BOXING: ROUND “2” FOR GOODMAN, WILLIAMS TONIGHT

Heavyweights Van Goodman (4-7-2, 4 KO’s) of Minneapolis, MN and Danyelle Williams (2-1, 1 KO) of Owatonna will meet again tonight at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN. Williams won a four round majority decision over Goodman two years ago and says he will do the same in the rematch. Goodman has other plans however after dropping over 25 pounds during a solid training camp. Williams has been traveling nearly 4 hours for sparring sessions with Al Sands up in Duluth, MN. Both fighters are prepared for victory.

Goodman (4-7-2, 4 KO’s) was born and raised in South Minneapolis and played hockey in Junior High. He also wrestled and did jiu jitsu but says boxing has always been his number one sport of choice.

“When I was young,  I used to watch Mike Tyson and Julio Ceasar Chavez with my grandfather. He was a Golden Glover himself. The first time I walked into the Peacemaker Center (Minneapolis), I was amazed at everything I saw. The sounds, the smells, so I joined the All Nations Boxing Team coached by Curtis and Jerry Buckanaga. I later moved on and met Papa Joe Daszkiewicz where I fought 4 Upper Midwest super heavyweight championships, bowing out to Joey Abell, Nate Ott twice, and another fighter from Rochester.”

“One of my most memorable fights in the amateurs was against Shabba Bahati from Norfolk, Nebraska. It was during the Usa Boxing 4 state tournament. I was fading in the 4th round and down on the score cards. I sucked it up and exploded off the ropes and knocked Bahati out cold, face first through the ropes!”

Goodman has had ups and downs in the pros, stating that it’s a different animal than amateur boxing. The highest profile fight of his pro career came in 2013 when he met former Minnesota Viking Ray Edwards. Local and national media swarmed the fight before and after. Yet it was a draw against 29 fight veteran Jorge Valdez that Goodman points to as the biggest fight of his pro boxing career. A fight that many ringsiders had him winning. Goodman will try to take a page out of the performance against Valdez 10 years ago when he attempts to even the score with Williams.

“My career has gone up and down much as the way my personal life has been and its shown in my career. My favorite fight was against Jorge Valdez because he was (22-5-2) and I was only (2-1-1) but it was a true test of all of my skills”

“I would like a rematch with williams because he didnt fight the real me. I was unprepared and gave him the gift of over looking him and hes gonna get all of me this time. Ive been boxing over 20 yrs i just turned 38yrs old its time to give it a hard last go around before i hang em up for good and find another career to start until then im going to train and fight my ass off and take it fight by fight.”

Danyelle Williams (2-1, 1 KO) grew up in the small town of Tallassee, Alabama but came from a big family. He had no shortage of sparring partners growing up being the 14th of 15 kids and says there were lots of fights and wrestling matches going on around the house. After college football didn’t go the way he had envisioned, Williams, of Owatonna, got involved in MMA. He went on to become the #1 professional light heavyweight in the state of Minnesota from 2014 to 2016.

“I’ve had a great training camp for this fight. Owatonna to Duluth is a haul but the guyup there make every bit of it worth it. I’m very selective as to who and where I train. Since day one, I have felt completely at home with Coach Mike McKean, Al Sands and John D’Auria. I strongly feel that I have been training and getting in good work with a team of future world champions.”

“I think because it was my boxing debut and vans experience that I was the underdog though I always believed in myself and knew that I just had to fight smart and stick and move. I knew I was going to come out victorious from the moment the contract was signed.  Fight fans can expect another great performance with a D-Day victory.”