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GIZZY HOBBS: MIND OF STEEL
March 9th, 2010
By Ray Kilgore

Giezwa Pierre Hobbs Jr. "Gizzy" made a promise to himself that if he stayed in the sport of boxing, physical strength would not be his sole focus.

He made certain his psychological well-being was at its peak too.

The 17-year-old stuck to his word, and now he maintains that emotional discipline gives him an edge in the sport of boxing.

The making of a champion starts with little things outside the ring.

Respect is one of Hobbs' traits. He called a day in advance to cancel his original interview and followed up for a new date.

He apologized repeatedly for being several minutes late to our interview despite having walked several blocks on his day off from school.

Hobbs' boxing career started in St. Louis, Mo. and he knew that boxing was in his future at an early age.

"I told my mom [at age 6] that I wanted to box but she told me to wait until the time was right," says Hobbs.

Ironically, the moment came at age 11 when he defended himself against bullies attempting to beat him up outside a school gym.

The boys scuffled until the school's boxing coach intervened. He challenged them to take up boxing instead of street fighting.

Hobbs, now a junior at Patrick Henry High School, took the advice and learned that boxing came naturally.

"Most fighters only take care of their bodies," says Hobbs. "They don't take yoga, swimming, or meditate. I do all of this because if you don't have it up there," pointing to his head, "it's not going to make a difference how good of shape you are in."

Hobbs is determined to not become like former two-time boxing champion Zab "Super" Judah who lacked the emotional strength for prime-time competition.

Judah was the next 147-pound star until a string of incidents demonstrated he lacked responsibility, focus, and the capacity to deal with stress-he once tossed a ring stool while trying to attack a referee after his first defeat.

"Zab could have been great but he didn't have it to mentally handle things," says Hobbs.

"If you can discipline your mind on this side, [personally] and on that side [boxing], you can't go wrong."

Hobbs rides three buses to school at 5:00 a.m. to make his first bell-a testament to his emotional discipline.

Hobbs maintains that drinking, smoking, and partying are of no interest to him. When this writer offered him a soda Hobbs said, "I don't drink pop."

Superman is "Man of Steel" Hobbs could be "Mind of Steel."

Tom Murray, Patrick Henry's coordinator for after school programs, has witnessed how Hobbs' maturity and self-discipline pays off in other areas.

"Gizzy's main strengths are that he is a role model for our other students because he is a good student."

Murray also attends Hobbs' matches.

"He has extreme devotion to the code and ethics of boxing and is an old school gentleman. I am most impressed how he never, ever puts himself in a situation of any kind that takes him off of the path that he is on to win the Golden Gloves Championship."

Hobbs fights at 135-pounds and he trains out of the established Uppercut gym.

He estimates that he has over 80 bouts, and says it's not uncommon for him to spar between 11 and 12 rounds.

On March 6th, he won the semi-finals at Uppercut and is scheduled to compete for the championship on March 20th at Brunette's gym located in Saint Paul MN.

"It doesn't matter who I fight. I get into the mindset within 20 or 30 minutes [of a bout]. I am already doing pro stuff [training]."

Hobbs keeps a low profile outside of boxing. He works part-time at a clothing store and writes poems on the side.

He likes rap music and rapper Jay-Z because of what the star represents.

"Jay-Z is about independence. That's what I want to do as a boxer start from nothing and build my way to the top."

Patrick Henry's High School's webpage is filled with praise for Hobbs. The boxer even took time to write a first person story.

Yet, Hobbs, the oldest of three, says his 15-year-old brother Trevon motivates him the most, "I am very proud of him. He's coming into his own."

There are two kinds of boxers: ones with talent who fall prey to outside influences and ones with talent who resist temptation to become successful in spite of negative influences. Hobbs' exemplifies the latter.

The late heavyweight champion Sonny Liston once told a reporter, "Someday they're gonna write a blues song just for fighters; it will be for slow guitar, soft trumpet, and a bell."

Liston obviously never met boxers like Hobbs who plays to his own music conducting the band on what to follow.