Interview by Pattee Mak – November 14, 2012
Super Middleweight Reinaldo “The Bazooka” Graceski (2-0-0) of Springfield, Massachusetts in the 413 will be fighting on the undercard of Peter Manfredo, Jr. who will be coming out of retirement on November 29, 2012. The event is entitled “The Pride is Back”. Ray’s opponent is yet to be determined.
I had the pleasure to sit down with Ray and chat about boxing and everything in between.
Pattee Mak: Has there been any talk about who an opponent will be for you on the 29th?
Graceski: CES is in the process of finding the right opponent for me for the 29th. Whoever that will be I’ll be ready for them.
Pattee Mak: What weight are you looking to fight at?
Graceski: This fight is at 175. But that won’t be my weight class. I’m actually going up in weight. It’s hard to find a super middleweight opponent.
Pattee Mak: How is your training coming along and are you training between Beast Elite Gym in Springfield, Mass and Manfredo’s Gym in Rhode Island?
Graceski: Yes I am training in both. So far training is really good and I’m learning. I’ve been training with my brother and it’s been the same thing for a while. Peter is not just training me, he’s teaching me everyday. I’m in the learning process.
Pattee Mak: What is a typical week of training like for you?
Graceski: Sparring, hitting the bags, mitt work. I am also traveling between both gyms and I’m training 6-7 days a week. Peter offers me the best situation and traveling is well worth the hour and a half traveling down there.
Pattee Mak: Your pro debut was on 5-22-2010 against Paul Gonsalves. Then just shy of two years you fought on 5-5-2012 against Borngod Washington. You won both by UD. Why the 2 year hiatus in between?
Graceski: Right after the first fight my mom had cancer and that really took a lot out of me. I had to decide to continue what I was doing. Finally late in 2011 she was cancer free. Actually my brother said to me, “Time is running out. Now everything is pretty good. Give it one more try”.
Pattee Mak: I’m sorry your mom had to go thru what she went through but I’m sure she was thankful you were there for her.
Pattee Mak: So I heard you’ve been signed with Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment Sports CES recently. Congrats off to you. Can you tell me anything about the signing of the contract? How many years or fights?
Graceski: Three year contract with CES. They are actually giving me an opportunity to do what I do best.
Pattee Mak: You are also signed with you manager Robert Hersey. I know previously you were looking to be signed with someone. How is this working out?
Graceski: I can’t complain not even a second. Since day one everything that he’s been saying, he means what he has said. Everything he’s offered me, I am thankful. My manger Bob and I are a team. I remember when my sewing machine broke down the nite before the fights. I had to finish an order of trunks and robes. I called Bob and his mom came over and Bob got me a sewing machine.
Pattee Mak: Your brother Luis also has some great boxing skills. Anyone else in your family box?
Graceski: No just him.
Pattee Mak: Seek and Destroy. It’s your very own boxing clothing line consisting of trucks and robes. Tell me how you got started in this.
Graceski: Well my mom since I was a little kid, about 11 years old, she’s been making my boxing trunks. By the time I was 18 she said “She ain’t gonna do it no more”. I said “Not fair” but she said, “She’d teach me how to do it” and I said, “Ok”. Now the name Seek and Destroy that’s a different story. Back in 2007, I was with my friend Jeff and we were traveling and we were listening to country music and the song on the radio was called Seek and Destroy. And he gave me the idea of making it the name of the brand. At first I didn’t like it but now it’s a known brand with the boxers.
Pattee Mak: Ok name some names. Who in the boxing community has worn your signature brand of Seek and Destroy?
Graceski: Miguel Cotto, Carlos Quintana, Thomas Dulorme, Toka Khan, Edwin Rodriguez, Chip Perez, Edison Miranda and Ivan Calderon just to name a few.
Pattee Mak: Tell me about your amateur career and titles?
Graceski: Well I had over 60 fights. I won the Gold Medal in the international competition at the Center American Games in Columbia and I won the silver in the Pan American Games in Brazil. I won the Western Mass Golden Gloves four times and the New England Golden Gloves twice.
Pattee Mak: Whom eventually would you like to fight?
Graceski: Whoever got the belt in the future. My dream is to be a world champion. I would take any title but my dream title would be the WBC.
Pattee Mak: The Bazooka?!?! Where did this ring name come from?
Graceski: From Wilfredo Gomez, the legend. Wilfredo “Bazooka” Gomez. From my left hook to the body. My body shots.
Pattee Mak: Your manager, Robert Hersey is putting together a bus trip from the 350 Grill in Springfield to your fight in Rhode Island. Tell me about the bus trip, what it includes and whom should they contact.
Graceski: The bus trip includes entry into the fights, a pre-fight buffet, an after hour party in Springfield and I believe he has additional things planned. Tickets are $40.00 each. Anyone interested can contact Bob directly at the Gym. The number is 413-896-6053.
Pattee Mak: Currently, there is a lot of talk about a casino coming into the Springfield, Mass area. How excited are you? I can see it now. One day you’ll be fighting in the ring at the casino.
Graceski: I’m excited because I want to be known as the sports franchise in Western Massachusetts. I want to put a smile on everyone’s face. I have a lot of local support from local businesses.
Pattee Mak: What local businesses are supporting your boxing career?
Graceski: Adolfo’s Restaurant, Mardi Gras Entertainment Complex and my good friend Kenny Mitchell who owns Adore Nightclub and Team Rehab. All businesses are located in Springfield along with local business entrepreneur James Fiore.
Thank you for taking the time to speak to me. Should you have any questions, concerns or suggestions, please feel free to comment below or locate me on facebook or twitter @PatteeMak.
Other bouts on the card will feature: Super middleweights Alex Amparo (5-0, 3 KOs) vs. Joe Gardner (9-5-1, 1 KO); middleweights Thomas Falowo (8-1, 6 KOs) vs. Julio Garcia (5-3, 3 KOs). Female bantamweight Shelito Vincent (5-0) vs. Savannah Hill (7-12-0); Light heavyweight Kevin Cobbs (6-0, 2 KOs) vs. tbd and welterweight Jon Smith (1-0) vs. tbd. All bouts and fighters subject to change.
As in September, I once again ran out of gas in the 10th & 11th championship rounds of October & November with this column, but I recovered to complete them and will unleash a few more flurries to close out the 12th and final round.
In the first week of October, Hassan N’Dam won a UD over Curtis Stevens in an eliminator for the right to challenge Jermaine Taylor who defeated aging Sam Soliman to regain the IBF Middleweight title. How Taylor even earned this title shot is another story altogether, but it is all irrelevant as he is now the champion. However he will not have too much time to savor his victory as he has assault and battery charges pending against him and an upcoming court fight that may turn out to be the toughest fight of his life, just when things started to look up for him in boxing, we wish him luck.
