Noons Defeats Cannon

KJ Noons improves professional boxing record to 8-1 In a middleweight bout held at the Chumash Casino, KJ Noons gave a dominating performance, and powered through Anthony Cannon with a 60-54 unanimous decision victory on all three judges cards. KJ Noons improves his professional boxing record to (8-1, 5KOs).

OF FUTURE GOALS Pinckney sailor fighting his way to the top

By MC3 Tim Wightman Navy Compass Staff

Three out of five so far - and counting

Have determination. Avoid shortcuts. Dedicate yourself to doing something the right way. Have the will to want to be great. These tips can all help people achieve success in their lives.

Seaman Chris Chatman uses them to try to get to the top of the boxing world.

Proudly stationed aboard USS Pinckney (DDG 91), one of Chatman's goals is to be a member of the Navy boxing team like his father was. Chris says his father taught him a little, but he said he had no experience before he showed up at the City Gym in San Diego.

"I came to the gym and started taking the amateur classes. It wasn't enough for me. I didn't just want to learn how to box, I wanted to fight," Chris said.

The first thing Chris needed was a trainer. When he first met trainer Sergio Melenderez, he had a tough time getting his full attention.

"Sergio told me to go away. Every day I kept begging him, so eventually he started training me," Chris said. Soon after beginning his training with Melenderez, Chris got his boxing license. He is trying to get ranked in order to compete in national tournaments. He has fought in one regional tournament so far; the San Diego Golden Gloves. He won.

Chris is still at the amateur level of boxing and he is 8-0. The next step in his progression is to win California representation in the Golden Gloves. Since he won the San Diego representation, he next has to beat the Los Angeles representative and he'll be the Southern California representative. After that, he would fight the Northern California representative to be the Golden Glove representative for the state.

If Chris achieves all this, he will be able to fight for national representation and the right to go to the Olympic Trials competition, which is his main goal.

"That's my goal, to be a gold medalist. I guarantee I'm going to be the representative of California. I haven't lost yet, and I don't intend to," said Chris.

At 5'8, 178 lbs, Chris is a rock. Despite that, he doesn't lift weights or take supplements, which he believes is taking a shortcut.

"I run four or five miles a day. I do push-ups, sit-ups, jump rope, sparring; a lot of what I do is cardio, just staying in shape. My dad said you must master your own weight before you can master any external weight. I haven't lifted weights in over a year."

As far as his boxing style, Chris is hesitant to label himself as a certain type of fighter and points to his versatility as his greatest strength.

"People tell me that I'm really unorthodox, that I have my own style," Chris said. "I can brawl really well, but I can also sit there and just box. I'm versatile; I know when to brawl, and I know when to jab, when to come in, throw flurries, and I know when to move around a lot.

"My coach shows me so many different ways to box, but I mix them all up within one round to keep the person off. I like to mix it up and keep my opponents guessing."

Chris has gained plenty of experience sparing with the likes of pro boxer Karl "KJ" Koons, who is 7-1 with six knock-outs in the professional ranks, and Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Brandon "The Truth" Vera, who is 8-0 and next in line for the title.

"There are so many great fighters in this gym; and when I first came in, I didn't know anything and I got schooled," Chris said. "But if you want to get there, you have to be willing to travel the long road. I've gotten a lot of bumps and bruises perfecting my art.

"When I first came to this gym, I fought KJ. I sparred with him and he beat me bad, really bad. I didn't get deterred, I got determined. I came in and trained every day. I would consider myself his equal now.

"It was a little intimidating at first getting in the ring with these guys, but when you're in the ring with someone who's considered better than you, instead of trying to prove yourself to that person, stick to the basics," Chris said. "Concentrate on doing everything right because if you do everything right, you can't go wrong. It sounds simple but it's complex in its own simplicity."

Chris says he and Brandon, who is 6'3 225 lbs, go back and forth in the ring all the time.

"I like to spar with heavy weights; it makes it easier to beat up on people my own size," Chris said.

Chris talked about what he believes is the difference between a great boxer and an average boxer.

"What separates a great boxer from the average boxer is more than determination; it's the will to want to do it right. You can be determined and come in to this gym every day, but it doesn't matter if you're not focused on doing the smallest things right, because it's the smallest things that make the biggest mistakes."

Chris says the big things that are easily seen are easy to fix, but when a person sets out to critique and fix the smallest part of his game or his art, "it's like Zen; it's a feeling that you can't describe."

"Your coach can tell anyone that you did well, but when he looks you genuinely in the eye and says, 'you did a (darn) good job,' that's a feeling that makes you want to work even harder," Chris said. "A great boxer needs to want to be a perfectionist at it. That separates a great boxer from a 'come-in-and-hit-the-bag-everyday' guy. It's the will to want to be great."

Melenderez's eyes lit up when he started talking about Chris's potential.

"I'm going to tell you something; I've been coaching for many years, he is a coach's dream. I'm not exaggerating. Everybody wants to have a talent like this guy," Melenderez said.

"He's got a combination of everything, which is what every good boxer needs. He's got speed, strength, endurance and he's smart. I'm not saying he's never going to lose; everybody loses in the amateurs. But he's got a spirit that keeps him going. He'll be something. Without being biased, if he's matched up against a 165-178 lb champion, he'll beat him. I guarantee that. He's a coach's dream man. You don't get too many kids like that."

Chris acknowledges he can't do any of this without the support of his shipmates aboard USS Pinckney.

"A really big influence that I have is my chain of command and my captain, because they give me permission and they allow me to do it," Chris said.

"And my ship shows me so much love when I fight. They always congratulate me and call me the champ on board.

"My ship is like my second family. A lot of people say it, but our ship really is like a family. USS Pinckney DDG 91."

KJ Noons Returns to Action

City Boxing's KJ Noons returns to boxing action on Friday, June 1, 2007 at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, CA to fight on Gary Shaw Productions SHOBOX fight card.

Come out and show your support for KJ Noons on an exciting night that will feature some of boxing's hottest up-and-coming prospects.

Tickets are available at the box offic, and on the web at: http://www.chumashcasino.com/entertainment/index.cfm