Local man, Air Force vet set to begin pro boxing career

Posted 9/10/14

Zachary James “Zack” Christy is an American hero.

Have doubts?

During his distinguished nine-year career in the U.S. Air Force, the Cranston native, who now lives in Warwick, and 2002 Toll …

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Local man, Air Force vet set to begin pro boxing career

Posted

Zachary James “Zack” Christy is an American hero.

Have doubts?

During his distinguished nine-year career in the U.S. Air Force, the Cranston native, who now lives in Warwick, and 2002 Toll Gate High School graduate wore a myriad of disguises while being deployed nine times to the world’s worst and most dangerous wartime areas.

Christy, who enlisted in the Air Force in 2004 and served in the Special Services and paratrooper units, infiltrated locations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and North Africa.

Needless to say, Christy won’t have any fears Friday night when he steps into the boxing ring at Twin River Casino in Lincoln to make his professional boxing debut.

Moreover, if the scheduled four-round Super Middleweight bout against Saul Almedia is anything like Christy’s coming out party at Miller’s Crossing in Cranston, famed promoter Jimmy Burchfield just may have signed an up-and-coming champion-caliber competitor.

Christy, in fact, may just be Rhode Island’s most interesting pro boxing story. The 5-foot, 6½-inch, 168-pounder is 30 years old.

“I’ve never, ever had a boxer like Zack,” Burchfield, who once owned and operated the Classic Restaurant in North Providence, told an attentive audience before signing Christy to a pro contract last week. “I’ve never had a guy come to me and say, ‘All I want is a chance.’”

That statement, along with Christy’s previous boxing experiences and wins, as well as his extraordinary service to the country, was all it took for Burchfield to say, “I want Zack to become my next champion boxer.”

And Burchfield, who is well respected in a sport that has often been tarnished by “bad apples,” has produced world champions and title contenders during his illustrious tenure as one of the nation’s top boxing promoters.

“Christy,” he emphasized, “is vastly different. After all, I’ve never had a boxer who was less than 25 yards from where a rocket – that almost blew up his vehicle – landed. He was more intent on saving anyone who might have survived the blast with little regard for his safety.”

Thus, it’s full steam ahead for Rhode Island’s newest pro boxer, who is obviously looking forward to Friday’s “Title for Title” night that Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment Sports is producing at Twin River Casino.

The feature Friday is a rematch between Rich Gingras (14-4-1), who holds the New England Light Heavyweight title, and Joey McCreedy (15-7-2), the UBF Northeast Light Heavyweight champion.

Friday’s schedule includes a total of six undercard bouts, including the Christy-Almedia bout.

It’s the first-ever pro fight for Christy, who has been boxing since he was 15 years old and always dreamed of becoming a professional boxer.

“He’s really focused,” Burchfield confirmed of his newest acquisition. “We’re looking for Zack to go a long, long way in boxing.”

The same holds true for his father Dave Christy, a decorated Air Force veteran, who said, “I’m very excited about Zack’s first pro fight. This has been a long time coming. Here’s a young man that had nine top secret deployments with different disguises who will finally get that chance to have his dream come true.”

When asked how his wife Debra, Zack’s mom, feels about the pro boxing debut, Dave replied, “She’s tentative and nervous but very excited.”

Friday’s fight will also be a memorial event of sorts for Zack Christy. He first trained under the late and legendary Tiny Ricci, who years ago told the upstart after he finished second in the prestigious New England Golden Gloves, “You need to go pro!”

And that’s what Christy, who has been working out at Balletto’s Gym in Silver Lake and who holds amateur boxing championships in South Dakota, will do Friday, with Ian Birmingham, one of the world’s top five boxing trainers, in his corner.

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