A FIGHTER IS BORN – Mykquan “Mad Mike” Williams

By Pattee Mak – November 19, 2011

Mykquan “Mad Mike” Williams better known to me as Mikey of East Hartford, Connecticut is only 13 years old and he has a fantastic boxing future ahead of him.   He started boxing at the young age of 8.  His most recent achievement was during an amateur bout at Nomads Adventure Quest in South Windsor, Connecticut.  He fought Victor DeJesus out of Martinez Boxing, 3 rounds, 2 minutes in the JO-I 119 weight class. Williams was victorious by decision.   Previously, he won two amateur titles and fought in the Silver Gloves in Kansas City, Missouri to defend his title at a Ringside Tournament.   He also fought in Toledo, Ohio for the Pals.  During the tournament he was scheduled to fight in the 119 weight class but had no opponent, so he ended up fighting in the 125 pound weight class and lost by decision.

Each and every time I have seen Williams he is a respectable individual with an abundance of class.  In my presence he’s not a crazy adolescent that is bouncing off the walls or has a filthy tongue that needs some soap to wash out the uncleanliness and with him being only 13, well what can I say, he impressed me in and out of the ring.

Williams’s trains at the Manchester Ring of Champion’s Society in Manchester, Connecticut under the careful, watchful eye of long time boxing trainer Paul Cichon.  Cichon’s claim to fame is professional boxer Matt Remillard (23-1-0).  Cichon started with Remillard at Manchester PAL back about 12 years ago as an amateur that later turned pro and hopes to do the same with Williams.

As in boxing and in life you win some and you loose some. It’s about trials and errors along with picking yourself up after you have fallen down.  When Williams was just a week old his father past away from a bullet wound. He grew up never to have known his biological father.  Mikey was never given the chance to make his father proud of him or to have him present at his first bout.  This was the first tragedy in his life.  The second was about 3 years ago when his house caught fire and he lost everything including his dog named “Blue”.   I’m sure each and every one of us has had a life-altering story to tell.  Unfortunately I pray it’s not like Williams.  Because of the mishaps, Cichon became a father figure to Williams.

I had the opportunity to speak with Williams and his trainer Cichon about Cichon’s up and coming prospect.

Pattee Mak: Good Morning!!!

Pattee Mak: You have had a very difficult childhood but throughout your lifetime struggles you have come out on top with boxing.  How did you get into the sport of boxing?

Mikey Williams:  My Aunt, Addy [Irizarry]. I went to go see her fight once at the Convention Center and she hooked me up with Paul and I told her I wanted to join boxing.

Pattee Mak:  What is it like training with Paul Cichon?

Mikey Williams: It‘s good.  I like it.  He’s a very good trainer.  He’s done a lot for me.  He’s like a father figure to me and I don’t think I would go to a different trainer.  I want to stick with him throughout my career.

Pattee Mak:  Paul tell me a little bit about Mikey as an individual. He’s a teenager and we know teenagers are either playing video games, texting their friends, getting into trouble, being lazy, some with no adult supervision etc etc.

Paul Cichon:   Hi Pattee, first off thank you for taking the time to talk to us.  As far as Mikey goes, he plays his video games and texts his friends but when it’s time to train he trains and is very focused.  Mikey is a very energetic kid, lazy doesn’t even come close to describe him.  As far as supervision goes, his mom Wanda stays on him about various things.

Pattee Mak: What can you tell me about Mikey as a fighter?

Paul Cichon: Mikey as a fighter.  He is extremely focused on the fight game and even though it is too early to say he’ll go pro, but it’s something he talks about and asks about a lot.

Pattee Mak:  Paul what is a typical week of training like for Mikey?

Paul Cichon:  A typical workweek for Mikey starts at 5:00 pm on Monday.  He’ll do about 4 rounds of mitt work, 3-4 rounds of jump rope, the same with the heavy bag and speed bag.  3 times a week we’ll do strength training, as well running 2.5 or 4.5 miles each day.  Putting all that together with sparring he stays very busy and he loves every bit of it.  It seems the harder I push him, the more he loves it.

Pattee Mak: Along with Williams, a majority of your boxers in your gym are at the amateur level. Do you find it difficult to train Williams and the others being that they are at such a young age? After all, some of them their hormones are flying off the charts.  Do they need extra motivation?

Paul Cichon: Most kids are all over there place but when Mikey’s there, they try to imitate him.  I feel it makes them bring their game up having him there.

Pattee Mak: What is your amateur record?

Mikey Williams:          17 and 4.

Pattee Mak: Who was your most difficult opponent thus far?

Mikey Williams:  Ohh… Actually that’s a tough question. I had a lot of fights. I lost 4 of them.  Most of my wins were difficult.  During ringside this past year that was a difficult fight.  I forget the kid’s name. He won the 1^st round and I had to pick it up for the 2^nd and 3^rd round and I won the fight.

Pattee Mak:  Tell me about the belts you’ve won?

Mikey Williams:  Both of them were from the ringside tournament. The first year I fought was 2010.  I fought 95 pounds this past year.  I fought at 114 and I fought open class and each time I went to the tournament I fought 3 times for the Ringside World Tournament Belts.

Pattee Mak: What was it like to go to the Ringside Tournament? (You can locate more information concerning the 2011 tournament by clicking http://www.ringside.com))

Mikey Williams:  It was a good experience. I got to see a lot of different styles of fighters and different people from all over.  It was a lot of people that go to the tournament.   It was real fun.   I made a lot of different friends. One from Cleveland, Ohio, Brandon Vega.

Pattee Mak: Would you eventually like to turn pro and about what age would you like to do accomplish this?

Mikey Williams: Yes at 18 years old.  So right out of high school.

Pattee Mak: Mikey if you were pro right at this very moment and you could fight anyone in the world whom would it be and why?

Mikey Williams: I think when I turn pro I believe I’ll be a welterweight.  But if I could fight anyone I would want to fight Pacquiao. He’s the best pound for pound fighter right now.

Pattee Mak: Where do you see Mikey in the future world of boxing?

Paul Cichon: I see Mikey on top of the game in the future, as long as he stays focused.

Pattee Mak: Mad Mike or Mr. Hollywood??

Mikey Williams: Mr. Hollywood is a nickname I put on facebook because of Paul. He actually came up with that nickname cause of the pic I take so Paul called me that once and I thought of that so I change it to Mr. Hollywood.   Only in boxing they call me Mad Mike when I’m fighting.

Pattee Mak: Whom do you look up to in the sport of boxing?

Mikey Williams: I used to look up to Matt Remillard because he used to train with me and stuff.  I watch fights and I watch what they do so I can imitate them.

Pattee Mak: Have you ever experienced any bullies in or out school who didn’t realize that you were a boxer and they tried to intimate you?

Mikey Williams:         No. I’m pretty well known in my school. A lot of people mostly know that I box.  I have a lot of friends basically.

Pattee Mak: Lets go back a couple of years ago when your house burnt to the ground and you lost everything. Anything you’d like to say about it?

Mikey Williams: A lot of people helped me and supported me throughout that time.  I use that experience to motivate me more and push me.

Pattee Mak:  What does your mom think about you fighting?

Mikey Williams: Oh she doesn’t like me getting hit.  She just wants the best for me so she tells me whatever I enjoy doing to do it.

Pattee Mak: Mikey what would you like to say to the parents out there who will not allow their kids to box because they feel it’s too dangerous.

Mikey Williams: I think its just like kinda dumb because you don’t really know the talent the kid has in boxing and I think the parents should at least give their kid a chance and support anything that their kid does.

Pattee Mak: I really liked that answer.

Pattee Mak: Is their anyone along the way you’d like to thank.

Mikey Williams: Well I like to thank Paul, my Aunt Addy, everybody that supports me, Dr. Bradley Daar of Manchester Family Dental, you for doing this.

Paul Cichon:  Again, thank you for taking the time to talk to us.

Thank you so much both of you for taking the time to speak to me.  I see a future champ in the making Mikey “Mad Mike” Williams.   To follow Williams boxing career you can inbox him on facebook under Mykquan MrHollywood Williams or on twitter Mikey17161513.  To contact Paul on training or future interviews of Williams or any of his other fighters you can also contact him on facebook under “Paul Cichon”.

More information about the tournament can be found at http://www.ringside.com))

For questions, comments or suggestions please feel free to comment below or reach me on facebook under Pattee Mak.



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