Still Throwin' Punches at Age 87 A native of the Bronx and the grandson of Jewish immigrants, Eddie Egan has boxed since the 1930s. Egan made his debut in 1932 and was elected to the Boxing Hall of Fame in 2007. Egan won a decision against former middleweight champion Joey Giardello in 1939. Egan fought at a time when the prize money was small and the fights usually lasted only a minute. “It's all in your reflexes," Egan said of his success. "I'm old enough to take advantage of that. I've had lots of practice in being a good counterpuncher.” At the same time Egan was fighting, he was attending dental school, which he never put aside. During his time as an amateur he had won national championships in the lightweight division. But at his pro debut, he took on former featherweight champ Johnny Dundee, and dropped his second fight to featherweight champ Johnny Saxton. He never lived up to his boxing potential, but did win one of his division's all-time championships. In 1948, Egan went 9-1 and won the lightweight title. “The lightweight champ had to beat five or six fighters in one night to win a tournament. In those days, you were expected to go to a title fight and fight a lot of fights,” said Egan. Today's fighters need only three rounds to win a title, and Egan believes their workouts don't allow for sufficient ring time. “They've got the long camps that are mandatory, with the strength training and conditioning that is mandatory,” Egan said. “They can't do the fights.” For the last decade, Egan has trained kids in boxing in his gym in his neighborhood in the Bronx. “We've taught hundreds and hundreds of kids how to box. There's a lot of kids here in the Bronx and they need a place to come and train, so that's why I keep coming back here,” said Egan. Another lesson he learned as an amateur was how to stay sharp in the ring. “Every time I hit the water, I get in the ring and fight a guy,” Egan said. “That way I can stay sharp.” Egan has a great sense of humor, which he uses on his own fighters. “I tell them, 'Hit me, don't let me hit you,'" said Egan. “We tell them, don't let the other guy hit you. It's almost like the game is not fair. You have to beat the game.” Egan also coaches fighters in the off-season at Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn. “This is the place for my fighters when they come off the street,” said Egan, who hopes that they will give him a run for the title some day. Egan's fighters often get to train with him. His training partners know that they are lucky, that the champ has a knack for bringing out the best in fighters. “I see Eddie Egan do a guy and he'll do it at two or three different times in the same night,” says boxing coach Robert Givens. “I've never seen a coach do that. I've seen a lot of different coaches do that to a fighter.” Egan is still fighting when he hits 89, as he proved on April 19. “You never lose your spirit,” Egan said. “People are dying to know how old you are and you say you don't have a clue how old you are, but you know how old you are.” After all these years of fighting, Egan will still take any old fights because he likes to help the next guy. “It's hard for these young fighters to find work, and that's why I can't retire,” said Egan. “I'll do it as long as I can.” For more information about the Bronx Parks Department's Adult Boxing Gym for Kids, visit the Parks Department's website. For more information about other boxing facilities in the New York area, visit the New York State Athletic Commission. This story was reported through a collaboration between C.L. Brown's City & State New York and the City of New York. Topics: Comments Newsflash: people like Egan are the reason so many talented people move from NYC. They leave because of these "sports idols" and they leave behind people who have nothing but respect for those that make it big in sports and don't act like a ****ing idiot.