By Jeff Zimmerman
Photos: Jeff Zimmerman
Former 2x world champ Paulie Ayala will host his 7th annual Punching Out Parkinson’s aka POP fundraiser aptly called “Fight Night” this Friday, April 26 at the Cendera Center in Fort Worth, Texas.
Ayala fought the very best of his era that included Johnny Tapia (twice), Bones Adams (twice) and Mexican legends Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera. But Ayala’s biggest fight to date is helping his 70+ “fighters” fend off the brutal and so far, incurable disease of Parkinson’s. His fighters range from their mid-60’s to one that is 92 years old.
Parkinson’s is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly impacts motor skills. Ayala’s classes bring all these people together to use his boxing infused non-contact workout to help improve balance, reflexes, hand-eye coordination and overall confidence.
“It’s great to see them improve. I try to just work on their perception of themselves,” said Ayala after a recent class. “Once they realize they can do these types of things, it’s amazing. I gave (one of his fighters) a video to look at and I never know if they’re going to follow through, but he followed through. He had a visual of what I was trying to show him. When they see that, they want to learn and that’s what’s fun.
Ayala’s students not only see the improvement in themselves but also enjoy the hour-long workout that includes multiple stations and intervals throughout his University of Hard Knocks Gym in Fort Worth where he became a boxing legend.
“It’s developed into a great community. That’s one thing that makes them happy too. They see their friends and have a team that supports them to help them knockout this Parkinson’s.”
Ayala’s program has even created a new fan base for boxing.
“What’s funny, I don’t know if they were boxing fans prior to this but now in the program doing the workout they become boxing fans. And they come in here and tell me about all the fights they watch, they watch all the fights.”
In the past, POP annual fundraiser had a guest speaker that included former 4X world champion and Hall of Famer Terry Norris, former CIA agent Tony Mendez who was the basis for Ben Affleck’s Argo movie, astronaut Rich Clifford and the daughter of “The Greatest” Muhammad Ali, Maryum “May May” Ali, who headlined the 5-year anniversary of the program and told some amazing stories of her dad and his battle with Parkinson’s and last year former NBA star Brian Grant who shared his personal tales with the disease.
This year Ayala and team are mixing it up and doing things a little differently.
“We’re going to have an amateur boxing show, a 6-fight event with local amateurs here. They will get to watch some of the up and coming kids out of the Metroplex and we’ll just have a good time doing it.”
Ayala is clearly having a good time these days even under the circumstances and he likes to see if his fighters can put up with his shenanigans in the ring as he called it, while at the same time working on footwork, balance and cutting off the ring while he holds the shield.
Ayala will even talk a little trash to get them fired up and kind of wishes he did so when he was a prizefighter.
“It’s funny because I don’t think I talked that much trash, I don’t remember talking any. I think I should have. I think I would have made probably more money,” Ayala said laughing.
Tickets are still on sale at https://punchingoutparkinsons.org/ or by calling the University of Hard Knocks Gym at 817-731-4665. The event will include dinner, silent and live auction and the amateur fights.
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