profile + cutThe man FB123 Mischa Merz meets Joe Souza, The ring is a lonely place. A boxer’s do Boxing Gym in San Antonio, Texas ever But this is a no-go zone for the tight- corner is the closest thing he has to a since, though he originally hails from lipped Leija camp. a man with boxing in his blood who team. Mostly three or four men have no Massachusetts. At 68, he’s ready to travel But Souza will reveal some dramas C more than about 45 seconds in which to anywhere he’s needed; New York, Las when dealing with other fighters of note, give the boxer a drink, wipe him down, Vegas, New Jersey and now, Melbourne. such as Gatti, who is known to cut easily. M has made blood his career cool him with an ice pack, apply ‘‘In the Gatti versus Wilson Rodriguez ‘‘I was doing little stuff, club stuff when Y Vaseline, tell him how the fight is going, I just happened to get lucky with James fight, Gatti went down in the fourth and tell him what he is doing wrong, or the doctor comes over screaming and K MAGINE you go to Central Casting (Leija) and Arturo Gatti, although I still do doing right, give him encouragement, yelling at me to look at the cut and I’m looking for a wily old boxing the little guys, the four and six rounders. inspire him, cajole him, reassure him praying to him (if you know what that character with a gap-toothed Never forget the little guys,’’ he says. and send him out for another three means) and he’s grabbed my arm and I’m mouth from which flows stories of DHS 18-JAN-2003 PAGE His gym is usually full of amateurs, but great champions and high drama. minutes of battle. trying to keep him from looking at the cut. I If he is cut, those 45 seconds are all he’s been in the corner for some of the Then later I’ve got Gatti in a headlock, His language is scattered with colour- world’s best professionals. putting pressure on the cut and he’s ful expletives which he calls ‘‘cussin’’. Souza has to stop the bleeding and swelling. It’s no place for panic. ‘‘My secret is that I have a passion for screaming ‘It hurts’ and I’m telling him He wears thick-rimmed glasses, a His actions can keep the fighter in the blood, that’s the God’s honest truth.’’ ‘Shut up’, but he KO’d Rodriguez in the bomber jacket with a pair of boxing sixth round,’’ he says with certain pride. gloves embroidered on the breast and game. Yet there are no accolades and His forearms are streaked with tiny not much glory in the work. Only die- white scars where he has experimented, A doctor can stop a fight if a cut is sports a white buzz cut. bleeding too much and Souza is deter- hard, cable TV viewing boxing fans like a mad scientist, on his own flesh to Underneath is a T-shirt that reads: mined to prevent that happening. would recognise the face. come up with the best methods for ‘‘Don’t box ugly people. They’ve got Sometimes it’s not the doctor who But a good cut man can be as stemming the flow of plasma. nothing to lose’’. causes him trouble, though. He remem- His tattoos are a blue-green blur. He ̈ Anyone who’s successful is a man who’s been in bers heavyweight Michael Grant’s reac- has to have a certain charm and easy tion to being cut for the first time. 221 familiarity yet also be feisty and bellig- the game a long time . my secret is that I have a ‘‘He came back to the corner and he erent when he needs to be. was just going berserk. It was just a small Any bets Central Casting will hand passion for blood, that’s the God’s honest truth laceration but he went bananas. ‘Oh, no FIRST you Joe Souza who, tomorrow, will be I’m cut, I’m cut’. I just told him it was fine. plying his trade in the corner of Texas- Even with a big cut, you know what you’re based junior welterweight Jesse James important to a boxer as any strategic In Australia, the only legal substance doing, it’s like going into your favourite Leija when he faces triple world cham- advice. Souza says it’s a job in which old used is adrenalin mixed with Vaseline — supermarket and knowing where the fruit pion Kostya Tszyu at Telstra Dome? men dominate. And it certainly needs a one part to 1000. In the US authorities is. I know what I need to do. I know I’m there for the cuts. If you’ve got two guys But Souza has more than the right calm, focused disposition. Someone also permit clotting agents Avitene and workin’ the fighter I don’t say nothin’,’’ he look and lingo to play that old boxing who isn’t squeamish and has pretty Thrombin. ‘‘Other than that, it’s pres- says. ‘‘I just do what I gotta do.’’ character. He also has the knowledge. much seen it all. sure,’’ Souza says. Leija has a modest, close-knit entour- He won’t talk about Leija before the He’s one of the four or five best cut ‘‘Anyone who’s successful is a man age and his preparation has included fight, but word has it he cuts easily. men in world boxing and can make the who’s been in the game a long time.’’ morning runs and gym sessions. ̆ Cut above: difference between winning and losing a Leija has done no sparring in the two Souza has been watching and waiting. ND for Souza, that’s more than 30 Joe Souza will be in title fight. weeks he’s spent in Melbourne preparing, His time may or may not come during the junior welterweight years. He retired as a bantam- His job is to tend cuts and stop the while Tszyu has been clocking up the fight. But if it does, he’s sure to be ready. Jesse James Leija’s A weight fighter in 1964 after a first rounds in the competition ring set up for bleeding between rounds. He’s in con- Despite the big occasions and often (training in the round KO in his fifth professional fight. stant work, flying all over the US and him at Telstra Dome. background) corner spectacular contests, he says he doesn’t beyond to tend to boxers such as former He became a trainer and when he An accidental cut that stops the fight get too excited while he’s working. when he faces triple retired, his kids begged him to go back to world champion IBF super featherweight champion Ar- before the start of the fifth round will ‘‘My highlight is going from the dressing the gym because, as he says, he was Kostya Tszyu. turo Gatti, Fernando Vargas, former automatically end the contest in a draw. It room to the ring. Then when I go home WBC welterweight champion Pernell ‘‘driving them nuts’’ at home. will go to the judges’ scorecards if it is and watch the tape, that’s when I get Whitaker and now Leija. He’s been operating at the San Fernan- stopped after the fifth round. excited.’’ Picture: + BRUCE MAGILTON January 18, 2003 ̈ weekend 21.