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Summer Showdown: Mike Paschall
by Chris Murray - Reno Gazette-Journal
Mike Paschall has been shot, stabbed and beaten half to death with a police nightstick. So, when he takes the ring Friday night to fight Jesse Brinkley, a pair of boxing gloves aren't going to put much of a fright into him. Like many boxers, Paschall grew up with the streets as his home. His father was imprisoned during his formative years. His mother saw him get shot and almost killed one Halloween night. His trainer, Danny Kisner, met him when he was just 14 years old, "a crazy kid stealing cars." "He's from a real, real bad part of West Baltimore," Kisner said. "If you watch the HBO series 'The Wire,' that's where he's from. He's been shot, stabbed, pistol-whipped, everything. He's a wild kid from the wild side of Baltimore. He fought hundreds of street fights. "As a result of his rough upbringing, "getting in the ring was nothing to him," Kisner said.
A rough upbringing
When Paschall is asked to describe his childhood, he simply says: "I lived in Baltimore city and that pretty much says it all." "You had to fight down there," Paschall said. "Every day was a fight. If the fight didn't find me, I found one. It was easy to find trouble. "So easy that Paschall spent much of his early life in and out of prison. He was in the courtroom often enough that his boxing nickname, The Persecutor, came because he spent so much time in front of the city prosecutor. "I was always a friend of the prosecutor," Paschall joked. "That's the only man I've ever feared in my life. I've had guns stuck in my face so many times that doesn't bother me. But once you get in front of a judge, that man controls your fate. "Paschall says he had a sex addiction and began selling drugs because it was so lucrative. He began boxing at age 14 but never fully concentrated on the sport -- his other vices took precedent. He would go straight from jail to fights, "without even taking a shower," he said. "I was doing everything I wasn't supposed to be doing," Paschall said.The turning point came about a decade ago.On Halloween night in 1999, Paschall was surrounded by a gang of about 30 people. He was ready to begin a fist-fight with one, until a gun was pulled on him and he was shot in the leg. Paschall said the bullet pierced an artery and the doctor told him he wouldn't live more than a year because of blood clots. Five months later, he became a father. "When my son was born, I quit everything," Paschall said. "I had kilos and kilos of coke. I gave it to my friend. Once my son was born, I was done. I washed my hands of everything. I wanted to be there for my son."
Finding a way out
When Paschall sought a way out of that turbulent lifestyle, he turned to boxing. "Whenever I got into too much trouble, boxing was always there," Paschall said. "It was like my rebound. Thank God it was always there. "The southpaw piled up an 82-15 amateur record. He made his professional debut in May 2004 and has posted a 19-1-1 mark with four knockouts (his only defeat coming against Andre Dirrell last year when he suffered a deep cut on his forehead, which caused a TKO). Next up for Paschall is Brinkley in a 10-round light heavyweight fight Friday at the Reno Events Center. Paschall has long been a Brinkley fan, since he first watched him on the NBC reality show "The Contender. "In an ironic twist, Paschall said he was originally going to be a part of the show until a last-second change to the rules disallowed him because he had only one professional fight under his belt. "I had signed the papers and everything," Paschall said. Now he gets the chance to take on Brinkley, something Paschall calls "a privilege. "Neither Paschall or his trainer are interested in making bold pronouncements, which is a rarity in boxing. "We don't talk and say we are going to do this or that," Kisner said. "I tell my guys they have to prove it in the ring, show respect, get in the ring and do it. We just come out and do our best. "The 29-year-old Paschall now looks back on his reckless youth and is astonished he made it through that period alive.He has two children -- Mikey, 9, and Aidan, 4 -- and married wife Belinda in Las Vegas last Valentine's Day and has two stepchildren in Teliea, 8, and Tommy, 4. For the past five years, he has worked building ships for the Coast Guard in addition to furthering his boxing career. When asked about his children, Paschall boasts that his eldest son is "a real computer geek," while his youngest son "just wants to fight his dad all the time. "As for Friday's bout, Paschall looked in good form while going through a final sparing session Tuesday at the Fourth Street Gym. Paschall doesn't know how he will fare against Brinkley, but just getting to this bout has been the real fight. "I just want to be able to say I got in the ring with these kind of guys, whether they knock me out cold or not," Paschall said. "The bottom line is that if my two kids love me, I've won in life. As long as my boys tell me they love me -- and they do that every day -- that's my world. They are my world."
SUMMER SHOWDOWN
Jesse Brinkley vs. Mike Paschall
What: Light Heavyweight bout
When: Friday (amateur bouts start at 5 p.m.; pro bouts at 7 p.m.)
Where: Reno Events Center
Tickets: Ranging from $30-125 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster (ticketmaster.com or 787-8497) and the Reno Events Center Box Office. A $5 discount will be available for students, military and police and fire personnel with ID for general admission tickets.
WATCH TODAY: For a live video from the press conference with Brinkley and Paschall, go to RGJ.com today at 1 p.m.
Mike Paschall
Record: 19-1-1 (4 KOs)
Style: Southpaw
Born: Aug. 27, 1979 (age 29)
Resides: Baltimore
Nickname: The Persecutor
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