[kenyan_cheena]

STRIBLING SIZZLES IN PORTLAND

Monday 28 January 2002

With all the focus during the past 48 hours falling squarely on Jack Johnson, it might have been easy to forget that the Heavyweight Boxing Federation were staging a fight card tonight at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Oregon.

Featured in the main event on the card was the 7th seed in the HBF's World Championship tournament, the baby-faced 17 year-old from Macon, Georgia, Young Stribling.

From an early age, Stribling's parents had felt that he was destined for great sporting achievements. Boxing became the focus of this belief when the boy hit his early teens. And so it was that for the past five years, his father William and, in particular, his mother Lucilla, had been preparing their son for his meeting with destiny.

After the HBF's November announcement of the competitors in the tournament, Stribling, named the 7th seed, seemed to vanish. He avoided the media glare, returning with his parents to their picturesque Georgia hometown where the three of them set about readying Young for his HBF debut.

Stribling's new status as a potential superstar sportsman did not lead to the townspeople of Macon treating him any differently. Of course, they were proud of his achievement, but they did not go out of their way to praise him for it. For this, Young was grateful. He did not need the distraction of being a celebrity. He was determined and hungry to become the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's first World Champion.

Well, tonight, Young Stribling made his professional debut and judging by his dominating performance, his parents taught him well.

Stribling, 6'1" and 195 pounds, scored a decisive unanimous decision victory (60-55 on all three cards) against his 18 year-old Boston-born opponent Dan Flynn. With both his mother and father (aswell as his uncle) in his corner, the Macon native literally used Flynn as a punching bag, landing 175 punches to 62. Wearing white trunks with black trim, Stribling constantly made his opponent look foolish, using a startegy where he would feint with both the left and right, and then punish Flynn with a pin-point right hand. It was only in the fourth and fifth rounds that Flynn was able to offer up any resistance.

"We are so happy," Stribling beamed after the bout, flanked by his equally joyous mother and father. "We've worked so hard for this, for so long, and for it to start out this way ... it's beyond what we had dared to hope for."

ESPN's Bill Farris was fascinated by the "feinting" strategy that Stribling employed in the fight.

"That's something we've worked on for quite a while now," said William Stribling, laughing. "Lucilla's the one who developed it, and Young is the one who put it into action, so I can't take any credit."

Lucilla Stribling was shy, and hesitant to draw any attention. "I'm so proud of this young man," was all she said, looking at her son lovingly.

"Everyone has to understand," Young said. "This is not about Young Stribling, it's about the three of us. We are a team, a family. None of it is possible if we don't work as a team."

Certainly, the Striblings bring something unique to the HBF, something that is greatly missing from society at large today: a family, working and striving together to succeed. Young Stribling has obviously been raised by parents who have instilled in him commendable values. With this kind of support (and talent), there is no telling how far Young Stribling will go in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship tournament...