Boxing on streets of Detroit neighborhood is more than fighting
Ryan Garza, Detroit Free Press
·3 min read
The sight of two people battling it out in a makeshift 10-by-10 boxing ring on a nearly empty street in Detroit’s Delray neighborhood may seem violent to some, but to Dwayne Taylor, the punches thrown are a way of possibly saving someone’s life.
People take part in a boxing match during a Pick Your Poison Detroit event in Detroit's Delray neighborhood on Sunday, July 18, 2021.
“It's better ways to solve issues than to always result to the guns,” said Taylor, the co-founder of Detroit’s Pick Your Poison, a group dedicated to encouraging people to pick up boxing gloves instead of guns to resolve conflicts.
Taylor, along with his cousin Angel Torres, created these boxing events to curb the gun violence in Detroit that has affected their family multiple times.
Dwayne Taylor, center, of Lincoln Park, holds his head down with family and friends while attending a vigil Friday, June 4, 2021, for his cousin William Chavois, who was shot and killed outside of Society Detroit, a club on the city's east side. "It makes me want to go harder. A lot of people can't just fight and get their ass whooped. They're quick to pull a gun and take somebody's life. They don't even think twice before they do it," said Taylor, who runs his Pick Your Poison Detroit boxing events as an alternative for people to avoid gun violence.
“Growing up I lost a family member or friend literally on every corner,” Taylor said. “It’s just flowers and candles on each corner. All through Southwest is like a walking memorial.”
Dwayne Taylor, right, of Lincoln Park, lands a punch on Justin Thomas, of Lincoln Park, as a crowd surrounds a makeshift ring in the street during a Pick Your Poison Detroit event in Detroit's Delray neighborhood on Sunday, June 19, 2021.
Dwayne Taylor, center, of Lincoln Park, gets food off the grill while waiting for the next match to start during a Pick Your Poison Detroit event in Detroit's Delray neighborhood on Sunday, July 18, 2021. "I'm trying to get the community out together. I'm not trying to charge anybody anything. Free food, free everything," said Taylor.
Beginning in October 2020, the boxing event grew from simply a match in the street to a more formal ring and a wrestling mat to cushion the boxers if they fall. And as the fighting evolved, so did the community event aspects including cookouts with musical performances, a bounce house for neighborhood kids and local artists selling their work.
“I'm trying to get the community out together. I'm not trying to charge anybody anything. Free food, free everything,” Taylor said.
The fights changed, too — first it was just street fighting, which then morphed to include a mixture of mixed martial arts, boxing and street fighters of all levels.
Chesse da Chosen One, of Lincoln Park, walks back towards the ring after taking a break in front of an abandoned home after defeating Ruben Gonzalez of Lincoln Park during a title fight on a hot summer day on Sunday, June 6, 2021 during a Pick Your Poison Detroit event in Detroit's Delray neighborhood.
Jose Barba, left, of Detroit, and Ryan Rays, of Westland, exchange punches while fighting during a Pick Your Poison Detroit event in Detroit's Delray neighborhood on Sunday, June 19, 2021. "It's not about win or lose it's all about respect. Don't expect to win. Go for it," said Barba. "That's how you win come out and get your ass kicked."
Dwayne Taylor ,center, of Lincoln Park, watches as a punch is thrown while he referees a Pick Your Poison Detroit event in Detroit's Delray neighborhood on Sunday, August 8, 2021.
Ryan Rays, left, of Westland, launches himself at Jose Barba, of Detroit, while fighting during a Pick Your Poison Detroit event in Detroit's Delray neighborhood on Sunday, June 19, 2021.
Austin Lajiness, left, of Detroit, and Jarid Jackson, right, of Wayne, settle their long-time beef with each other during a bare-knuckle fight at a Pick Your Poison Detroit event in Detroit's Delray neighborhood on Sunday, June 19, 2021. After the tense fight, the two finally shook hands and watched the rest of the matches without any issues.
Ronald London, of Battle Creek, is held back by Dwayne Taylor, of Lincoln Park, after London knocked his opponent down as a crowd of fighters and spectators surround a makeshift ring to watch a boxing match during a Pick Your Poison Detroit event in Detroit's Delray neighborhood on Sunday, August 8, 2021.
(Left to right) Michael Futrell, aka D-Mike of Lincoln Park, talks with fighters Chesse da Chosen One, of Ecorse, Ruben Gonzalez, of Lincoln Park, and Sabastian Orozco, of Lincoln Park, that he trains with D-Mike and his Southwest Guns Down Boxing League as they rest after competing during a collaboration with a Pick Your Poison Detroit event in Detroit's Delray neighborhood on Sunday, June 6, 2021.
“There's a lot of guys who come out from gyms. It's also good work for them,” explained Taylor, a newly minted professional boxer with a 2-0 record that includes two knockouts. He works hard to make sure he matches up fighters at similar skill levels, so no one has an advantage over another fighter.
Dwayne Taylor, of Lincoln Park, does a timed drill while training for his professional boxing debut in his garage as his daughter Ari Taylor watches from her walker on Tuesday, June 15, 2021. "I'm not just doing it for myself. I'm doing it for my whole family - for my kids now," Taylor said. He wants to give them a different life with more options. "I'd like to break the cycle. The first one to change something. My family's been struggling for a long time. It's bigger than me now."
Dwayne Taylor, right, celebrates his first professional boxing win as his opponent Jesse Jay Smith rests on his knees following a second-round technical knockout or TKO at the Night of Knockouts event at the Sound Board at Motor City Casino in Detroit on Friday, September 10, 2021. "I can't explain it. It's almost like an out-of-body experience. I knew I had a lot of people but I didn't expect it to be like that. It's a great start. I could ask for it to go a better way," Taylor said.
“No one is doing it with any type of ill intentions. They're there to box; win, lose or draw,” he said. “Everybody has a smile on their face. Everybody hugs it up and dabs it out after whether they just got beat up or not.”
“It's more than fighting,” said Keith Bullock, of Detroit, one of the boxers who has had family members killed around the neighborhood. “It's friends getting together and having a good time.”
By early September, the event had grown organically in size and prominence but hadn’t been sanctioned by the city. Taylor chose to shut it down, but he has dreams of bringing it back in a bigger more organized fashion.
“My dream is to have a youth community center out in southwest Detroit where I can teach kids boxing lessons and they can come play basketball, swim, self-defense,” he said.
Dwayne Taylor, of Lincoln Park, puts on boxing gloves as his daughter Niyah Taylor looks to challenge him while waiting for people to show up for the start of a Pick Your Poison Detroit boxing event run by Taylor in Detroit's Delray neighborhood on Sunday, May 16, 2021.
“There’s not really anything for the kids to do but be in the streets. If they’re out on the streets, I might as well bring them to me and teach them the right way to do stuff and show them that no matter what there's always a way.”
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