Professional boxing is not something you dabble in to work out a Walter Mitty fantasy. Not only is there a good possibility that your face will be rearranged, you could lose your life.
Dewey Bozella is aware of that, but at 52 he is just beginning to live again. After 26 years in Sing Sing on a murder charge, he was exonerated two years ago. Part of that new life is boxing, which he said kept him mentally strong during his imprisonment.
Bozella will make his pro debut against Larry Hopkins (0-3) in a four-round cruiserweight bout at Staples Center in Los Angeles Saturday night. The fight will be on the undercard of the Bernard Hopkins-Chad Dawson WBC light heavyweight title match on HBO Pay-Per-View. Highlights from Bozella's fight will be broadcast during the show.
"It's just like getting out of prison. It is a new experience," Bozella said.
It is no coincidence that Bozella will be making his debut on Hopkins' night. When Hopkins found out about Bozella's remarkable story, he said wanted to help him realize his dream. After Bozella failed the rigorous physical exam that the California Athletic Commission gives to older boxers, Hopkins opened his camp to him. He passed the second time around.
Hopkins is six years younger than Bozella, and besides boxing they share another common bond - prison. Hopkins spent 4-1/2 years in Graterford State Prison in Pennsylvania for armed robbery and then had nine years on probation.
"When I went to jail, I went to jail because I did something. I wasn't an innocent man," Hopkins said. "He was in jail because he was innocent. That's a big difference. And so I respect him for having the championship courage to stick to his guns when he could have said after 10 years, 'I did it,' signed the paper and he'd have walked out of there."
In 1983, Bozella was convicted of murdering 92-year-old Emma Crapser, who in 1977 was killed in her Poughkeepsie home after a night of bingo. There was no physical evidence linking Bozella to the crime, and he was convicted on the testimony of two criminals. He was retried in 1990. Before the trial he was offered a deal in which he would be released if he admitted guilt. He refused and was convicted again.
At subsequent parole hearings he refused to admit guilt or express remorse for something he didn't do. So he was continually denied parole.
"I knew I was getting out of prison. Either I was going to die in there and go out in a box, or I was going to walk out of there," Bozella said.
Meanwhile, he worked on his mind, getting his GED and earning a bachelor's degree from Mercy College and a masters degree from the New York Theological Seminary. And he trained his body by taking up boxing. He even had a light heavyweight amateur bout against Lou Del Valle. The match, which took place at Sing Sing, was stopped after Bozella received a cut.
Meanwhile, he pursued his case. The Innocence Project couldn't help him because there was no DNA evidence involved. The firm WilmerHale then found a retired Poughkeepsie police officer who had a file from the original investigation. It contained several pieces of evidence that had never been turned over to Bozella's lawyers.
The evidence was in Bozella's favor. He was released on Oct. 28, 2009 based on evidence being withheld.
Bozella's story gained greater exposure after he received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPY Awards in July. Bozella joined an elite group of recipients that includes Muhammad Ali, Pat Tillman and Nelson Mandela. Junior welterweight Paulie Malignaggi lent his support.
Now he will take center stage under the bright lights of Staples Center as he makes his pro debut. It is something that he could only dream about when he was wondering if he would walk out of Sing Sing Prison as a free man or leave in a box.
He does not plan on starting a pro boxing career. Instead, he is opening a gym in Newburgh.
Said Bozella: "My goal is to help young kids as well as adults to help turn their lives around and keep out of trouble," he said.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/m...ella_finds_justice_in_ring.html#ixzz1ambbIdYw
Watch the ESPY Arthur Ashe Courage Award segment on him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AsxLuvHepk
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Amazing story. Amazing guy, harbors no ill will toward the cops or prosecutors that hid evidence in his case.
Dewey Bozella is aware of that, but at 52 he is just beginning to live again. After 26 years in Sing Sing on a murder charge, he was exonerated two years ago. Part of that new life is boxing, which he said kept him mentally strong during his imprisonment.
Bozella will make his pro debut against Larry Hopkins (0-3) in a four-round cruiserweight bout at Staples Center in Los Angeles Saturday night. The fight will be on the undercard of the Bernard Hopkins-Chad Dawson WBC light heavyweight title match on HBO Pay-Per-View. Highlights from Bozella's fight will be broadcast during the show.
"It's just like getting out of prison. It is a new experience," Bozella said.
It is no coincidence that Bozella will be making his debut on Hopkins' night. When Hopkins found out about Bozella's remarkable story, he said wanted to help him realize his dream. After Bozella failed the rigorous physical exam that the California Athletic Commission gives to older boxers, Hopkins opened his camp to him. He passed the second time around.
Hopkins is six years younger than Bozella, and besides boxing they share another common bond - prison. Hopkins spent 4-1/2 years in Graterford State Prison in Pennsylvania for armed robbery and then had nine years on probation.
"When I went to jail, I went to jail because I did something. I wasn't an innocent man," Hopkins said. "He was in jail because he was innocent. That's a big difference. And so I respect him for having the championship courage to stick to his guns when he could have said after 10 years, 'I did it,' signed the paper and he'd have walked out of there."
In 1983, Bozella was convicted of murdering 92-year-old Emma Crapser, who in 1977 was killed in her Poughkeepsie home after a night of bingo. There was no physical evidence linking Bozella to the crime, and he was convicted on the testimony of two criminals. He was retried in 1990. Before the trial he was offered a deal in which he would be released if he admitted guilt. He refused and was convicted again.
At subsequent parole hearings he refused to admit guilt or express remorse for something he didn't do. So he was continually denied parole.
"I knew I was getting out of prison. Either I was going to die in there and go out in a box, or I was going to walk out of there," Bozella said.
Meanwhile, he worked on his mind, getting his GED and earning a bachelor's degree from Mercy College and a masters degree from the New York Theological Seminary. And he trained his body by taking up boxing. He even had a light heavyweight amateur bout against Lou Del Valle. The match, which took place at Sing Sing, was stopped after Bozella received a cut.
Meanwhile, he pursued his case. The Innocence Project couldn't help him because there was no DNA evidence involved. The firm WilmerHale then found a retired Poughkeepsie police officer who had a file from the original investigation. It contained several pieces of evidence that had never been turned over to Bozella's lawyers.
The evidence was in Bozella's favor. He was released on Oct. 28, 2009 based on evidence being withheld.
Bozella's story gained greater exposure after he received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPY Awards in July. Bozella joined an elite group of recipients that includes Muhammad Ali, Pat Tillman and Nelson Mandela. Junior welterweight Paulie Malignaggi lent his support.
Now he will take center stage under the bright lights of Staples Center as he makes his pro debut. It is something that he could only dream about when he was wondering if he would walk out of Sing Sing Prison as a free man or leave in a box.
He does not plan on starting a pro boxing career. Instead, he is opening a gym in Newburgh.
Said Bozella: "My goal is to help young kids as well as adults to help turn their lives around and keep out of trouble," he said.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/m...ella_finds_justice_in_ring.html#ixzz1ambbIdYw
Watch the ESPY Arthur Ashe Courage Award segment on him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AsxLuvHepk
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Amazing story. Amazing guy, harbors no ill will toward the cops or prosecutors that hid evidence in his case.
