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Prospect Watch: Zachary "Kid
Yamaka" Wohlman Pro Journey Starts Tonight
By Simon Ruvalcaba
History teaches many lessons, much like in life how a parent
raises their child with thoughts of the child avoiding the
wrong turns made in life on the parent's own journey.
Lessons come much similar in a boxing gym where the gym
becomes home for the dreams of hope and glory for many
fighters. When a young Thomas Hearns walked into Emanuel
Steward's Kronk gym in Detroit, Steward threw Hearns in to
spar an experienced boxer that broke his nose. The will of
Hearns who didn't mind straightening his nose and fighting
on impressed Steward enough to pay close attention to his
young talent. When Zachary Wohlman walked into Freddie
Roach's Wild Card gym in Hollywood, Roach wanted to teach
the young fighter a similar painful lesson. Throwing him in
constantly to spar experienced fighters like a then up and
coming unbeaten Craig McKewen. It was the fact that Wohlman
kept coming back and kept training hard that impressed Roach
enough that he kept a potential future ace in his gym.
Wohlman had the honor to box as an amateur representing
Roach's famed pro gym. The lack of respect for the gym in
the amateur circuit, however, kept the young welterweight
from big opportunities in the southern California Region.
Nonetheless, he went on to win the Los Angeles golden gloves
in 2010, and after 22 amateur bouts it was clear to trainers
Roach and Eric Brown that Zachary's style was better fitted
for the pros.
The pro journey for the Jewish warrior known as "Kid Yamaka"
starts Thursday night at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles
against 8 bout veteran Ricardo Malfavon. Being around such a
famed gym and working with so many champions has Wohlman a
little bitter about not having the nerves and butterflies he
may have expected heading into fight week of his debut, "I
get anxious, I get excited when I think about it. I guess
because I train with allot of good fighters and have a great
team....I'm ready, I feel calm." For Zachary's career to be
moving in the right direction he trusts in the guidance of
the fighters that he trains with, a big influence has been
Paulie Malignaggi. "I talked with different managers,
Paulie's career has been through the ringer and he told me
he knew a few guys that he trusted and that he wasn't
telling me what to do, just suggesting some people." So in
came Wohlman's management team of Steve Bash and Anthony
Catanzaro. About the mentorship that fighters like
Malignaggi have given to him, it is a gesture that he hopes
he can one day pass on. "I hope I can do that someday to a
young a fighter, steer them in the right direction and help
them out like Paulie has done with me."
A historian of the fight game, Wohlman's favorite fighter is
Sugar Ray Leonard and having first learned to box in a
Marine camp program in Texas, the once troubled youth has a
throwback attitude about what he wants to do in the ring.
"To me, the jab is my best weapon. I use my legs, use my jab
to set things up, keep my hands up, I'm not gonna be flashy
or cocky, just professional, I want to be something positive
for the sport." Wohlman handles himself well in interviews
and has a poster star posture to go with the humble
attitude. Perhaps the tough lessons learned in his life is
what has matured him far beyond the maturity level of most
23 year olds? Only time will tell if he turns out to be a
significant attraction in the boxing world, but thanks to
his boxing father figures, he is aware of the danger curves
on the road he is about to travel. Thursday night, on the
familar turf of Los Angeles where he was born and bred, the
engine gets started and Wohlman's pro boxing journey will be
off and running.
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