Shane Langford, whose story was popularized by HBO's 24/7 coverage of Pacquiao-Hatton is the head custodian at Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, California. He is the man in-charge of keeping everything in order in the gym that has seen fistic dreams turned into reality.
This is a snippet of his remarkable story about a man's struggle to pursue his dream and the lengths he has pushed himself for his love of the sport of boxing.
And so everything began with a simple question.
"How did you get into boxing?"
"I started out in Canada, back in Edmonton and Prince George. Fought several amateur fights and about 8 pro fights. In hindsight, I was used by my management then to give their fighters an easy win. They pretty much threw me to the wolves and traded my loss for the fighters they were building up to rack up wins. At least that's what it seems like to me," Shane opened up.
His first two fights were at super bantamweight against Steve Molitor who currently has a record of 30-1-0. He lost both fights against the much heralded Molitor in 2000.
In his third fight however, Shane would finally taste victory against a fellow Canadian boxer Sheldon Wile who was then 2-0.
In his fourth bout however, he was knocked out by a debuting Mexican fighter named Rey Morales. And in another fight in 2002, he faced USA Olympian Clarence Vinson who was then 5-0 and was knocked out in 2 rounds.
Despite the setbacks, Langford's dreams of becoming a World champion were not shaken. His management promised to bring him to Hollywood and have him train under the tutelage of the best trainer in the business Freddie Roach.
"After the Clarence Vinson fight, I knew I was being set up so I talked to some people I met there and they said they were going to hook me up with Freddie and that Freddie's gym was for me, but they lied and I got stuck in the streets for a year and a half. I got into a lot of street fights that involved knives and all kinds of crazy sh&t." Shane added.
I asked him why he opted to live in the streets and get into all sorts of trouble instead of going back home to Canada, and Shane's quick reply was,
"I'm no b*tch. I told everyone that I'd make it, and that's what I was going to do."
While living in the streets, Shane met Freddie's brother Pepper Roach and friend Marcus Harvey. They helped Shane try to get his career re-started and allowed him to train at the Wild Card Gym.
"I was happy because I got to fight again. I was staying in hotels when I had fights scheduled, but when I didn't, I was back living in the streets."
Shane fought 2 fights in Las Vegas in 2004 and lost, but in his third fight back, and ultimately the final bout of his career in April 1, 2005, tragedy struck. Shane faced Jorge Espinoza in Quiet Montebello, California and in the first round, was knocked out.
"My eyes shut in that fight and I got dropped right away. I got up too fast and fell again. After that fight, my eye never re-opened," Shane revealed.
After the incident, Freddie offered Shane a job at the Wild Card and a place to stay as a custodian in the gym. With his left eye shut, his boxing career was also done. But despite all the knocks in his life that resulted from pursuing his boxing dream, Shane showed no signs of regret when I asked him whether he would've done things differently in his life.
"Hell no its been a blast! I love fighting and boxing. I got to travel and have fun and meet all these cool people. I am grateful for my life and Freddie, Pepper, Marcus and everybody I've met through this sport. Of course there are times I miss Canada and home, but this is where I belong."
It's amazing how the littlest of people in terms of perception, can actually display the biggest of hearts. We often hear and talk about all these boxers that came from nothing to become world champions, yet we fail to realize that winning isn't the only evidence of a person's greatness.
If it weren't for people like Shane, who bleeds and breathes boxing and gave it their unconditional love and everything they have to give, there wouldn't be world champions like Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto.Freddie Roach himself, was nothing more than a mediocre slugger throughout his boxing career. We measure men by the accomplishments they have shown for, but we often forget that the real measure of a man doesn't necessarily have to be seen from the outside- its what beats from within.
Written by:
