Youth boxing: Silver Gloves Nationals next up for young Joliet boxer Joseph Awinongya

JOLIET – Joseph “Jo Jo” Awinongya is only 9 years old, yet he has a chance to be an Olympic boxer some day.

If that’s what he wants.

Awinongya, a fourth-grader at Farragut Elementary School, will represent Joliet and Illinois in the Silver Gloves National Tournament Feb. 2-4 in Independence, Missouri, outside Kansas City. His father, also Joseph Awinongya, a former professional fighter from Ghana, is his son’s trainer and confidant. They train at Chicago Sports & Fitness Club in Joliet.

What is striking during a conversation with father and son is how well grounded Jo Jo is, how he takes the adulation he receives in stride and how he has priorities in order.

“He started wrestling when he was 2,” Joseph said. “When he was 4, he said, ‘Daddy, I want to box.’ I told him, ‘You don’t want to do that, it’s hard.’ But he wanted it, and he’s doing very well up to now.”

In Joseph’s opinion – and he reminds over and over that he has been in boxing all his life – the big mistake many fathers and trainers make is having youths fight too frequently.

Jo Jo has had 13 bouts. That’s plenty to this point.

“People see this kid fight, and they don’t believe he is a 9-year-old who has had 13 fights in his life,” Joseph said. “When we go to the big tournaments, everyone just runs to Joseph.”

Why is that? Jo Jo shrugged and responded, “It just happens.”

Jo Jo competed in the Junior Olympics Nationals at Dallas last summer. He lost to a fighter Joseph learned was 11 years old, 24 months older than his son.

“He asked me, ‘Daddy, why am I fighting a kid who is 11?,’ ” Joseph said. “I called the Junior Olympics and asked them about it, and they did not have an answer.

“He did real well there. He lost to a kid who was more physically developed and had 50 fights to his nine, but Jo Jo definitely was the smarter boxer.”

The secret, Joseph said, is in the training.

“The big thing is training to do the right things, not only for the skills in the ring, but the skills that will make him successful in life,” he said.

Jo Jo is a straight-A student and there is nothing more important in his life than school.

“We have a points things in class,” he said. “I always was first, but a friend of mine is ahead of me now. I haven’t been getting that many points because I sit far away from the computer.”

Don’t be surprised if he finds a way to rectify that.

“I boxed all my life, but you can’t fight all your life,” said Joseph, who was signed to a professional contract by Don King and compiled a 12-9-5 record with three knockouts as a cruiserweight known as “The African Assassin.”

“I would choose education over boxing if I had it to do over,” Joseph continued. “Education did not mean anything to me when I was young. I don’t want to do that to Joseph or to any of the other kids I train here. I want them all to know education comes first.”

Jo Jo said it is important to win as many fights as possible at the Silver Gloves Nationals, a trip Joseph said is helped make possible by sponsors such as Hawk Chevrolet Cadillac of Joliet, Aschinberg Pediatrics and Good Shepherd Heating & Coolings, among others.

His dad said he has a chance to do very well, perhaps win his division. What Jo Joe feels in his heart is he will do his best.

“I’m a little anxious, but I’m not nervous about going,” he said.

He has his training to fall back on.

“He can come in here and run two hours straight if he want to,” Joseph said. “He is that dedicated. He likes challenges, too. The kids here will be jumping rope, and he will want to make it a competition.”

Dad and son have created a video about their relationship.

“We’re doing a video about a father-son relationship and boxing,” Joseph said. “We put it together after the Junior Olympics. Jo Jo spoke through the whole video.

“We plan to put it in all the libraries in the state. It’s a good story. I think a boy’s relationship with his father is important.”

Boxing matters, and there is so much more.