Author Topic: Jersey giant Johnnie Morant  (Read 49753 times)

old-school-lifter

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #100 on: September 21, 2014, 08:03:51 PM »
Dear old-school lifter,
   Thanks for the kind words.  I did come on board many years ago but admittedly, didn't care too much for the very harsh criticism just because I had a personal confrontation with Dorian Yates.  I didn't realize peoples' heroes were infallible.  I first came on to offer an honest inside to the sport since I am so lucky to be "behind the ropes" for a few things.  Training with Craig for 15 years has really given me a unique insight into bodybuilding, its players, its despots, its gurus, its money-men and its idols.  I thought people might want to know some stuff and I offered to answer questions as honestly as I legally could.  I knew you needed thick skin for this board but it just seemed a bit too unwarranted solely for a difference of opinion or someone not believing "the dosages."
   I wanted to come back on just because I miss the stories of real bodybuilding, reading opinions, especially those which differ from my own and engaging in discussions and seeing pictures.  I just found the mean spirited racism not really relevant to a board supposedly designed to talk about bodybuilding related issues.  Sure, bodybuilding, like all aspects of life, has its corruptions and abuses, but we are all drawn to it for at least other good reasons.  Bodybuilding, while I am sure having shortened my life span and caused much of the daily pain I feel as soon as I crawl out of bed, is worth it to me.  I achieved things, meaningless to most, but things no one thought I could do but me, and that mattered.  And in the end, we all want to be judged well by others but if we do the things we oursleves admire, then the rest of the world can take their criticisms of us and shove it up their self-defeeating, pessimistic, non-achieving and non-aspiring asses. 
   Of anything I've done in my life, the photos I have of me in shape mean more to me than any Ph.D., law degree or anything else.  Anyone can sit down for 3 years and earn a law degree.  Most people, if they really wanted to, could earn enough money to buy a Ferrari.  But, like most people on this board, it's the things you can't be which we admire most and chasing those things and achieving some of them, to me, has made all the difference.
Harley
   

great post Harley
and hope you stay on the boards
any pics, stories you can post would be great

don't get too caught up about getbig- that's just the nature of it- a lot of the folks here ARE negative, passive-aggressive, racist, etc

njflex

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #101 on: September 21, 2014, 08:04:41 PM »
i like harley's stories...

old-school-lifter

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #102 on: September 21, 2014, 08:04:46 PM »
Harley

you have prob met many pro's over the years- who was the biggest in person?

HarleyBreite

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #103 on: September 21, 2014, 09:02:26 PM »
    There are a few pros who really stood out as massive.
    I met Lee Priest at the 1998 Arnold Classic and he was enormous.  I will say this however, he had to climb up 3 (yes, three) steps and he was exhausted.  He was filled with so much fluid he couldn't walk very far or fast but he was enormous at his height.
    Paul Dillet guest posed at a show run by Maz Ali in New Jersey perhaps in the early 90's and he was the biggest bodybuilder I ever met.  He appeared as if someone filled every bodypart with air.  I thought he was a balloon at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade he was so round.  If ever a comic book character fell to earth, it was Paul Dillet.  Not the nicest guy.  Mattarazzo was one of the all time best guys to ever meet. 
    But there was one time, perhaps in South Carolina, where Dennis James competed and we saw him walking around and then hung out with him.  He and Craig are quite friendly so I have spent time with Dennis.  Well, either he or Branch I think won that show but walking around, in a tank top, he was truly a sight to see.
    In person, those guys impressed me the most.  Yes, Dorian was big but it was a guest posing and he was bloated big.  Kevin was large too and Flex was Flex, but the first 3 guys I mentioned really made you stop and wonder, damn, how does that even work?
    Craig has told me that backstage, the guy who most surprised him with just how big he was, and again, Craig has stood next to them all, was Milos.  Craig said that Milos was just so much bigger than any photo or video he ever saw of him.  Backstage in NY, Milos made most guys look small.  I was surprised too. 
    Craig also told me that in person, as opposed to actually on stage next to other guys, one of the biggest and most impressive guys ever was Pavlo.  Knowing he is one of my favorites, Craig called me over to show me backstage just how big was Pavlo and I too was really surprised.  Craig and I don't have the same "favorite" bodybuilders so when he came out and said how big both Milos and Pavlo were, I knew it was real.
   

tommywishbone

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #104 on: September 21, 2014, 09:10:48 PM »
Harley, good post man.  We must know each other. I worked at Gold's Venice from summer 1991- 1997.  I was in Gold's Venice working or training 6-7 days a week, 10-12 hours a days for years.   Trained with Titus many times.  Titus came to my house many times. 

 Keep posting.  Ignore the nonsense from the candyass runts that have never been onstage.

Tom
a

gracie bjj

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #105 on: September 21, 2014, 09:37:13 PM »
even in the very early 80,s diamond gym had giants walking around,i remember morant musta been no more than 15 or 16 when I started working out there and he was already 230-40lbs then,micheal Johnson was a beast also,nick lavitola worked out there also and he had the widest delts ive ever seen back then.lucho was the first guy I seen to have cross striations in his thighs,mike calabrese was another awesome dude,there was a dude who used to work out with kemper in the early AM with long black hair,i think his name was pete or gary,not sure but he was massive also. kemper stayed true to his word and kept it hardcore,john knew his stuff,he was like E.F HUTTON,when john spoke everybody listened in
R

HarleyBreite

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #106 on: September 22, 2014, 04:23:24 AM »
Dear Tom,
   Thanks for the kind words.  I have long enjoyed your posts.
   They remind me of a book, "Little Big Men" written by an Anthropologist named Alan Klein.  Klein spent many years living in Gold's Gym, submerging himself in the culture in order to study a target society.  His book basically reads like an ethnography and even more so like a dissertation.  He reveals no names and appears to draw his own preconceived conclusions as to why we all started lifting weights.  The book was disappointing in many ways but did give some insight.
   Your experiences, if coupled with names, would make a much more interesting book.
   The idea that these larger than life heroes I met in the magazines could ever be involved in such salacious, soul-selling acts could never occur to me, a teenager rifling through the pages and thinking, "ok, I am short so I could look like Franco if I keep lifting.
   Sometimes knowing less about your heroes is a more rewarding state of being.

gracie bjj

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #107 on: September 22, 2014, 04:36:51 AM »
i like harley's stories...

yea me to his stories r cool and interesting,especially to a guy like me and u who have a huge place in our hearts for the NJ bodybuilding scene back then,mid to late 80,s to late 90,s.i know when someones been on the scene and u do to njflex,we r old school and we can smell bullshit a mile away. Harley is a straight up guy and everything he says is spot on and totally true,only people who where there would know what he knows,even me and u njflex,people in the know can tell we where in the mix back then cause we know stuff that aint in the magazines or on the internet,its only stuff u hear being in places like diamond or strong and shapely ect.i really miss those days,the divisions where stacked with unreal talent and I honestly don't think we will ever see such a great crop of talent for along time to come thru the new jersey state shows,suburban,and the nationals
R

HarleyBreite

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #108 on: September 22, 2014, 04:46:51 AM »
     Back in the day, even the top 15 at the USA and Nationals was an incredible placing.  It was no coincidence that the guys who won their class at The Nationals were almost always immediately competitive as pros.  Did Mattarazzo and DeMayo dramatically change once they became pros? I didn't see too much of that.  When Levrone walked on stage at the Jr. USA or Jr. Nationals, did anyone have a doubt where he was soon heading?
    What I saw was guys committed to grueling workouts, each and every day, in small gyms that you could barely find, that had no carpets, no real air conditioning, dust filled machines, with very few "posers."  This was not limited to NJ.  California was producing mega tatlents as well.  Florida guys seemed to just party way too much and in my opinion, never really put it together for very long.
    I remember Mike Quinn livid over the obviously mistaken placing of his good friend at a show in Hackensack (I think it was the East Coast).  Quinn called out all the judges for a fight, including, and especially Maz Ali and Steve Weinberger.  Quinn told them he woudl be outside in the front waiting to personaly fight them.  I must admit, the excitement got to me and I waited outside to see it all unfold.  Let's just say that apparently, Bergen County Tech High School has a back door exit.

gracie bjj

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #109 on: September 22, 2014, 05:08:49 AM »
     Back in the day, even the top 15 at the USA and Nationals was an incredible placing.  It was no coincidence that the guys who won their class at The Nationals were almost always immediately competitive as pros.  Did Mattarazzo and DeMayo dramatically change once they became pros? I didn't see too much of that.  When Levrone walked on stage at the Jr. USA or Jr. Nationals, did anyone have a doubt where he was soon heading?
    What I saw was guys committed to grueling workouts, each and every day, in small gyms that you could barely find, that had no carpets, no real air conditioning, dust filled machines, with very few "posers."  This was not limited to NJ.  California was producing mega tatlents as well.  Florida guys seemed to just party way too much and in my opinion, never really put it together for very long.
    I remember Mike Quinn livid over the obviously mistaken placing of his good friend at a show in Hackensack (I think it was the East Coast).  Quinn called out all the judges for a fight, including, and especially Maz Ali and Steve Weinberger.  Quinn told them he woudl be outside in the front waiting to personaly fight them.  I must admit, the excitement got to me and I waited outside to see it all unfold.  Let's just say that apparently, Bergen County Tech High School has a back door exit.

lol,quinn was a maniac ;D
R

HarleyBreite

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #110 on: September 22, 2014, 05:14:58 AM »
    I met Mike Quinn several times and he was very nice.  He guest posed at a show in the late 80's and was selling autographs and even posters.  I bought a black and white poster and asked him to sign it to me.  He did so very graciously and we spoke.
    I then went over to the Shawn Ray table and asked him, "If I buy a poster (yes, he too had a poster for sale) will you sign it for me?"  He said, "no."  I didn't buy the poster.
    I met Jim Quinn at Rutgers College in New Brunswick at the Jr. USA I think and we spoke for awhile.  I told him I was actualy attending Rutgers College and he told me to earn my degree and that bodybuilding was not something anyone should pursue on a professional level (not that I was).  He was very intent on telling me the value of staying in school and that there woudl always be time for the gym, but not to make it a career.

oldtimer1

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #111 on: September 22, 2014, 06:10:31 AM »
maz's gym when u were there had some great bbers/powerlifters,when i started in his original gym in fair;lawn ,,we had big andre douglass legit 500 lb incline he was massive he loved abombs...dean barreca as u mentioned was just getting into competing he was lightweight at the time...when u were with craig and he was tight with maz u had andre now competing bbing,joe cruz nice build we competed on stage for an overall,dean now in prime doing suburban and the jersey,john riggo riggins rip ,like craig was great teenager shredded and went full bore into evrything,,maz had good crew...

I lived in Fairlawn for about 4 years. I remember training at a gym there in 1986 but my memory is fuzzy. 

njflex

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #112 on: September 22, 2014, 06:18:42 AM »
I COULD READ THIS THREAD AND NO OTHER FOR DAYS WITH HARLEY HERE....VINNY G WAS DEF MY KINDA BUILD TO LIKE BACK EARLY 90'S AND I WAS A MIDDLEWEIGHT TOO..I KNEW THE GUY LANCE COLORETTI WHO DIETED HIM FOR THE JR AND HIS USA WIN,HE SAID WAIT TO U SEE VINNY AT THE 93 USA LIKE A TOTALLY BIGGER/HARDER VERSION OF HIS JR USA SHOW WHICH HE WAS PEELED TOO BOOT AS WELL..VINNY AS A LIGHTHEAVY WAS GREAT AS WELL HELD THE SIZE/LOOK HE WAS KNOWN FOR LIGHTER ,,KNOCK ON HIM HE LISTENED TO TOO MANY PEOPLE AND COULD NEVER GET HIS IDEAL SIZE/WEIGHT AT TIMES AND ESP AS A PRO,,DUDE HAD A KILLER BUILD..

Royalty

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #113 on: September 22, 2014, 06:19:01 AM »
Dear old-school-lifter,
    Thanks so much for mentioning me along with all those great guys.  Although I am no bodybuilder, nor have I ever competed,  I have had the good fortune to train with IFBB Pro Craig Richardson for the past 15 years.
    I first entered a gym in the mid-1980's.  It was Westside Muscle in Rutherford, N.J.  The place was filled with great competitors such as Tom Shoebridge, Chris Catena, Vinnie Galanti, Rob Lopez and a host of others.  My training partner, Rick Jones (he competed and beat Mike Morris) and I soon began training with one of the true greats, Darryl Perry.
    I was at all those shows mentioned by gracie bjj and njflex and remember guys guest posing just before they hit all the magazines and became "famous."
    I later trained with Vinnie Galanti in preparation for his 1997 USA show in Texas where he placed a very respectable 4th Place.
    Soon thereafter, I met up with Craig Richardson and have trained with him ever since.
    I have had the most incredible experiences in having trained in so many different gyms, meeting so many bodybuilders and seeing it all from "behind the ropes."
    Bodybuilding is certainly not without its multitude of problems and divergent opinions, but for most of us, it has provided us with a bit more purpose and enjoyment in our lives, no matter what personal sacrificies we chose to make.
Harley



Holy shit! I have a video of you training with Craig Richardson prior to the 2004 Mr Olympia. It's the BFTO 2004. You guys were training chest in the segment!

The first time that I saw the video, I thought that you were X-PAC lol

wild willie

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #114 on: September 22, 2014, 06:44:33 AM »
CHUCK WILLIAMS WAS ANOTHER FANTASTIC BODYBUILDER FROM THE GARDEN STATE.


Ronnie Rep

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #115 on: September 22, 2014, 07:11:17 AM »
Great stuff Harley. You mentioned Florida, I trained in two great hardcore gyms in South Florida. Gold Coast Gym and Golds Gym in Sunrise. Golds Gym in Sunrise was the absolute best, the owner Ken Beley was a good friend of mine, unfortunately he died in 93 and the Gym was eventually sold buy his wife and then closed. Every pro or major amateur bodybuilder, wrestler etc that came to S.FL found their way there.

tommywishbone

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #116 on: September 22, 2014, 07:21:05 AM »
CHUCK WILLIAMS WAS ANOTHER FANTASTIC BODYBUILDER FROM THE GARDEN STATE.


Crazy biceps. Little guy but very good.
a

Ronnie Rep

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #117 on: September 22, 2014, 07:52:57 AM »
Crazy biceps. Little guy but very good.
Wasn't he a light heavyweight.

HarleyBreite

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #118 on: September 22, 2014, 08:03:31 AM »
  I am not sure who or what X-PAC is but I hope it's someone kool who is good with the ladies.  LOL.
  I have quite a few good Vinnie Galanti stories as I did train with him prior to training with Craig.  We would go to Sonny's Gym in Jersey City just to do legs.  Vinnie possessed a great physique and he was on the wall of Westside Muscle when I first walked into that gym.  So many people wanted to be associated with him that I think he found it hard to say "no" to some people.  Everyone wanted to be the "guy who got Vinnie ready."  I remember Lance too.  A bit of an extremist even back then.
  It was hard for Vinnie to play that size game and he realy didn't want to do it.  He looked like a Greek statute and for fans like me, that was great enough.  Vinnie did not train all that heavy when I met him, in fact, he had never squatted 500 lbs. until we trained legs together. 
  One time, doing legs at Sonny's, I got him to puke during a leg workout.  I then continued to taunt him so badly that I actually got a hold of the gym's microphone and announced over the intercom that Vinnie Galanti was throwing up and eveyrone needed to come and see it.  It was my way of amping up and my partner, in my opinion, had to be more amped up than me.  He had to out-work me every workout or I failed him as a training partner.

Royalty

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #119 on: September 22, 2014, 09:17:56 AM »
  I am not sure who or what X-PAC is but I hope it's someone kool who is good with the ladies.  LOL.
  I have quite a few good Vinnie Galanti stories as I did train with him prior to training with Craig.  We would go to Sonny's Gym in Jersey City just to do legs.  Vinnie possessed a great physique and he was on the wall of Westside Muscle when I first walked into that gym.  So many people wanted to be associated with him that I think he found it hard to say "no" to some people.  Everyone wanted to be the "guy who got Vinnie ready."  I remember Lance too.  A bit of an extremist even back then.
  It was hard for Vinnie to play that size game and he realy didn't want to do it.  He looked like a Greek statute and for fans like me, that was great enough.  Vinnie did not train all that heavy when I met him, in fact, he had never squatted 500 lbs. until we trained legs together. 
  One time, doing legs at Sonny's, I got him to puke during a leg workout.  I then continued to taunt him so badly that I actually got a hold of the gym's microphone and announced over the intercom that Vinnie Galanti was throwing up and eveyrone needed to come and see it.  It was my way of amping up and my partner, in my opinion, had to be more amped up than me.  He had to out-work me every workout or I failed him as a training partner.

X-PAC = pro wrestler


gracie bjj

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #120 on: September 22, 2014, 09:31:41 AM »
I COULD READ THIS THREAD AND NO OTHER FOR DAYS WITH HARLEY HERE....VINNY G WAS DEF MY KINDA BUILD TO LIKE BACK EARLY 90'S AND I WAS A MIDDLEWEIGHT TOO..I KNEW THE GUY LANCE COLORETTI WHO DIETED HIM FOR THE JR AND HIS USA WIN,HE SAID WAIT TO U SEE VINNY AT THE 93 USA LIKE A TOTALLY BIGGER/HARDER VERSION OF HIS JR USA SHOW WHICH HE WAS PEELED TOO BOOT AS WELL..VINNY AS A LIGHTHEAVY WAS GREAT AS WELL HELD THE SIZE/LOOK HE WAS KNOWN FOR LIGHTER ,,KNOCK ON HIM HE LISTENED TO TOO MANY PEOPLE AND COULD NEVER GET HIS IDEAL SIZE/WEIGHT AT TIMES AND ESP AS A PRO,,DUDE HAD A KILLER BUILD..

I agree, when I saw vinny at the nats in 2000 in new York I said out loud how do the over look such a perfect and pleasing build,people in audience who heard me agreed,i mean the guy looked like a greek god with perfect lines and no real flaws,ive liked vinnys build from way back in the 80,s
R

njflex

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #121 on: September 22, 2014, 10:41:05 AM »
  I am not sure who or what X-PAC is but I hope it's someone kool who is good with the ladies.  LOL.
  I have quite a few good Vinnie Galanti stories as I did train with him prior to training with Craig.  We would go to Sonny's Gym in Jersey City just to do legs.  Vinnie possessed a great physique and he was on the wall of Westside Muscle when I first walked into that gym.  So many people wanted to be associated with him that I think he found it hard to say "no" to some people.  Everyone wanted to be the "guy who got Vinnie ready."  I remember Lance too.  A bit of an extremist even back then.
  It was hard for Vinnie to play that size game and he realy didn't want to do it.  He looked like a Greek statute and for fans like me, that was great enough.  Vinnie did not train all that heavy when I met him, in fact, he had never squatted 500 lbs. until we trained legs together. 
  One time, doing legs at Sonny's, I got him to puke during a leg workout.  I then continued to taunt him so badly that I actually got a hold of the gym's microphone and announced over the intercom that Vinnie Galanti was throwing up and eveyrone needed to come and see it.  It was my way of amping up and my partner, in my opinion, had to be more amped up than me.  He had to out-work me every workout or I failed him as a training partner.
great stuff....I know these stories word for word...from other people ..billy scaffold great usa winner lightweight no less used to say vinny 'squatting 500 shizz never gonna happen he's not into it,,then he later said fuking did it..billy had great line he would say ya gotta get on the 'ketchup'meaning drugs..vinny had great following,,like I said in 91/92 he was peeled to the bone and weighed a light 170 ish when he won usa he was up enough lbs to be at limit middles and carbed over and looked insane for that show..at the jersey 91 Potenza who we were there cheering on was next to vinny ,I said damn tommy's built like a brick shithouse this guy vinny looks'pretty'great battle..

HarleyBreite

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #122 on: September 22, 2014, 10:55:28 AM »
    You mentioned Andre Douglas before.  He trained at Maz's Gym and was that strong.  One day, he found out that Billy Saffold, who you just mentioned, was trying to kick it with his girlfriend.  Andre went after him.  I don't want to say more as I forgot the details but I can check that story for you.
    Billy trained at Strong & Shapely went it was slammin' back in the day. 
    There was a middleweight whose last name was Jiminez.  He had thick arms and was sometimes rock hard.  He either won the USA or did very well in the Nationals but I don't think he made it to the pros.  He had made quite a few enemies but I thought is arms, shoulders and abs were crazy.  I forget his first name but he was a regular back then.

njflex

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #123 on: September 22, 2014, 11:00:42 AM »
    You mentioned Andre Douglas before.  He trained at Maz's Gym and was that strong.  One day, he found out that Billy Saffold, who you just mentioned, was trying to kick it with his girlfriend.  Andre went after him.  I don't want to say more as I forgot the details but I can check that story for you.
    Billy trained at Strong & Shapely went it was slammin' back in the day. 
    There was a middleweight whose last name was Jiminez.  He had thick arms and was sometimes rock hard.  He either won the USA or did very well in the Nationals but I don't think he made it to the pros.  He had made quite a few enemies but I thought is arms, shoulders and abs were crazy.  I forget his first name but he was a regular back then.
ANDRE was flat out one of the nicest guys you could ever meet..was a bounty hunter,i think he went into sheriffs dept later on,,jiminez had great build..billy was a character,nice guy,but yeah smiled a lot and smooth talker...

HarleyBreite

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Re: jersey giant johnnie morant
« Reply #124 on: September 22, 2014, 11:01:53 AM »
It was Tom Jiminez.  A bantamweight from NY State trained there too named Troy and he was very good too.