Alabama Cop Coming To NY For Gleason’s Masters Tourney

The countdown is on to the annual Gleason’s International Masters Tournament, which runs in Brooklyn June 13-16.

One entrant will be jetting to NY from Alabama, and is looking forward to taking part in his first tourney. This will be, by the way, the fourth annual Masters event.

I chatted with 47 year old Kelvin King..

.. a police officer in Birmingham, Alabama taking part in his first age 40 and over session put together by Gleason’s boss Bruce Silverglade.

“This is my first masters tournament and I got into boxing because I used to watch Tuesday Night Fights on TV and it looked interesting,” King told me. “I started boxing in Birmingham, Alabama and had my first sanctioned fight, which was the 1993 Alabama Golden Gloves,  novice division, which I won. So I fought again in the 1995 Alabama Golden Gloves and again in 2000, but have not fought since then.”

I was curious how King, a single gent who lives in Birmingham, found out about the tourney. 

“I found out about the tourney because I’ve always been interested in Gleason’s from the early 1990s, so I would mess around on the internet by looking up Gleasons.” 

And what is he hoping to get out of the event? “What I will get out of this tournament is more confidence as to how to deal with the adversity in a big city like New York because it is overwhelming, plus maintain my skill level. Being a police officer can be overwhelming and yes, there is a lot of stress and it’s like I’m trying to solve everybody else’s problems and don’t have time to solve my own!  Plus, combat sports can help you handle yourself on the streets.  I used boxing once in 21 years as a police officer and came out on top and that’s why I want to be in this tourney to keep my skills sharp, whether I win or lose. Plus,  I love the sport. And it keeps your health and weight in check and helps with self discipline, which you can translate into other things.”

(Check out this story, which tells you about a neurologist who supports boxing.)

I appreciate Officer King sharing his time and insights with me. Click here to learn more about the Masters Tournament.