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The only thing that took me there was my two hands and people that I met along the way," he says. That win was Barkley's ticket out of the Patterson Houses, the public housing development in the Bronx where he grew up. The match ended with blood streaming from Barkley's eyes as his supporters lifted him into the air with his hands raised in triumph. In his breakout fight that year, Barkley defeated the reigning champ, Thomas Hearns, after a surprise turnaround in the third round. Some of those guys are part of their ranks too, including the World Boxing Council middleweight champion of 1988, Iran "The Blade" Barkley. "Why do people only care about the guys who won?" That means somebody's got to lose," he says. Ring 10 is an organization that helps boxers who struggle with life after leaving the ring. Matt Farrago, the founder of Ring 10 Veterans Boxing Foundation of New York, listens as respects are given to a recently deceased boxer. Farrago says they're keeping an eye on would-be contenders no longer in the spotlight. Over the years, they've raised money to help members pay for groceries, checked in with fighters who are now debilitated and homebound and attended each other's funerals. And when you don't, I don't remember your name," says former boxer Matt Farrago, who started the group in 2010. Others were abandoned years ago by their trainers. In New York City, a group of veteran fighters have formed a group to support each other through the hard times. Then, many have to deal with the aftermath, both the physical and the financial. In the ring, they endure jabs, hooks and sometimes knockouts. (Cameron Robert/NPR)īoxers are some of the most vulnerable athletes in sports. He currently is a board member of Ring 10 Veterans Boxing Foundation of New York, an organization that works with boxers who are down on their luck. Barkley, a former WBC middleweight champion, became homeless after facing financial troubles in the later years of his life.
#MATT FARRAGO PROFESSIONAL#
Ring 10 devotes 100% of all profits to helping fighters "to get back on their feet." Whether it is a food card, rent funds, clothing, medicine or a working position, Ring never lets a fighter down.Former professional boxer, Iran Barkley, poses in front of his Bronx apartment complex. In 2010, he founder and became the President of the most successful and accomplished "Not for Profit Boxing Organizations in the world, Ring 10 of New York. He works in hospitals throughout Long Island and the surrounding boroughs. He got into sales and eventually found his way into selling medical devices and medical implants in the operating room. His career was over with a 26-2 record.Īfter picking himself up, Matt became a school teacher with a BS in Biology and a BS in Physical Education that he received from Cortland State University. Matt fought two more times without any managerial support, but the fire and passion was gone. He was abandoned in the locker room by his team, and he never heard from his manager again. It was a very close fight, but he was stopped on cuts in the 8th round. On August 25, 1988, he took his first loss after 25 straight wins. His thoughts were only to make enough money to pay his way through medical school. Not a good amateur boxer, he adapted much better to the style of a professional fighter. Matt Farrago was born in 1961 in the Bronx, but grew up on Long Island.