My name is Billy Briscoe. I'm from North Philadelphia, the badlands, boxing headquarters. Boxing is like a religion in Philadelphia. There is so much talent in the city that sometimes it goes underappreciated. I am a teacher of the art and science of boxing. That gift was handed down to me by the late great Mr. Wesley Mouzon. You can be in this game 60 years and make 100 champions, but still learn something new. I started in the gym when I was 6 years old and I never left. I was training professional fighters at 15. I started out carrying buckets for Mr. Wesley Mouzon and holding pads for fighters. I paid my dues and I earned my stripes. Some people are car mechanics, some people paint housesÂ…I build fighters.
Mr. Wesley Mouzon taught me the art and science of training fighters from the ground up. It takes a lot of years. You can't just throw a towel over your shoulder or put on pair of pads and call yourself a trainer. There is a lot of technical knowledge and experience you have to acquire. It takes an apprenticeship. With this craft, you can never stop learning. I also admire Eddie Futch, Ray Arcel, George Benton, Cus D'Amato, and Jack Blackburn. They all had their own unique styles and characteristics to their training philosophies. Cus was a mental trainer. He trained fighters' minds and how to control their emotions. Benton was a slick defensive tactician. Eddie Futch was well-rounded, worked with 23 world champions. Arcel was the old-school trainer that worked with world-class fighters in the 20's all the way to the 80s. Jack Blackburn was the old school master.
At the end of the day, you can be the greatest trainer in the world, but if you don't have the right guy sitting on the stool, you can't get to the top. You can't win the Kentucky Derby on a farm horse. You need a thoroughbred to win it. I got a thoroughbred in Gabriel Rosado. He is built for this game and I knew it shortly after he walked into the gym. Nothing was handed to us. We had to go through many trials and tribulations. Taking fights on short notice; taking fights that weren't at the right time for the development of his career. His career was orchestrated whether willing or unwilling. It gave my fighter character. It made him a complete fighter that you can't drown. Most fighters are spoon-fed on a "Gerber diet" right out of the amateurs until they get to 25-0 with Similac still on their breathe. Not Gabby. He dares to be great. Taking the road less traveled forged Gabriel Rosado into the fighter that he is today.
Adversity is like a flame. It melts the weak and tempers the strong. And Gabriel Rosado is as strong as they get. Our next fight is May 4th versus J'Leon Love. Expect to see a stronger, faster, and smarter Gabriel Rosado.
Until next time, be safe and rememberÂ…the streets are undefeated.
Billy Briscoe