As the world learns more about the two individuals involved in Boston Marathon bombing last weekend, it has been discovered that the older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, was previously an amateur boxer. Back in 2009 and 2010, Tsarnaev represented New England in the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions.
One of the people who worked with the now deceased Tsarnaev in that camp which took place in Worcester, Mass., was super middleweight Edwin Rodriguez who spoke about it on his Facebook page.
“Two years ago I sparred this oddly dressed Russian at Camp Get Right here in Worcester. Today I find out he’s a terrorist and one of the Boston Marathon bombers. I’m glad I put a beating on him, but wish I’d known he was evil, because I wouldn’t have slowed down on him and would’ve knocked his ass out.”
The owner of the Camp Get Right Gym, Kendrick Ball, also spoke with the Worcester Telegram & Gazette about his experience with Tamerlin Tsarnaev.
“I’m walking through the halls (at the Golden Gloves competition in Lowell) and I run into him,” Ball said. “He gives me five, gives me a hug, and then he gives me his new (phone) number and tells me to call him and he’ll come down (to the gym) and get some work in.
“My mind is blown over this whole situation, this whole thing here. It’s a little crazy because he did not seem like that type of kid or anything. It’s not what I expected.”
Ball did say, however, that the young man was somewhat odd.
“He didn’t want to wear no headgear (in his first sparring session against Minor), and I thought that was a little weird because, at the time, he was maybe 200 pounds, 205, whatever, and Owen was 200-something (about 225). So I was like, ‘You’ve got to put on some headgear in there, you can’t do that.’ And he was like, ‘Oh, no, no, no, I spar all the time with no headgear, I don’t wear no headgear, no mouthpiece, no nothin.’ So I throw him in with Owen, and Owen ends up dropping him with a body shot.”
Tamerlan Tsarnaev was ultimately killed in a skirmish with police following the release of his image as the suspected perpetrator of the Boston Marathon bombings. A worldwide manhunt ensued, but he and his brother stuck to the same general area. His brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was captured on Friday and taken to the hospital in serious condition.
