirror with me on top of them
micro-managing each new move. The second day they're on the bag. Each day they
spread their wings a bit more until they're coming in on their own doing their
thing. So cool
I.S.P: What are your plans for the future?
Taylor:
I am
currently working on setting up a podcast where I'll be conducting interviews
with local amateur and professional boxers in the NYC area. I've recently
created a blog to anchor it and I'll keep you updated on its progress ....
I.S.P: Great! We’ll be looking forward to that. Thanks again for taking the time out to speak with us. We’ll be sure to update our site when to let readers know when your blog is available.
You can read more about Ricky Ray Taylor and check out a clip from the film by visiting www.boxerdrillz.com - readers in the NY metro area can register for Boxer Drillz by calling 1-917-758-0058.