Calvin Brock: I’m The Real Truth!

By David L. Hudson, Jr.

The heavyweight division has floundered in disarray after the retirement of former kingpin Lennox Lewis. Vitali Klitschko, Chris Byrd, John Ruiz and Lamon Brewster hold the four major belts but none has achieved recognition as “THE” heavyweight champ (though Klitschko has come the closest).

But, there is an undefeated contender who believes that he is the “real truth,” the one fighter that can capture a world title, unify the division and bring respect back to the Sweet Science’s ultimate prize. That fighter is Calvin Brock.

Brock has compiled a 24-0 record with 20 stoppages. Last month on ESPN, the former 2000 Olympian annihilated Clifford Etienne in the third round with powerful left hooks and right crosses. Etienne attacked in his crowd-pleasing style and even landed some shots in the first round. But, Brock wasn’t dazed or fazed. He fought intelligently and effectively, showing he could handle himself on the inside and outside.

Now, Brock and his handlers want to move him on up the ladder to fight for the ultimate prize.

“I’m the real heavyweight champion of the world,” Brock says. “I can give the people what they want. The four current world champions are not drawing, their pay-per-view sales were horrendous. I’m what the people are looking for. I can do for the division what Mike Tyson did.”

Brock concurs in the assessment of many experts that the heavyweight division is far from its peak. “As far as competition, the division is not all that strong,” he says. “The best fighters out there are Klitschko, Chris Byrd, and James Toney.” He gives the nod to Klitschko because of “his good showing with Lewis and he has been winning more impressively, knocking his opponents out.”

Amateur Background

Skeptics may question whether Brock, who recently turned 30, can scale the mountain. But, he has many positives: a good chin, ability to adapt to different styles, power and good technical ability. “Technically, he’s better than the other heavyweights out there,” insists his trainer Pennsylvania-based Tommy Yankello. “He absorbs everything real well, understands the game and is a quick learner.”

Brock’s solid technique and ability to adapt come from his long amateur background. Many fighters would have turned pro much younger than Brock but he does not regret his decision to wait. He would not trade his lengthy amateur experience for anything. Instead, he believes that his amateur career has prepared him for the major challenges that await him in the professional ranks.

“My amateur experience helped me to learn how to box against different styles,” Brock explains. “It taught me how to deal with top-level competition and all the hype and pressure that comes with major bouts.”

His career did not begin with a blaze of glory. Instead, Calvin improved through sheer effort. “Quite honestly, I kind of felt that he had more desire and determination than he had gift,” says his father and co-trainer (when he’s in North Carolina) Calvance Brock. “When he started out he was rather crude but he developed. A lot of what he’s done has been simply through hard work. He’s had a lot of setbacks and failures [in his amateur career] but his sheer determination and desire to get to the top is what kept him going.”

Calvin is quick to thank his father and the others who helped him when he was an amateur. “The Charlotte Boxing Academy, the Charlotte Police Athletic Center, Louie Philippi, a local businessman, and Cameron Harris, a developer, all helped me in my career. You don’t forget those type of people.”

After being dissatisfied with an early octogenarian trainer, Calvence decided to take matters into his own hands when Calvin was just getting into boxing. He decided that he would learn the sport of boxing and teach his son. That’s exactly what he did after examining some boxing instructional videos.

“We learned as we went,” Calvance says. “If he had someone other than me maybe he might have made it quicker.”

The elder Brock doesn’t give himself enough credit, because his son progressed into one of the top amateurs in the United States. Calvance laid the groundwork for his son’s greatest attribute — the capability of fighting different styles. His father worked tirelessly with his son on development different ways of fighting.

“When I was training him through the amateurs, it was my determination that he learn how to fight every way there was,” Calvance says. “There isn’t a style of fighting that he can’t do. He can adapt to whatever style is presented in front of him.”

Calvin also sees his adaptability as his greatest strength in the ring: “I can adapt to any style of boxer. I can adjust to different styles and change my own style. Styles are what beat boxers.”

His amateur career culminated with a spot on the United States boxing team that participated in the Olympic Games in Sydney. After losing to Nate Jones in the 1996 Olympic trials, winning a spot on the 2000 team was that much sweeter.

“The Olympics was a truly great experience in my life,” Brock says. “I worked 13 long, hard years to reach that goal. I had dreamed of fighting in the Olympics for so long. It is rare for people to see dreams like that come true. When I won at the Olympic trials, I remember dropping to my knees and screaming for joy.”

Unfortunately, Brock lost in the first round decisively to Italy’s Paulo Vidoz. However, the affable Brock now focuses on the positives of being an Olympian. “I wanted to win the gold medal but it didn’t happen. But, being on the Olympic team still propelled my professional career. It got me signed with Main Events and helped let people know who I was.”

Professional Career

He has been moved cautiously since his Feb. 2001 professional debut against one Zibielee Kimbrough. However, the fighter sometimes called “The Boxing Banker” (for his experience in the corporate world working at a bank) has made great strides.

“He’s come along nicely,” says Showtime boxing analyst Steve Farhood. “I saw him live on a few undercards back when he was just starting and he was extremely uninspiring. But, as was evident in the Etienne fight, he’s technically solid, and his power is decent.”

In June 2003, he blitzed Jim Strohl (then 25-2) in the first round. In December 2003, he stopped tough veteran David Vedder, a former challenger for the world light heavyweight and cruiserweight crowns, in the eighth round. It was only the second time that Vedder had ever been stopped in his long career. In May 2004, he won a unanimous ten-round decision over previously unbeaten Terry Smith in a nationally-televised bout on NBC.

This year of course started off with a bang with the destruction of Etienne. The performance certainly pleased both Yankello and Calvance Brock, both of whom graded it an “A” performance. : “I think it was an A performance,” Yankello said. “It is obvious that Calvin is getting better with ever fight.”

Brock just turned 30 years old and feels he has plenty of time to make his mark on the division. “I’m a young heavyweight. I’ve never been punished in the ring as a pro. I’m coming up on just four years as a professional.”

Different Kind of Individual

In those four years, it is obvious that that Calvin Brock is not like most heavyweights in various ways. James “Bonecrusher” Smith, DaVarryl Williamson and the Klitschko brothers aside, most top-flight heavyweights have eschewed education for the square ring. Brock graduated from the University of Charlotte with a degree in finance. He has worked at Bank of America in the corporate world.

“My mother and my father both have a college degree,” Calvin says. “They met in college. They influenced me. I feel like a complete human being, as my experience in the corporate world has made myself and my mind well-rounded.”

Calvance says it might have slowed down his son’s boxing career but obtaining an education was worth it: “I’m proud of the fact that he didn’t want to be one-dimensional. I really wanted him to have the opportunity to be a professional in the workplace.”

Perhaps even more unusual than his education is his avocation of tap dancing. Sugar Ray Robinson notwithstanding, one doesn’t normally think of pugilists as tap dancers. Ever since he was seven years old, Brock expressed an interest in tap dancing. However, tap dancing took a backseat to boxing one year later when Calvin fell in love with a pair of boxing gloves given to him as a gift by a relative. Boxing took up most of his time and energy.

His father wasn’t originally thrilled with the idea of tap dancing when he heard it from his young son. “I thought let’s leave that alone,” Calvance said. “He found boxing and never pursued it for a while. I didn’t realize he was as passionate about it as he is.”

In November 2001, Calvin found a studio where he could pursue his other dream.

“Tap dancing helps me making me stay in shape,” Calvin says. His father agrees, saying that tap dancing “helps keep his body from getting stale in between fights.”

He believes that tap dancing will remain a part of his life for a long time. “My plans after boxing are to own my own line of fitness centers and tap dance schools,” he says.

His focus and determination are reinforced by his strong religious beliefs. “I always remember that all my blessings are from God,” he said. “God hates proudness and arrogance. The pride comes before the fall. I owe my success to and give all glory to God.”

Can He Reach the Top?

Obviously, Brock has a rock-solid belief system, discipline and drive. The question is whether he has the ability to reach the pinnacle of his profession.

“Brock has been moved very carefully, and the Etienne fight was a good choice to showcase him,” says Farhood. “I want to see him against a legit top-15 guy before I nominate him for a world title, much less champion status.”

Brock and his handlers also want to increase the level of competition. His plan for 2005 is an ambitious one. He wants to fight four more times this year against name opponents. Then, he believes he will be primed for a world title shot.

His team certainly believes that Calvin can become world heavyweight champion. Now, Brock believes that he’s ready to take on virtually anyone in the division. “We really feel like he’s ready to move on up,” Calvance says. “With each progressive fight, he’s been constantly improving. We’re ready. We realize politics plays a part of it, but it won’t be long before he’s taken seriously as a world heavyweight champion-level fighter.”

Yankello also believes that Brock will win the top prize. “Calvin is definitely world-class,” he says. “He’s a champion to be.”

“Technically, he’s better than the other heavyweights out there,” says Yankello, who has worked with former IBF lightweight champion Paul Spadafora. “He’s above these guys and I think he’s going to show it.”

“Definitely,” responds his father when asked whether his son can win the world title. “We will keep stepping up the level of competition and with the Lord at our side, it could happen at any time. I think it could even happen by the end of the year.”

Brock knows that patience is a virtue. He realizes that the sport of boxing is plagued with politics and bizarre rankings. “Boxing suffers from too much politics because there are a lot of boxers that are ranked in the top five and top ten that haven’t even been on television.”

Boxing is a most unpredictable sport. Some can’t miss prospects fail and other long-shots make it all the way to the top.

Who knows — if the disciplined Brock keeps improving, he may just box and tap dance his way to the world heavyweight title.

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David L. Hudson, Jr. is a feature writer for Fightnews. He also is the co-author of the recently released Boxing’s Most Wanted along with Mike Fitzgerald. Questions or comments? Click here.