U.S. Boxing Coach Exhorts Bray to Utilize His Talent

On Friday night, heavyweight John Bray was knocked down by 23-year-old James Johnson and had to rally for the victory that gave him a berth on the U.S. boxing team in the Goodwill Games.

And on Saturday, Bray, 19, of Van Nuys, was pounded once again.

This time the attack was launched by a short man in his early 70s with a foul-smelling cigar clenched between his teeth.

The man is Pat Nappi, the United States’ amateur boxing coach since 1979 and a three-time U.S. Olympic coach. And, even though his assault was verbal, he might have been even tougher on Bray than had Johnson.

“John Bray has all the tools and all the potential,” said Nappi, who will coach the Goodwill Games squad. “But now he needs the desire. He needs to make the sacrifices. He needs motivation. He’s got an awful lot of talent, but now he needs to get his act together.”

Bray had not fought in five months before defeating Johnson at the Goodwill Games Boxoff at The Mirage Hotel. He sustained a broken nose in a loss in February to an Italian heavyweight and had since been limited to action in the gym.

The inactivity had obviously taken its toll as Bray, appearing lackluster at times, was pushed to the limit in taking the 5-0 decision over Johnson. He was knocked down in the second round--the second time in his 10-year career that he had been decked--when Johnson caught him flush on the chin with a right hand. But he came back to win the third round convincingly and take the decision.

“All things considered, I thought I did all right,” Bray said. “Five months off with the fractured nose hurt me. I felt nervous and jittery in the first round, but I know I won it.”

Bray began training a few months ago at the Ten Goose Boxing Club in Van Nuys and credited Joe Goossen with getting him into the best shape of his life.

But Nappi criticized one aspect of Bray’s new training regimen: sparring with professional fighters. Bray has in the past several weeks sparred with pro heavyweight Alex Garcia of San Fernando and others.

“I think they have put him in with the pro boxers much too soon,” Nappi said. “It’s a different game. The pros sit back and wait and relax and take some punches, but in the amateurs you can’t do any of that. You’ve only got three rounds and you’ve got to work hard and throw punches all the time.

“I think working with pros has hurt Bray.”

Bray will return to the Ten Goose gym on Monday to resume his workouts. He will train there until July 6 when Goodwill Games team memberswill begin training together at Ft. Huachuca, Ariz.