Poughkeepsie Boxing Precision MMA Boxer Wins Big At Golden Gloves

Feb. 18, 2013 - PRLog -- Precision MMA fighter Pat Daka made the journey from Poughkeepsie to the snowing reaches of Buffalo New York for the second round the of the Upstate New York Golden Gloves.  Pat is still a teenager, prom, graduation and other high school rites of passage are still fresh memories for the young pugilist, but when he enters the ring he stares at full grown men ready to try and take his head off.  

Pat has shown he does not scare easy.  In the opening round he faced a goliath, a fellow superheavyweight tipping the scales at nearly 300 pounds.  Undoubtedly many counted the Hudson Valley boxer out before the fight jab was thrown. However, with ring generalship typically seen only by seasoned pros Pat went to work alternating quick flurries and big power shots on way to a dominant victory.  If they doubted him before, all in attendance quickly realized Pat Daka meant business. He did not drive all the way from Poughkeepsie to go home empty handed.

After securing his victory Pat was right away back to the drawing board with Precision MMA Poughkeepsie boxing coach Derrick Ohlhoff.  Despite the relative ease of his victory Pat was 100% focused on working his weaknesses.  He even took the initiative to step outside his comfort zone and travel to neighboring boxing gyms to spar with their top dogs.  Along the way Pat even stepped in the ring with Zuri Lawrence, a veteran of over 40 professional fights.  There were certainly bumps in the road and moments of uncertainty – bloody lips and black eyes were not unfamiliar territory. However, Pat stayed the course focused on his goal of becoming a Golden Gloves Champion.

Finally February 16 arrived and it was time for the Team Precision Boxer to show what he was made of.  Unlike other fighters who are filled with anxiety and doubt pre-fight, Pat brimmed with confidence and eager anticipation.  Coach Derrick gave his last minute instructions and they made their way to the ring to take on another mountain of a man.  However, it was not the cold stare his opponent shot his way that would unsettle young Pat, but rather a curious realization.  Pat was facing a southpaw.  

Left-handed fighters pose a unique challenge for orthodox (right handed boxers).  Everything is backwards; you circle to your left and lead with your right hand despite countless rounds of doing the exact opposite.  You often step on each other’s feet in an awkward gauge of distance where the opponent somehow feels simultaneously too close and too far at the same time. While southpaws face similar challenges, they have one thing on their side – experience.  9 out of 10 people are right handed, meaning southpaws everyday hone their strategy for righties while orthodox fighters might not even have a lefty in their gym to work with.

There was no turning back though as the bell sounded the start of the contest.  Pat sat back and bided his time, trying to win the battle of the feet.  Once Pat saw that his lead foot was outside his opponent’s he knew he was in line for his straight right hand.  He fired right down the pipe and snapped his opponent’s head back like a Pez dispenser.  When a fighter gets hit they generally have one of two reactions, they either jump back to return the favor or retreat to recollect them self.  In this case Pat’s opponent chose the latter, not realizing that his moment of timidity would give his young opponent the boost of confidence he needed.  Pat now was in cruise control.  He put aside his southpaw jitters and began throwing counter right hands and left hooks that left his opponent baffled.  Each round was more convincing that the next until finally the final bell sounded and Pat took one step close to his goal of Golden Gloves glory.

Showing the mindset of a champion Pat informed his coach that since he took very little damage he would be ready to fight again on Saturday at another local boxing show near Poughkeepsie.  With three victories under his belt the future looks bright for Pat Daka and the rest of Team Precision Boxing.  Keep your eye out for this young heavyweight with the thunderous right hand.

Precision MMA is now offering a 30 Day Free Trial for Poughkeepsie boxers of all levels to find out more call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsieboxing.com