The Guardian: 50 photographs that reshaped sport

For me being recognized by The Guardian as one of the 50 photographers that reshaped sport is an incredible honor. To have my work acknowledged by such a reputable publication is a testament to my passion and dedication to photography.

The fact that my photography has become part of sports history is truly humbling. It's a surreal feeling to know that my images will be remembered for years to come and that they have made an impact on the way we view sports. I take pride in my ability to capture the emotion and drama of sports in my photographs.

For me, it's not just about the athletes or the game itself, but about the human stories and emotions that lie behind them. To have The Guardian recognize this in my work has been a dream come true. My recognition by The Guardian will inspire other aspiring photographers, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, to pursue their passion and know that they can make a significant impact in sports journalism.

“I would like to encourage everyone to read the article featuring my award-winning work, along with 49 other images that have reshaped sport. Seeing my work recognized and celebrated is truly a thrilling experience, and I hope that it inspires others to create impactful and meaningful work as well."

CBS News Feature: Terrell Groggins

(CBS DETROIT)By Ronnie Duncan - A time when images were frozen in black and white, moments captured through the lenses of Terrell Groggins' camera constantly display his works of art as a photojournalist.

"Whether it's sports, whether it's politics, whatever it is, I'm looking for the empathy and the human story," he said.

Groggins' eyes see what others miss, and what he invasions as his gift to define an alternative description.

One of his photos showed boxer Clarissa Shields' powerful punch on Hanna Gabriels in 2018 at the Detroit Masonic Temple. It won four prestigious worldwide photography awards, including "The Guardian" top 50th moments in sports history.

"Whether it's a solo individual sport or a team sport, you know that the person put the work in, and you're capturing a moment," he said. "Like that moment is not going to come again ... You have to be ready to take the photo and you have to be prepared for that moment."

Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner: An Interview With The Undisputed Super Featherweight Champion

Written by Gabrielle Burnett Photography by Terrell Groggins

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There’s been a heavy focus on women’s boxing as of late. Cecilia Braekhus, the undisputed world champion successfully defended her title, and the boxing world is waiting with bated breath for a seemingly inevitable matchup between Christina Hammer and Claressa Shields. But with the focus on these big names, several other boxers are slowly, but surely, making their mark on boxing and Alycia Baumgardner is doing just that.

Despite the amount of attention women’s boxing has been receiving, there are still feats of accomplishments to be had. Baumgardner has one of them. Just being a woman in a male dominated sport is just big and then also, women’s boxing is on the rise. A lot of women are being signed by a lot of promotional companies, and this one is also. It’s nice to be the face of that for women,” Baumgardner says.

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Alycia Baumgardner training at World's Best Boxing Gym in Detroit MI

And she’s right, taking the title of the first woman signed to a promotional company is significant. This significance in some ways, demonstrates the differences in men and women’s boxing. Gender inequality is actively being addressed in mainstream society, but these differences are felt by all whom it affects. The disparity of treatment between men and women in boxing, though improving, has a long way to go. Baumgardner agrees, “I would say marketing is something that is different in this game. I would say just the recognition; we’re [women] finally getting recognized more at a higher level than ever. So I would definitely say that separates men and women’s boxing.” She goes on to say, “I would say it’s a little biased. With pay, it’s obviously different with men and women with the pay. I would say also televised fights are different. So, you know a lot of those things are kind of in the dark, but it’s coming to light slowly but surely. With pay, with televised fights, with recognition.”

Baumgardner also has sound ideas on what can be done to facilitate change for gender equality in boxing, actionable ideas for both those directly involved in the sport and spectators of the sport. “I think it would be big if every card had a woman’s fight on there. I think that would bring more attention to women’s boxing, just putting those women in the spotlight. So, why not have one woman’s card on every show, even if it’s on Showtime, HBO? I think that would be big. I would think that just taking extra time out, not even a whole bunch of time, but just to put some focus on the women, asking questions that I don’t think people ask.”

So how does Baumgardner cope with these challenges? She uses talent and hard work. “I just train just as hard as the guys. I feel like my talent will be recognized and they’re going to have to see it. I’m just going to continue what I do; work hard, train hard and when my time comes for my talent to be showcased, everyone will see it and they’ll have to respect it. That’s the only thing I can do. And speak up for it, speak up for women, speak up for myself, to say we’re the same.”

This work ethic is getting “The Bomb” far. Her current professional record is 14-1 7KOs. It’s also given her the ability to test her boxing skills up against some of the best in the world. Baumgardner recently had a training camp with undisputed world champion Cecilia Braekhus, just ahead of Braekhus' recent bout with Mikaela Lauren. It was a great opportunity and showed Baumgardner many things about herself as a boxer. “My experience in Norway was amazing. It was my first training camp overseas. I got to train with Cecilia who’s the undisputed world champ, so just getting that female work was awesome. You know, I spar with guys all of the time, so being able to get some woman sparring in was great, and the country was beautiful, the work was great. I looked at myself as a different fighter. I was at that caliber, I was training at that caliber. I was right there with her. For most professional athletes, spectators get the opportunity to see them well after they have traveled a long road to get to where they are and Alycia’s no different. She started boxing at a very young age, which explains her success in her professional career so far. “I started at eight years old and my dad’s family has always been a boxing family. I started with wrestling. After wrestling, my dad asked me do you want to try out boxing and I said sure. I’ve always been an athlete, so I took on the challenge and that’s how I started and I fell in love with it. There are many things that Baumgardner excels at, but her and her coach are continuously working to keep her sharp, “I’m learning more, just emphasizing on the basics of boxing: getting rhythm down, getting my distance, being on balance. All of those are so important in boxing. The little things show so much of the fighter. I’ve learned to just be a fighter, just to fight, protect yourself. Learning the basics, the important keys of boxing, makes me overall a boxer that can box, a puncher, all of those qualities a boxer has.” “For my pro debut there were definitely butterflies, there was no going back, I was thinking “this is it.” A part of me was anxious, I was excited, I just wanted to get in there and throw the first punch. After that, you’re in the mode, you’re focused,” Baumgardner states, remembering the excitement she felt at her first professional bout. And how does her family support her in all of this? She has their full support. “I’m sure they worry a little bit because they’re my parents, but they’re 100% supporters. My mom loves seeing me in there and my dad has coached me in the corner a few times. It’s definitely an exciting thing for them for sure.” Baumgardner also has the full support and excitement of her hometown Fremont, Ohio. “Fremont, they’re definitely behind me. They actually have a boxing gym and that’s where I started. Starting at eight, they learned to know my name. My city, they definitely support me.” Baumgardner works and trains extremely hard. Her regimen is strict, but necessary to be a winner. “I train everyday, twice a day with training camp coming along. You know, I’m a gym rat, I like being fit anyway. If I’m not boxing, I’m working out, because that is something I like to do. So I’m in the gym twice a day, I’m eating well. I’m eating organic, non-GMO, just feeding my body the right food. I’m drinking a gallon or two of water a day. Just training my body as an elite professional fighter. It’s a different level and it requires discipline for this sport. For anything really, but at this level, you have to be 110% in.” And this training is not just for her professional career, it’s really a passion for Baumgardner. She wants to help all women, not just boxers and professional athletes, achieve their own version of greatness; fitness and self esteem. Long-term, Baumgardner hopes to help women and children develop a passion for healthy living that she has. “I love fitness as it is. I look at fitness as a lifestyle. I’d love to help other people live a healthy lifestyle and feel better about themselves everyday. Incorporate fitness into people’s everyday life. I would love to be an advocate on eating healthy, organic, just knowing what you’re putting in your body as an athlete. I would love to invest and help amatuer boxing programs. Growing up, we didn’t have a whole bunch of funds, but we made it happen. I would like to have kids who are in amatuer programs go to these tournaments so they can follow their dreams. That’s something I would love to do in the future.”

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And what would Baumgardner tell middle school and high school girls who are interested in boxing? Go for it of course, “I would say, do it. I know that being in a male dominated sport can be something that is not the norm to some people, but I feel like it’s made me grow so much as a woman and I’m all for women’s empowerment and being comfortable in your own skin. And being just as confident as a guy would be. Just challenge yourself. In life, you have to challenge yourself. When you challenge yourself, it helps you grow as a person and you’re able to help other people.” Baumgardner is a true role model for young people and women, to be yourself, work hard and go for what you want. “I’m all for natural hair. I have a big fro. I’ve been wearing my fro since elementary school. I know that now people are all about natural hair. I feel like “rock the fro, be natural.” I’m for that movement. Inspire women with that. I think that’s something some girls struggle with. Society puts an image on young girls, even boys, growing up. Just be yourself; being yourself will get you far.” Even though Alycia Baumgardner is clearly on the path to a great boxing career and legacy, deep down, she’s just a regular person, “I’m easy to get along with. I love to always have a good time. I’m just a normal person. I’m blessed with gifts and talents and I’m using my talents to the best of my ability.” Follow Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner @alyciabaumgardner

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All Eyes On women's Boxing

Claressa Shields Vs Christina Hammer:

Written by Gabrielle Burnett Photography by **[Terrell Groggins]

Women’s boxing has traversed a long road to get here and still has a long way yet to go. Christina Hammer, a 23-0,10 KOs, WBO, WBC and WBF champion, is one boxer who understands this long and difficult road well.

Christina Hammer was born on August 16, 1990 in Novodolinka, Kazakhstan. She relocated to Sontra, Germany, with her parents, in 1991. Hammer showed an affinity, and more importantly a skill in boxing at an early age. Her uncles let her accompany them to boxing gyms when she was a child and it stuck, she became a member of an amateuer boxing club when she was thirteen years old. Her first fight was won by knockout 30 seconds into the match and she then went on to become a junior champion when she was sixteen.

Hammer’s professional debut, and subsequent undefeated streak, was against Melisa Koktar when she was eighteen. Hammer’s record only becomes more impressive. At 20 years old, Hammer won the WBO Middleweight Championship Belt, becoming the youngest all-time World Boxing Organization champion.

A year later, she won the World Boxing Federation Middleweight championship title against, then champion Diana Kiss. Two years later, in 2013, Hammer went up in weight class to super middleweight becoming the first ever female boxer to be named double world champion in two weight classes. She defeated Zita Zatkyo to obtain this record.

In 2016, she won the WBC Middleweight Title when she defeated Kali Ries. She has since successfully defended both her WBO and WBC Middleweight Championship titles.

In short, her record is phenomenal. She holds multiple titles, in different weight classes from different organizations. So how did this world class athlete rise the top? You could say it was slog, long and hard fought. She has had to work her way through two weight divisions, without the benefit of prime time television, or the spotlight the Olympics brings. Though Hammer is a boxing star with a large following in Germany, she’s not as well known stateside. That’s all going to change very soon as women finally begin to gain the traction and coverage here, with Hammer set to make her debut in the United States in April. Women in boxing have traversed a long way to get to this point in time.

Christina Hammer speaks about the progression of woman's boxing and her potential fight with Claressa Shields

But who are all of these organizations, and why do they matter? The World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Federation (WBF), World Boxing Council (WBC), and the International Boxing Federation (IBF) are the largest, independent governing bodies in boxing.

One of the biggest criticisms in boxing today is the amount of titles available. Has this added more competition in boxing or diluted the water? Each organization, though recognizing one another’s title belts, holds and ranks fighters “in house.” Regardless of whether a boxer is a man or woman, navigating this complex system of belts and titles is laborious, and political.

What may be more important, is the fact that unifying titles (one boxer holding championship titles across all of the organizations), is now the name of the game in boxing. It is the goal of most boxers, male and female, and where Hammer’s, potentially most important fight of the year, is headed. But before going forward, it’s important to look back at the long road women in boxing have traversed.

Boxing goes back much, much farther than the inception of these organizations. Boxing was invented in Africa in 3000 B.C.E, so it doesn’t take much to posit that women have most likely been boxing for thousands of years. However, the first recorded incidents of women’s boxing was in the 1700s.

The first known record of women boxing is from the 1700s. Georgian women were known to fight in “side-act,” carnival-type affairs. However, some of these women were actually considered quite skilled in the sport of prizefighting, making large sums of money, for it was the same then as now, many rise out of poverty this way. An advertisement taken out challenging one woman boxer to another, offered a purse of 10 shillings. The average yearly salary for women at that time was six shillings, so this payout was significant.

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Elizabeth Wilkinson enjoyed a six-year career as boxer. For her final bout, she was paid ten pounds, a healthy sum in 1728

Photography Source "Vice"

One of the most well-known boxers of the 1700’s was Elizabeth Wilkins Stokes. What makes her so unique, is not the fact that she fought, as “cat fights” was a very well-known and an oft pursued spectator past-time for men and women of the time, she was well known because of her legitimate skill. Elizabeth was not only an undefeated prizefighter (bare knuckle boxer), but an undefeated MMA fighter, who fought both men and women. A mixed martial arts fighter had a different meaning in the 18th century than now, she was skilled and undefeated in both boxing and weaponry use.

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A woman trains with gloves and bags in 1890.

Photography Source Underwood Archives/Getty Images

In fact, during the 1700 and 1800s, women were most likely to engage in no holds barred fighting. Though men boxed at that time, and their fights could be quite brutal, women were more likely to engage in fighting that had no rules. But interestingly enough, women of the time were the first to implement more humane ways to fight. Though James Figg is considered one of the fathers of boxing, since he was the first to start implementing some of the rules of boxing that have survived today, women would be the first to fight in such a manner that limited the brutality of the sport.

Women went from cat-fight, no holds barred fighting, to fighting with two coins in each of their hands. The first to drop a coin lost the fight. In this way, there was a built-in time limit (something that did not exist for men or women) and women’s hands were occupied so the normal scratching, clawing, pulling and grabbing couldn’t take place. Really, this rule allowed for pure fisticuff fighting, well before men instituted similar rules.

Women’s boxing took a turn for the worse in the 1800s, it was a favorite spectator sport in the 1700s, but 19th century sensibility frowned upon the practice, and records of women boxing in 1800s in abundance had most fallen into obscurity. The first “official” women’s boxing match in the United States took place in 1876.

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Female boxer Annie Newton poses in a face-off with five men. Fox Photos/Getty Images

It wasn’t until the 20th century that women entered the world of boxing again (at least visibly to the press).

Like so many restrictions and taboos placed on women throughout history, boxing was no different. Beyond boxing not being “ladylike,” there were many, potentially false, medical claims regarding the ill effects of boxing on women’s health that was used to barr women from entering the sport. There are those who wish to ban boxing for both men and women, Great Britain currently being one such country, but the dangers that face women are given much more scrutiny and then restriction.

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In the 1930s, the fear was that women would have trouble bearing and breastfeeding children. The 1970s had medical professionals claiming that hits to the chest would contribute to breast cancer.

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Christy Martin (right) lands a blow on Deidre Gogarty

Photography Source Al Bello/Allsport/Getty Images

In 1995, the WBC’s medical board was concerned about “internal traumatic hemorrhages in the vagina,” while debating whether women should be allowed to compete. They didn’t sanction women’s fighting for another 9 years. Even now, there are conflicting medical studies regarding concussions in women’s boxing. Several studies have noted that women have a higher incidence of concussions than men, however, what is not clear is the reason. Is it because physiologically, men have stronger necks which protects them better from head trauma? Is there something in the brain of a women that makes them more susceptible to head trauma? Or do women just report these issues to doctors more than men, so the recorded frequency is therefore higher? Medical experts are unsure.

Regardless, because of these and other concerns, women’s fights are shorter than men, two minute rounds versus three minute rounds with a maximum of ten rounds versus twelve for men.

For many, this is no real big surprise, after all, the saying isn’t “This is a woman’s world,” is it? These inequalities go further than just restricting if and how long a woman can fight. Pay, press coverage and sponsorship are just a few of the things that separate womens and mens boxing.

Even with all of these obstacles, women love boxing. Women continued to box throughout the 20th century, making a big comeback in the 1970s. In fact, this era was one where women really pressed for equality in women’s boxing in court. Some big names of this era was Jackie “The Female Ali” Tonawanda and Marian “Lady Tyger” Trimiar. Not only did they have a decent press and fan following; they sued for the right to fight professionally. In fact, during this era, women sued for the fight to participate in boxing on all levels, not just as fighters, but as referees, judges, managers and trainers.

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Laila Ali, daughter of professional boxer Muhammad Ali, dances over April Fowler as she lays on the canvas during a fight at Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York on Oct. 8, 1999

Throughout the history of “modern” boxing, the world has always had a women boxing superstars. The late 90s and early 2000s were no different. One of the biggest female boxers of all time is Laila Ali. Laila was not only a talented boxer, but had the benefit of broadcast coverage for her fights and meaningful pay. Of course, many would argue these perks were more due to her famous name than anything else, though that assessment is hardly fair.

In today’s boxing world, there are a few women paving the way to bring women’s boxing on an international, highly publicized stage. One is an Olympic champion that has risen to the challenge of being the athlete that brings women boxing to the forefront and potentially changing the sport forever.

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Claressa Shields raises her hand to the sky after her unanimous decision win over Hanna Gabriels

Claressa Shields was raised in Flint, Michigan by her grandmother who instilled a “don’t quit, no weakness” attitude in Shields. Her father, Clarence Shields, had a brief career in amatuer boxing and first piqued Claressa’s interest in the sport by regaling her of tales of Mohammed Ali and more importantly, his daughter, Laila. Claressa first took up boxing when she was eleven years old in the basement of Berston Field House and it quickly became apparent that she had talent. Her former coach, Jason Crutchfield took her under his wing and would become like a second father to Claressa, with her even living with him and his family during the summers.

Flint’s a city who has known its share of struggles. Very similar to the financial decline Detroit experienced as the auto industry withdrew, the loss of auto factory jobs in Flint depressed the local economy, which trickled down to every subset population in the area. At one point in time, Flint was home to the largest Ford auto factory in the world. The closure of this plant in the 1980s was the start of the decline for this area. Flint continued to struggle financially and was taken over by a city money manager in 2011. The Flint water crisis of 2014 was another crisis brought to a city already plagued with blight and poverty.

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Shields in the corner after suffering her first knock down in her career vs Hanna Gabriels

This environment is tough, it’s tough to make a living, to survive and thrive. It’s the environment that Shields comes from. This isn’t unusual in this sport however. Historically, boxing is often the sport for the impoverished. At any given time throughout history, you can look at the boxers of that era to illuminate the depressed population, a worldwide pattern, not just an American phenomenon. When you come from an impoverished environment, when the institutions around you don’t seem to care, and when you’re left to fend for yourself, boxing, a lone person’s sport, let’s you put it all on the line.

Claressa Shields speaks about growing up in Flint, and being an athlete of color

This environment helped create Claressa Shields. She’s tough. She had a near meteoric rise in the amateurs. Her amateur record stands at 77-1. Even more other-wordly is her Olympic record. Being an Olympic champion in any condition and sport is an accomplishment. However, Shields record is beyond phenomenal, she’s the only boxer, male or female, to win back to back gold medals at the Olympics in boxing.

In 2016, Claressa decided to leave the amateur world of boxing to showcase her talent in the professional world. And debut she did. She faced hard-hitting Franchon Cruz Dezurn in November 2016 winning by unanimous decision. She has continued her with her undefeated record, 5-0, 2 TKOs, with unprecedented speed. All of her profesional wins have either been by unanimous decision or TKO. She is currently the WBC and IBF Super Middleweight Champion. In other words, she’s a supreme athlete.

Claressa is facing a multitude of unique obstacles. It’s well documented the discrepancy in pay for women, blacks and black women outside the world of sports. It is well know that women make 77 cents to the male dollar, black women can expect to make 63 cents to that dollar. However, this disparity is even more extreme in the sporting world. There are more published discrepancies in other professional sports to count. In basketball for instance, the highest paid WNBA female athlete earns approximately one fifth of what the lowest paid NBA player makes. Women’s soccer Team USA had to sue FIFA for equal pay. Though their viewership generates 20 million more than men and their professional record is better, they receive a fifth of the pay of their male counterparts.

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It’s difficult to determine average salary in boxing since income is determined by individual purse amounts, which vary from a few hundred dollars to hundreds of millions. However, for women, one can expect their purse is a fraction of that. Most professional women’s boxers can expect a purse of $200-$400 when they are first starting their career. Women, like men, early in their career often must rely on promoting and selling their own tickets to help pad their payout.The differences between the two genders is stark as each works their way up to title fights and then become champions.

Claressa Shields speaking about the state of women’s boxing

When men either become champions or get their shot at taking someone’s title, the purses quickly outpace women. Once male boxers get a shot at televised bouts, which women rarely do, the income disparity becomes astronomical. But that’s just it, it’s what lies at the heart of the issue, it’s a lack of coverage. Without it, pay is diminished as well as sponsorship, which is every athlete'sa bread and butter.

It’s not all doom and gloom. Many sports are working diligently to close the wage gap. One thing that will accelerate the closing gap in pay is viewership. If more people are willing to purchase live tickets to see women box and tune in to cable and pay-per-view to view women’s bouts, the wage gap will decrease. Undefeated super featherweight WBC Silver Belt holder, Alycia Baumbgardner believes that putting a woman’s fight on every card may be the key to closing the inequality gap in boxing and garnering more public interest.

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Claressa Shields has already broken down this barrier. The twenty-two year old is the first woman to headline a fight card on premium television. She has now headlined four premium televised fights on Showtime’s ShoBox and her momentum is continuing. It also takes promoters willing to take this risk. Shields is currently on the roster of Salita Promotions (as is Christina Hammer) who has taken a firm stance on increasing, supporting and pushing women’s boxing. This promotion company believes that women are talented boxers and given the right platform, can garner a large fan following in the United States and abroad.

They’re not far off. One thing to note is that viewership and spectator interest in women’s boxing is much higher outside the United States. Mexico, Latin America, and many European countries have proven that spectators enjoy watching talented women boxers. Undisputed world boxing champion Cecilia Braekhus has a very large following and has sold-out arenas. This type of following can absolutely transfer the United States, given the chance.

But what garners that type of excitement and attention in women’s boxing? An all-star, athletic match-up, that’s what. The boxing world is waiting for, what seems like an inevitable match-up between Christina Hammer and Claressa Shields.

Christina Hammer

Claressa Shields

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Ja'Rico O'Quinn in main event September 24th live on ShoBox Next Generation

Written By Terrell Groggins

“Photography by Award Winning Photojournalist Terrell Groggins ”

After a 19 month layoff O'Quinn (14-0-1, 8 KO) returns to the ring as a bantamweight to fight a scrappy Saul Sanchez(16-1, 9 KO) in a ten round bout. The next edition of ShoBox: The New Generation this friday September 24th with a Salita Promotions triple feature from the great state of Oklahoma.

O'Quinn, a Detroit naite last fought in Jan. 2020 pre covid pandemic, where he point dominated Oscar Vasquez. I wasn't there to document in person due to family issues, but it was a solid win for Rico.

Interviewing Ja'Rico during training camp he stated that he does not know too much about Sanchez but he does know his head coach, Rico pointed out that he's been beating Jo Jo Diaz's fighters since the amateurs.

This is a pivotal fight for Ja'Rico stepping into the bantamweight class. It's the biggest fight of his career, and now on the biggest stage. Sanchez feels the same way, as a fighter whose been activly fighting over the course of the last two years.

If there is any added pressure on Jarico O’Quinn before this main event bout, he's not showing it. In the ring during training camp I witness Rico being very sharp, this was a couple weeks ago while filming he said " No one will outwork me" His eyes and focus said everything to back up what he was saying verbally. Rico has looked like a veteran since early in his career.

There's the talk about beating all of Sanchez coaches fighters in the amateurs but O'Quinn is not by any means taking Saul for granted. He knows what type of fighter he is, he's ready for the pressure. The sparring that I witness shows me that he's prepared.

O’Quinn is hoping to excel and breakthrough in 2021. There's big things coming for this Detroit naitive, more televised dates and bigger situations on bigger stages. First task is digging deep, and taking care of business this friday September 24th.

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“I shot a mini documentary titled “ Humble Beginnings” that focuses on O’Quinn during training camp, he talks about his work ethic, upbringing, and his focus as to why he became a boxer. View below ”

If you're not familiar with Ja'Rico you can check out his last fight vs Oscar here

For Dana

It is the poets, artists, and musicians that will carry us through the pandemic attacks into a new reality. They are the ones who tell us how to navigate, breathe, feel, think, enjoy, and fully live our lives. (“Because the world had corona”)

This quote by Erik Pevernagie this is fitting for this piece titled “ For Dana” it centers around an interview I did with my friend @konartstudio Konstance Patton a few weeks back. The pandemic, lockdowns, and the protesting lead to artist taking to the streets of New York.

The artist weren’t armed with baseball bats, crow bars, or torches. They were armed with spray cans, and paint brushes. The store fronts of SoHo were boarded with plywood creating the perfect canvas for street art.

Fast forward to November 2nd 2020 Patton has added street artist to her tool box, she an a host of other artist have formed a collective called “ Soho Renasaince Factory”

For Dana is a community piece that was created in Patton’s old neighborhood, family and friends took part in the the workshop. From Detroit to NYC back to Detroit, she came to honor her friend “Dana Selah Elam with a “Goddess Mural” It’s a project she’s been working on form more than ten years as she’s speaks about in the mini doc.

Visual artist paints, draw, film the ills of society from their perspective, Poets speak on the ills of society from their perspective, Musicians ain’t about the ills of society from their perspective. In the time of chaos, a pandemic and a resurgence of a virus. Positive energy’s day events that brings a community like this one I witnessed a few weeks back is needed. Somehow someway we will get through this.

World Press Photo: In Conversation with Terrell Groggins

Shields Strikes Back, by Terrell Groggins, won an award in the Sports category of the 2019 World Press Photo Contest. We spoke with the photographer, who has been working with Shields for over three years, about documenting her professional boxing career and winning the award with this photograph.

Claressa Shields is the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing, and the first (male or female) to win a gold back-to-back in successive Olympic Games. She has had only one loss in her career, against British World Champion Savannah Marshall, in 2012.

Terell Groggins met Claressa Shields in 2016 at a media workout at the legendary Kronk boxing gym in Detroit, United States. She was still living in Flint, Michigan at the time. “I decided to document her story because it wasn’t being told. She’s an Olympian who had just started her professional boxing career. It was interesting for me that there wasn’t mass coverage of her. Upon doing research I found discrimination in women’s boxing as a whole,” he explains.

The photo awarded in the Sports category of the 2019 World Press Photo Contest captures a moment when Claressa Shields meets Hanna Gabriels in a boxing match at the Masonic Temple in Detroit on 22 June 2018. Shields suffered a first-round knock-down by Gabriels—the first in her career—but went on to win the match by unanimous decision.

Part of a larger project, this image also speaks about the reality of being a female boxer in a world predominantly masculine. “Claressa and many others are facing a multitude of unique obstacles. The discrepancy in pay for women, black people and black women outside the world of sports is well documented. While women make 77 cents to every dollar earned by their male counterparts, black women can expect to make 63 cents to one dollar. However, this disparity is even more extreme in the sports world,” he adds.

He continues to document her career and her experience as a female boxer born and raised in Flint, a city that has known some struggles.

“The most surprising thing about working with [Claressa Shields] is her self-belief and determination. She’s so in tune with what she wants her legacy to be. She’s gained all these accolades and is consistently making history in the sport of boxing. Claressa has done all of this in a handful of fights. The most challenging thing for me at first was her accepting me as a friend She’s very protective of her inner circle, whether it’s a working relationship or personal relationship. Everything happened organically so I don’t have the challenges that I had in the beginning.”

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The 2020 World Press Photo Contests are open for entries. The contests recognize the best visual journalism and digital storytelling of the past year.

Groggins explains what it meant for him to win the award: “I’m on a short list of African and African Americans to win a World Press Photo award, so for me, it’s carving out a part of history for myself. There are difficulties that come with the profession of photography and I’ve experienced them all, from being marginalized as a minority, to experiencing racism. We, photographers, put time, effort, and creativity into our craft so to be recognized on this level for our hard work is priceless.”

He encourages other photographers who haven’t done it yet to enter the 2020 Contests: “I’ll speak to the minorities on this, your work is great enough to be acknowledged, your work is great enough to be seen by the world, your work is great enough to be analyzed by the selection of judges, your work is great enough to be seen by the millions and millions of people that come to the World Press Photo exhibitions, but it starts with you having the confidence to enter the contest.”

Enter now and find out more about contest categories, prizes, and dates

https://www.worldpressphoto.org/news/2019/conversation-terrell-groggins/39126

Keeping Detroit's Past Demons On A Leash

Keeping the Past demons of Detroit on tight leash isn't easy. We are witnessing the rebirth or resurrection of Detroit. Our city's downtown has improved, but our inner city communities still suffer. Everyone has a hand to play in this rebuilding process. The cards are on the table and I have my hand focused on the Detroit boxing community. Kronk boxing has a legendary past, currently the modern day Kronk is working on it's known legacy. There are many talented boxers that hail from our impoverished communities of the US, but there are many fighters that travel from other impoverished communites around the world to work on their craft at Kronk. Salita Promotions has brought some of the top boxers from around the world to help in the efforts to revitilize boxing in Detroit.

Directed by Terrell Groggins

Edith Ogeko Victorious Over Kiara Marquez in Middleweight Debut

Written by Gabrielle Burnett Photography Credit Terrell Groggins

From My Perspective

Middleweight Edith Agu Ogeko defeated Kiara Marquez by unanimous decison in both their professional debuts on February 23rd at Second 2 None’s War in Warren. Ogeko came out strong and aggressive, overwhelming Marquez early. Ogeko circled Marquez, who had to work hard to connect a few hooks.

Round two saw Marquez attempting to gain some footing. She executed several solid punches and it was evident that she had a strategy going in to this fight, but was still overwhelmed by Ogeko’s onslaught.

Rounds three and four sealed Ogeko’s victory. She stalked Marquez around the room, landing aggressive body shots. Though Marquez continued to execute cleaner punches, she couldn’t overcome “The Lioness of the World.”

Though this was her first professional debut, Ogeko is no stranger to the world boxing stage as she qualified and competed in the 2012 Olympics.

Gheith "The Southpaw Prince" Mohammed Karim Continues His Undefeated Record

Written by Gabrielle Burnett Photography Credit Terrell Groggins

From My Perspective

Super welterweight Gheith “The Southpaw Prince” Karim Mohammed, came out on top against Chester Tatmon on Second 2 None’s War in Warren co-main event on February 23rd. Mohammed, now 3-0, 1 KO defeated Tatmon, now 3-1, 1 KO, by unanimous decision.

Rounds three and four saw both fighters exchanging a steady combination of punches, but Mohammed’s hooks seemed to be more effective in wearing down his opponent, which ultimately lead to his victory.

This was an exciting fight to watch on this night’s card. Both fighters came out strong in the first round. Tatmon landed many solid combinations, Mohammed countered with solid hooks to the body. Both fighters delivered a steady exchange of blows and were pretty evenly matched.

The second round showed Mohammed start to dominate the fight a bit. Though Tatmon continued to land steady body shots, Mohammed caught him with a left hook to the body that dropped Tatmon. Tatmon recovered and delivered his own series of left hooks and uppercuts, but Mohammed took this round.

The Southpaw Prince, born in Iraq and raised in Michigan, has big boxing ambitions. He’s been in 135 amateur fights and his professional records is currently undefeated. He wants to become the first Iraqi-American boxing champion. Based on his performance, he may well be on his way.

Highly Touted Undefeated Prospect Ja’Rico O’Quinn Defeats Veteran Nick Otieno Okundo

Written by Gabrielle Burnett Photography Credit Terrell Groggins

Bantamweight Ja’Rico “The Great Lakes King” O’Quinn promoted by Salita Promotions on a Second 2 None Promotions event continued his undefeated record against veteran fighter Nick “Kanyankole” Otieno Okundo last night. Second 2 None promised an exciting night of boxing at War In Warren boxing event in Warren, MI, and they didn’t disappoint. O’Quinn, now 8-0, 1 draw, 5 KOs,fought in this main event. He won last night’s bout by unanimous decision. His opponent now stands at 31-13, 13 KOs.

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From My Perspective

The first round saw both fighters performing on a pretty even playing field, both fighting conservatively, feeling their opponent out. O’Quinn used combinations effectively, landing clean shots. Okundo followed up O’Quinn’s combinations with a right, left hook body shot that demonstrated the veteran wasn’t going down without a fight.

The second round is when O’Quinn began his plan of domination. He deployed his left jab effectively against Okundo. Also landing a few right uppercuts. He really started to work the body in this round. His jab, combination and foot work were evident. However, Okundo is a tough veteran. He was able to land some very clean left jabs this round, keeping O’Quinn on his toes.

O’Quinn dominated the third and fourth rounds. Between his combination punches, right and left hooks to the body and right hooks to the head, Okundo had a hard time with offense and had to stay mostly in a defensive position, landing very little in this round.

Though O’Quinn had been dominating the entire fight, the fifth round showed more excitement for the crowd. O’Quinn entered this round landing a left right hook body shot that knocked Okundo down early in the round. But Okundo still hanged in there during this round. He was able to land some clean right jabs against O’Quinn but it wasn’t enough. O’Quinn’s offense was too steady, his footwork was sure and he landed punches too cleanly.

The final round showed more of the same from the fifth. O’Quinn continued to work the body. It seemed as if the more time passed, the more effective he became. Okundo landed one overhand right, but it wasn’t enough. Though Okundo showed just how tough a fighter he was, going the full six rounds, O’Quinn clearly dominated the entire fight.

For those who’ve been following O’Quinn, this victory may have seemed inevitable. Terrell Groggins, of My Art My Rules, has been documenting O’Quinn’s training camp in the famous Kronk Gym.

From Terrell's Perspective

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The work O’Quinn put in with his head coach Chad Jaquillard and additional training with world renowned coach Javan “Sugar Hill” Steward of Kronk showed in the fight last night. His coaches worked with him on body shot placement. He’s a technical fighter that relies on precision. His speed was clearly on display. I’ve been documenting his training on the heavy bag and he has a lot of power, especially for his frame and bantamweight division.

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Another thing that was evident in the fight, which I witnessed during his training camp, was his fitness. He went the full six rounds and didn’t seem fatigued. He was able to maintain his technical execution, speed and accuracy up until the very end of round six.

I felt this was a good test for O’Quinn. Okundo was a tough opponent. He never backed down in any of the rounds, even though O’Quinn wore him down throughout the fight. Okunda has survival instincts as a veteran; it helped him in this fight.

Ja’Rico O’Quinn is clearly a star in the making on Salita Promotions’ roster. Other elements that help build up Detroit boxing is not only the talented fighters, but the matchmaking involved. This is the type of fight fans want to see. Companies like Turner Boxing Productions and promoters like Dmitriy Salita of Salita Promotions are setting the tone for the reemergence of great Detroit boxing.

Alycia Baumgardner Is The new WBC International Featherweight Silver Title Holder

Written By Gabrielle Burnett Photography Credit Terrell Groggins

Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner continued with her undefeated record yesterday against Nydia Feliciano. In the process, winning the WBC International Silver Belt.

This was a big test for Baumgardner, as she has never been past the first round in her professional career, nor has she faced an opponent in her professional career with Feliciano's experience. She went 8 rounds with Feliciano.

Baumgardner was calm, skilled and consistent throughout the fight. It was her moment to show what type of fighter she is and she delivered. From the first round, Baumgardner rained a steady array of blows on Feliciano, from jabs, hooks to the body, to several uppercuts. Though she was soundly defeated, Feliciano continued to put in work throughout the fight, even catching Baumgardner several times throughout the fight, but it wasn’t enough. This victory was decisive.

Click here for an extensive interview with Alycia Baumgardner

Follow “The Bomb” Baumgardner @alyciabaum

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Undefeated Apti Davtaev, a Diamond in the Rough Takes On the Heavyweight Division

Photography credit Terrell Groggins

From my Perspective

Those following boxing already know that the heavyweight division is making a comeback, with the likes of Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder. Unifying the heavyweight titles is clearly on the horizon which makes this an exciting time to be in this division, and for fighters with the right set of skills, technique and drive, championship belts may be ripe for the taking.

Apti Davtaev is one such fighter that has his eyes set on making the tough rise to the top. He’s an up and comer currently on Salita Promotions’ roster, from Kurchaloi, Russia. His debut in the United States on January 12, 2018 was successful. Hosted by Turning Stone Resort Casino in New York, Davtaev took on Garrett Wilson and won by unanimous decision, but the win wasn’t easy.

I was ringside, documenting this fight. With Wilson’s wild haymakers continuously coming at Davtaev, he had to respond aggressively with his heavy right hand. Davtaev has a great reach at 78 ½ inches, but I expected him to use it more effectively this night against his shorter opponent. Wilson’s a very tough boxer, and Davtaev prevailing shows just the type of potential he has.

Dmitriy Salita of Salita Promotions’ sees this potential and has his eyes set at the top for Davtaev too. He knows that this “diamond in the rough” boxer has what it takes to make it to the top, as long as he gets the training he needs to help improve his technique. To be sure of his assessment, Salita brought Davtaev to Detroit’s Kronk Gym for confirmation. Javan Sugar Hill Steward agrees.

Steward speaks: “Apti is a strong, coordinated, big heavyweight who will be ready to compete very soon with the other contenders in the division. I am very impressed with his ability to learn and to transfer what he's learned into sparring.”

Salita speaks: “We will bring Apti to our training base in the US, where he will get world-class training and continue his development as a fighter. I am proud to be working with him and his team.”

If Davtaev keeps up his strict training regiment under the guidance of Steward, he appears to stand a good chance to face some of the big names in the heavyweight division, which is precisely why he's training in the States.

Davtaev speaks: “My goals are to stay active and fight the better names in the division this year. I look forward to showing the boxing fans my skills and challenging the big names.”

His win against Wilson takes him one step closer to his goal. Davtaev’s record now stands at 14-0-1, 13 KOs. I am excited for what’s in store for Davtaev and the heavyweight division.

 Apti vs Wilson

Kronk's Alexey Zubov: A Rising Russian Star

Photography credit Terrell Groggins

From my Perspective

Alexey Zubov is tough. He’s a 17-1, 9 KOs cruiserweight hailing from Russia. The problem? He’s one of several coming out of the region. So how does one stand out from this crowd? Leaving your friends and family behind and migrating to the world famous Kronk Gym in Detroit, that’s how.

He’s been alone in the States for the past two years, training hard everyday with the great Sugar Hill Steward. He’s been a sponge, soaking up everything that Sugar Hill has to offer. Zubov is another fighter I have had the opportunity to document during his last two training camps. He works hard and he’s eager, which makes him a great student. The lessons have been paying off as evident with his two most recent fights, both victorious.

He was up against Robert Simms on November 17, 2017 at Flint’s Dort Federal Event Center. He fought steady for six rounds and continued his winning streak by split decision.

Interview with Alexey during training at Detroit's Kronk Boxing Gym

Dimitriy Salita of Salita Promotions speaks: “Alexey has come a long way since arriving in Detroit, his development on the Detroit Brawl series of shows has been remarkable. Javan has taken a rough outline of a world-class fighter and turned him into a solid contender with championship potential. His future in America is very bright.”

His continued development was clearly evident at his most recent bout with Lamont Capers on January 12th at New York’s Turning Stone Casino.

This was a tough fight that lasted six rounds. Capers started out aggressively, almost taking Zubov down in the first with a big right to the temple. But, like I said, Zubov is tough. He recovered from this blow and went to work. Zubov steadily worked Capers through each round. He suffered a cut over his right eye, but that didn’t slow him down. Zubov went on to victory with a unanimous decision, 58-56.

Zubov speaks: “I train in Detroit in Kronk Gym. I work with a great coach, Sugar Hill Steward. I feel that my sport career is going up and I feel progress as I train and work in Kronk Gym. I feel that I work hard and soon you will be watching me as a champion in my weight division.”

If Zubov stays on this trajectory, I think he’ll be a champion in his weight division too.

From Uzbekistan To Detroit Shohjahon Ergashev Wins on Showtime's Shobox

Photography Credit Terrell Groggins

From my Perspective

Sonny Fredrickson knew he was in for a long night, his eyes seemed to say as I photographed him during the ring walk. For me, this could be a biased view since I've been documenting Shohjahon "Sho" Ergashev during training camp. You know he's tough when one of his sparring partners is Domonique Dolton. This is what makes Kronk such a special place to train, you never know who will be in the gym on any given day. Sho came out hungry from the start of the bell and jumped all over Sonny. He was consistent with power punches and movement up until referee Benjy Esteves stopped the fight in the third round.

Shohjahon Ergashev vs Sonny Fredrickson

Shohjahon Ergashev vs Sonny Fredrickson

Shohjahon Ergashev vs Sonny Fredrickson

Shohjahon Ergashev vs Sonny Fredrickson

Shohjahon Ergashev vs Sonny Fredrickson

Shohjahon Ergashev vs Sonny Fredrickson

Shohjahon Ergashev vs Sonny Fredrickson

Shohjahon Ergashev vs Sonny Fredrickson

Shohjahon Ergashev vs Sonny Fredrickson

Shohjahon Ergashev vs Sonny Fredrickson

Shohjahon Ergashev vs Sonny Fredrickson

Shohjahon Ergashev vs Sonny Fredrickson

Shohjahon Ergashev vs Sonny Fredrickson

Shohjahon Ergashev vs Sonny Fredrickson

Shohjahon Ergashev vs Sonny Fredrickson

Shohjahon Ergashev vs Sonny Fredrickson

Shohjahon Ergashev vs Sonny Fredrickson

Shohjahon Ergashev vs Sonny Fredrickson

Shohjahon Ergashev vs Sonny Fredrickson

Shohjahon Ergashev vs Sonny Fredrickson

Shohjahon Ergashev vs Sonny Fredrickson

But who is Shohjahon Ergashev? He's an up and coming prospect fighter from Uzbekistan. He's been boxing since he was ten years old and just finished his second training camp in the United States.

Dmitriy Salita, of Salita promotions, brought Sho over and prompted him to work under the tutelage of the famous Kronk Boxing Gym in Detroit, specifically under Rick Phillips and Javan "Sugar" Hill Steward and Sho's been thriving there.

I personally document at Kronk Boxing Gym. The regimen is tough, but the fighters that come out of that camp are winners for a reason.

This rigorous and famous training was showcased on Showtime Shobox's Friday fight. Sho went at Fredrickson from the sound of the opening bell. Fredrickson has a five-inch reach and he doesn't always fight on the outside. Sho rushed him taking the reach advantage away but throwing consistent sharp punches throughout the match. Ergashev hit Fredrickson with a left in the third that hurt him and stayed consistent with power punches until Fredrickson stumbled on the ropes. Benjy Esteves stepped in to stop the bout after seeing that Fredrickson couldn't muster up the strength to protect himself.

Sho speaks: “The ref saved him. If he let him stay on his feet any longer I would have knocked him out. He couldn’t handle my power.

“At this stage of my career, I am in the best shape of my life and the best I have felt. This is my time right now, especially because I am training with Rick (Phillips) and (Javan) Sugar (Hill Steward). That’s what leads to all of my knockout power.

“I’m ready for whatever comes next. I’m ready for more fights in the U.S., and I want to keep getting more exposure to show off my skills. I’m ready to fight anybody in America.”

Sho training at Detroit's Kronk 

Directed by Terrell Groggins 

Salita Promotions 

Sho knows he's quickly headed for the international spotlight. He was on the Uzbek national team for six years, and his record now stands at 12-0 with 12 KOs after Friday's fight. He's a southpaw and a big hitter. He's comfortable with power punches but has been working on honing his other boxing skills to make himself a complete boxing package. With his training at Kronk Boxing Gym, it's working.

left hand lands flush on Fredrickson  

Claressa Shields Dominates in Her First Title Defense

Written by Terrell Groggins Photography credit Terrell Groggins

Shields' domination continued Friday night retaining her middleweight world titles. The 22-year-old two-time Olympian from Flint, Michigan decided to turn pro in hopes of being the greatest woman of all time.

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Tori Nelson, of Ashburn, Virginia, had a gameplan of fighting Shields along the ropes, but the young Olympian from Flint proved to be the more skilled athletic boxer. Shields defended herself well avoiding Tori's hooks by keeping her distance using her jab.

From my Perspective

Being ringside documenting the bout behind the camera, I thought Claressa threw every punch with power and accuracy. This was my first time watching Tori Nelson in person and she was a tough, skilled fighter. I know I'm not supposed to talk about age with women (forgive me grandma), but she held her own.

“I’m not happy because I didn’t win, but other than that I thought I executed pretty well,” said the 41-year-old Nelson. “I gave her a better fight than she was expecting.

“No disrespect to Claressa, she doesn’t have great power. She has great speed and she overwhelms you with a lot of punches. My movement threw her off like I knew it would but knowing she was the champion, I needed to just push a little bit more.”

Claressa Shields vs Tori Nelson

Claressa Shields vs Tori Nelson

Claressa Shields vs Tori Nelson

Claressa Shields vs Tori Nelson

Claressa Shields vs Tori Nelson

Claressa Shields vs Tori Nelson

Claressa Shields vs Tori Nelson

Claressa Shields vs Tori Nelson

Claressa Shields vs Tori Nelson

Claressa Shields vs Tori Nelson

Claressa Shields vs Tori Nelson

Claressa Shields

Claressa Shields vs Tori Nelson

Claressa Shields vs Tori Nelson

Claressa Shields vs Tori Nelson

Claressa Shields vs Tori Nelson

Claressa Shields vs Tori Nelson

Claressa Shields vs Tori Nelson

Claressa Shields vs Tori Nelson

Claressa Shields

Claressa Shields

Claressa Shields

Claressa Shields

Claressa Shields

Claressa Shields

The 2x Olympic Gold Medalist outboxed Nelson 225-81 with her total punches, 186-70 in powers punches, and connected at a 44 percent accuracy with her power shots compared to 20 percent for Nelson, according to CompuBox. Shields landed crisp sharp punches throughout the fight and moved great around the ring, but Nelson took everything.

Claressa Speaks "I landed every shot that I thought possible to land, she was tough, she wasn't a pushover. She put on a good fight."

What's next for Claressa Shields you ask? She's going to continue to dominate woman's boxing. She has goals of dropping down in weight to fight the other skilled woman boxers like Christina Hammer the undefeated Unified Women’s Middleweight World Champion.

Hammer was in attendance last Friday and she was interviewed by SHOWTIME analyst Steve Farhood.

Christina** Speaks** “It’s a great combination me and her on the same card,” Christina Hammer said. “I can’t wait to show the fans who Christina Hammer is. That will be the best fight ever. It will be the game-changer for female boxing. It’s our time to shine."

It's definitely womens time to shine in boxing.

Crisp Counter punch lands flush for Shields    

Nelson working her game plan.  

Shields fighting off the aggressive Nelson  

“Behind the scenes-Claressa Shields training for her first World Title Defense”

Jesse Angel Hernandez Eludes Ernesto By Split Decision. ShoBox The New Generation

Written by Terrell Groggins Photo credit Terrell Groggins

Jesse Angel Hernandes won a ten-round split decison over Saginaw, MI's Ernesto Garza in a tough Super Bantamweight fight.

Garza was awarded a knockdown at the end of round two. Hernandez fell to the ground after being hit with a left hand.

The judges scored the cards (95-93 Garza) (95-94 Hernandez) (97-93 Hernandez).

From my Perspective

I thought the fight was even, but I guess you can decide by which type, taste and style of boxing you prefer. Jesse was consistently landing power punches while Garza was putting out a high punch count. I felt the fight could have went either way. It was a great fight from both men.

The fighters speak: “I think it should have been a unanimous decision,” Hernandez said. “I’ve always been a slow starter and I feel like I lost the first two rounds, especially with the knockdown. But I won pretty much every round after that, I maybe lost three rounds.

“I’m not completely happy with my performance. I have to control my distance and my range a little bit better. I need to go back to the gym and work on those things. Before the summer comes I hope to have another fight and I hope it’s on SHOWTIME.

“I give Garza a lot of credit for getting in the ring and knocking me down. He hung in there for 10 rounds even after I caught him with some good shots. He was able to withstand those shots, but all that said, I still think it should have been a unanimous decision.”

“I thought it was a bogus decision,” Garza said. “I don’t understand that last judge’s card. I was happy with everything that I did. I executed well and did everything I needed to do to win the fight.

“I’m really disappointed with the outcome. I felt that I won. To me, I won a majority of the rounds and I knocked him down. I know knocking your opponent down usually leads to you winning the fight.”

Salita Promotions

Showtime Shobox