Jimmy Deoria, Boxer, Trainer, Manager, Police Officer, Executive Director of PAL and PA HOF Inductee - Interview
 By Ken Hissner, Doghouse Boxing (Jan 12, 2014)
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- Jimmy Deoria - Police Officer / Boxer -
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It’s hard to say which job was harder for Phoenixville’s (PA) Jimmy Deoria. He boxed professional from 1990 to 1996 posting a 20-7 (8) record which like many boxers was marred losing his last 5 fights. He also serves as a police officer at Schuylkill Township nearby Phoenixville, PA.
Deoria combined both jobs starting the Phoenixville Area PAL in 1999 with help from his late father, Jim Sr., John Mulvenna and Willis “Skeebe” Foreman. His father took him at age 12 from the suburbs to the Front Street Gym in N. Philly every day after school run by Mulvenna.
Deoria earned numerous amateur titles, including 5-time Philadelphia Junior Olympic champion; 3-time Mid-Atlantic open class champion; and 2-time diamond Belt open class champion. In 1988, he gained the distinction of Mid-Atlantic Fighter of the Year.
During his professional career Deoria fought 10 times at the legendary Blue Horizon in Philadelphia. He was originally promoted by J.Russell Peltz, then, after a record of 11-2, (1ko) moved on to be matched up by Don Elbaum, which he went 9-2 (7ko’s), including a PA state lightweight title in 1993 going into the hometown of Gene Reed, 11-3-1, and stopping Reed in the 8th round.
Deoria was in with several future or former champions. He defeated Kelvin Seabrooks in 9 rounds. He stopped Charlie “White Lightning” Brown in 7 rounds. He lost to Charles “The Natural” Murray in 10 near the end of his career. He was up on 2 of the 3 score cards with contender Ivan Robinson going into the 5th when he suffered a bad cut stopping the fight. He was 17-5 in PA with 2 of those wins in Phoenixville. He was 3-0 in Atlantic City.
Deoria’s chief of police was Tommy Marciano (born Marchegiano) had a similar record of 20-5-3 (5) as a professional. Deoria was inducted into the PA HOF in 2004 and Marciano in 2011. Another Phoenixville resident Joe Rowan was inducted in 2012. For a small town that is incredible.
Today Deoria manages several fighters from the area, including Ronald Cruz 20-2 out of Bethlehem, Jerome Rodriguez is 6-0-2 out of Allentown, and Sultahn Staton (2-0) out of Philadlelphia. They come down at times for sparring at the Phoenixville PAL. Among others helping out Deoria today is former world champion Calvin Grove.
Deoria allowed me to do an interview with Philly knockout artist now living in Phoenixville Earl “The Pearl” Hargrove. It all went well until I left the gym putting the lights out and discovered a ticket on my car.
KEN HISSNER: You had a very successful amateur career before turning professional at the age of 20. Did you think that was a good time to start in the pay for punch game?
JIMMY DEORIA: Yes because I already had 100 amateur bouts and traveled to Philadelphia everyday from Phoenixville to train. We felt that I was ready to go professional. I was boxing all pros in the gym anyway and felt my style was more suitable to the professionals. I learned from sparring guys like, Meldrick Taylor, Myron Taylor, Bryan Paden, Anthony Boyle, Glenwood Brown, Tony Thronton, and Calvin Grove.
KEN HISSNER: Your late father was loved by many and took you to the original Front Street Gym, located at Front and Poplar St. in Kensington, (25 miles from Phoenixville) which was your trainer John Mulvenna’s gym. I ran into John at a recent VBA (Veterans Boxers Association) Meeting, and he said the following, and I quote “I not only trained Jimmy to be a boxer but his father to be a trainer. His father was one of the nicest people you would ever want to meet. Both Jimmy and he never missed a days training and were very dedicated," said John Mulvenna.
Coming from the suburbs how tough was that training there?
JIMMY DEORIA: I will admit that at times it was a grind. I mean, nothing stopped my father and I from going to the gym six days per week. Sometimes it was snowing before we left Phoenixville, come out of the gym and its like 4 inches already and we make it home, 4 hours later. My father was just as dedicated to becoming a good trainer/cutman/manager whatever, (he just loved all phases of boxing), as I was to becoming a good boxer. My father was really a street-smart kind of guy and John took him under his wing. My father was always willing to learn from anyone who was willing to show him. He learned mostly from watching and listening to guys like trainers, John Mulvenna, John Michaels, Frank Kubach, Wesley Mouzon, matchmaker, Don Elbaum, Promoter/matchmaker, J.Russell Peltz, and Stan Maliszewski, cut-man.
KEN HISSNER: You fought some really tough fighters who were later champions or former champions. Who do you think was the best of the bunch like Charles Murray, Charlie Brown, Angel Manfredy, Kelvin Seabrook and Ivan Robinson or maybe someone else?
JIMMY DEORIA: They were all great in there own way. Murray had a jab that I will never forget, Bown was just straight forward tough as nails, Manfredy a good puncher, Seabrooks slick, and Robinson quick and slick and very ring savvy.
KEN HISSNER: Mulvenna trained Harry Yorgey whom you managed for most of his career. How good of a trainer was Mulvenna?
JIMMY DEORIA: John is a world-class trainer and a beautiful person. He can take a kid straight off the streets and teach him the fundamentals, get the required amateur experience, then guide that boxer all the way through the pro’s. Not too many trainers today can do that. But, most importantly, John was a good, honest, loyal person first and he always wanted the best for his kid’s, not only inside the ring, but outside the ring as well. He would always teach the kids to remember things like, take care of your family first and you can only be a boxer for a short period of time in your life, then you have to have something to move on too. John knew how to keep a kid from getting hurt.
KEN HISSNER: I remember seeing you on TV fighting Ivan Robinson who was then 18-0 and you were ahead going into the 5th round when you received a bad cut and the fight had to be stopped. That was a tough fight to take after fighting Angel Manfredy and Charles Murray just prior to that. Did you know at that time it was getting near the end of your career?
JIMMY DEORIA: I was 26 years old when I retired from fighting. Sounds young, but, I was doing it since I was 12 years old, traveling from Phoenixville to Philly every day. I was at a point in my career that I was either going to make it by beating one of these guys, and securing bigger fights, or I was going to retire. I went into the police academy and had a full-time police officer job waiting for me when boxing was over. Yes, tough fights to take back to back, but at this stage, I wasn’t into building my record or taking a couple tune-up fights. I knew that if it wasn’t mean to be at this level, at this time, then it never will be, and I must move on.
KEN HISSNER: What made you start the Phoenixville PAL in 1999?
JIMMY DEORIA: That was my father’s idea. I retired from boxing in 1996. From ’96 to ’99, we were bored and missed boxing. So, when John and my father started working with Harry Yorgey, they asked me to spar with him from time to time in my father’s garage. We had the Civic Center in Phoenixville, where Tommy Marciano and Joe Rowan used to train when they didn’t go to Philly. So, my father suggested we start a boxing program through PAL. So in June of 1999, we started the first PAL chapter in the Phoenixville Area with the boxing program. It was great support from the community and we had about 15 kids sign up our first week. That’s a lot of kids for boxing here in the suburbs, but it was something new to offer to keep the kids off the streets. Plus, it gave me, John, Skeebe, and my father a place to go to train and work with the kids. Now, I am the Executive Director of PAL and we have 6 other after-school programs that have helped thousands of kids.
KEN HISSNER: Today you manage several good professional boxers, a solid main event fighter, Ronald Cruz, and good prospects Jerome Rodriguez and Sultahn Staton. They all display much different styles. What do you see in their future?
JIMMY DEORIA: I see them all having very successful careers. Ronald is tough and wants achieve success at the highest level. He will have several opportunities to do that, and I feel he’ll get there. He is humble, but works very hard and takes his career very seriously. Jerome wants to fight every other week! He is anxious to reach the next level, but we are finding out early that he is tough to match because he is a very solid southpaw and not afraid to fight anyone. Staton is young and ambitious with a ton of talent. His father, Sterling, has done a tremendous job preparing his son for the pro’s. He just needs more experience and he’ll achieve much success. When it’s all said and done, I just want these boys to be healthy and have a good life after boxing. I tell them, the same thing John and my father taught me, your boxing career is here while you are young, so make the most of it. You need an education and a career to fall back on when boxing is over.
KEN HISSNER: Your son, Anthony trains at your PAL center. Do you work with him or do you let others trainers work with him?
JIMMY DEORIA: Anthony’s big into baseball. He uses the boxing workout during the off-season as a fun way to stay in shape. All of my coaches work with him from time to time.
KEN HISSNER: What do you teach besides how to box with this young kids coming into your gym?
JIMMY DEORIA: We teach the kids to be disciplined. In other words, we want them to get used to making the commitment to coming to the gym every day and working hard. We don’t want them using what they learn in the ring, and fighting on the streets. They must have good grades in school and stay out of trouble to be allowed to continue in the PAL boxing program. My other coaches include Willis “Skeebe” Foreman, Joey Rowan, Jake Martinez, Calvin Grove, Jaime Zimmerman, and “Big” Joe Thomas. John has retired, but still stops by the gym every now and then to keep in touch.
KEN HISSNER: Do you encourage your amateur’s boxers when they become of age to turn professional knowing the politics involved?
JIMMY DEORIA: No, I teach them do make their own decisions. If they compete well as an amateur and they reach an age that they can go pro, then we will support them.
KEN HISSNER: When you were inducted into the PA HOF in 2004 was it a surprise?
JIMMY DEORIA: I’m honored to be mentioned in the same group with some of the greatest boxers to every put the gloves on. It meant a lot to my father and John when I got inducted. It was a nice compliment to them as well for all the time, effort, hard work and sacrifices that we all made together to compete well as a professional boxing team. We took pride in the fact that we started together and finished together. We remained loyal to each other, through thick and thin.
KEN HISSNER: How about when your friend Tommy Marciano got inducted ? And then Joe Rowan, after his death? How emotional was that?
JIMMY DEORIA: I was proud of both of them. They paved the way for guys like me to live my dream. I felt like, though I didn’t grow up or live in the city, if I work hard enough and make the commitments, I too can be successful.
KEN HISSNER: How do you juggle work and all your PAL and boxing commitments with family?
JIMMY DEORIA: I would not be able to do anything without the dedicated support of my family. I have been married for 19 years to my beautiful wife, Brigitte and I have 3 awesome kids, Desiree, 18, Erica, 16 and Anthony 11 years old. They come first, but yes, they do support me 100% percent with my job and boxing commitments.
KEN HISSNER: I promised you about a year ago we’d do a story together on you. I’m glad we finally got around to it. How can the people in Phoenixville be supportive of what you do at the PAL?
JIMMY DEORIA: Donations are tax deductable. The Phoenixville Area PAL is a 501 c 3 non-profit juvenile crime prevention program. Our mailing address is PAL, PO Box 221, Phoenixville, Pa 19460. Phone number is (610) 917-3735 and our website is www.Phoenixvillepal.org. And you can look us up on facebook too.
Ken Hissner responds to all his emails at: kenhissner@gmail.com |
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