FORT WORTH – The adage has become a tad trite over the years, but though neither Mohammed Al Rashid nor Jergen Deraj were born here, they really did get here as soon as they could.
Al Rashid was born in the cradle of western civilization on the Tigris River in Baghdad, Iraq. Deraj’s native land is on the shores of the Adriatic in Albania.
Both escaped conflict, war and revolution, fleeing their homelands for the sweet land of liberty, of thee they sing.
And, as it turns out, a little boxing, a pursuit that reminds of the great immigrant boxers of yesteryear. Many immigrants in the first half of the 1900s often used the pugilist arts as an outlet from the troubles they encountered in their new American life.
That is not the story of either of these two, both Fort Worth region boxers, who found themselves in semifinals bouts on Friday at the Texas state Golden Gloves tournament at Will Rogers’ Watt Arena.
These two heavyweights are living American dreams. They box because they love it.
Al Rashid, 34, and his wife and two sons – there are three now, the last son born in the USA — were political refugees, coming to America in 2013. Deraj, 26, came with his parents, who were escaping corruption and revolution in Albania. He was about 6.
Al Rashid lived through Operation Desert Strom in 1991 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and the civil tumult that followed.
“It was bad. You couldn’t move, you can’t walk,” Al Rashid said of the aftermath of the American-led overthrow of Saddam Hussein. “At 4 p.m. [the curfew for a period of time] no one could walk in the street. You just went home.”
The war “was not good for anybody.”
Only one of the two advanced to championship bouts on Saturday night.
Deraj, who measures about 5-foot-7 and 195 pounds, overwhelmed Keaundre Watkins of Team East Texas in a unanimous decision. He will face Austin’s Den Tati-Mackaya in the heavyweight final.
In only his eighth fight, the inexperienced Al Rashid fell to Team East Texas boxer Habeed Saibu in a super heavyweight decision.
“They actually have great boxers in Iraq, but they don’t have the opportunity like they have here,” Al Rashid said. “There aren’t all these people or rings, they don’t have that.”
It stands to reason. The earliest portrayals of boxing were found by archaeologists on stone slabs from the third millennium in the ruins of a Sumerian shrine in today’s Iraq.
Albania struggled with corruption following 40 years of communist rule, which caved with the Soviets in the early 1990s, and the collapse of government pyramid schemes led to political instability and civil insurrection.
Deraj grew up mostly in Decatur, where he still lives, and in Albania as the family had to go back and forth while straightening out visa complications.
This state tournament is his third consecutive.
The places he could go from here. State champions from each of the respective divisions will advance to the national tournament on May 6-11 in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Deraj’s bid for a berth to the national tournament a year ago was derailed by facial hair. You can’t have facial hair in the Golden Gloves. If you bring your 5 o’clock shadow into the ring, you will be sent back out, your bout book signed “disqualified.” There was consolation, though. His opponent was disqualified for the same reason.
After he has satisfied his boxing curiosities – whenever that day may come — Deraj will likely put to use full time his degree in business management and construction engineering technology from North Texas.
With a family that requires three squares a day, Al Rashid can afford boxing only on a part-time basis. He earns a living as a mechanic on Fort Worth’s North Side.
The situation, as he described it, in Iraq forced him to flee for Jordan in 2007. The family lived there from 2007 to 2013. His middle son was born there.
The “situation” in his native country today is much better, he said. His sisters still live there.
“People have moved on,” Al Rashid said.
Friday’s results
108 pounds semifinals: John Atiles, Houston, defeated Alex Martinez, East Texas, decision. (Jesus Guzman, Fort Worth, bye to the finals.)
114 pounds semifinals: Sean Moncada, Houston, d. Jesus Guitron, San Antonio, dec.; Joe Martinez, Corpus Christi, d. Francisco Pantoja, Fort Worth, dec.
123 pounds semifinals: Sean Brewer, Austin, d. Alexandro Martinez, San Antonio, dec.; Angel Garcia, Rio Grande Valley, d. Christopher Martinez, Fort Worth, dec.
Women’s 141 pounds semifinals: Destiny Jones, Austin, d. Crystal Aceves, dec.; Ravven Brown, San Antonio, d. Annalicia Sustaita, Dallas, dec.
141 pounds semifinals: Joshua Jenkins, Dallas, d. Brandon DeSpain, Fort Worth, dec.; Marquese Steward, Austin, d. Sebastian Rodriguez, San Antonio, dec.
178 pounds semifinals: Jessie Elizando, San Antonio, d. Freddi Jordan, Fort Worth, dec.; Jaylon Stanley, Houston, d. Christopher Thornton, Dallas, dec.
201 pounds semifinals: Jergen Deraj, Fort Worth, d. Keaundre Watkins, East Texas, dec.; Den Tati-Mackaya, Austin, d. Ignacio Apolinar, Dallas, dec.
201-plus pounds semifinals: Devon Rangel, Houston, d. Anton Wallace, Dallas, dec.; Habeed Saibu, East Texas, d. Mohammed Al Rashid, Fort Worth, dec.
Saturday’s championship bouts
(7 p.m. Watt Arena)
Women 106 pounds: Alyson Calderon, Dallas, vs. Dajia Contreras, Corpus Christi.
108 pounds: Jesus Guzman, Fort Worth, vs. John Atiles, Houston.
114 pounds: Sean Moncada, Houston, vs. Joe Martinez, Corpus Christi.
Women 119 pounds: Alexis Moriez, Fort Worth, vs. Lellsic Pence, Corpus Christi.
123 pounds: Sean Brewer, Austin, vs. Angel Garcia, Rio Grande Valley.
Women 125 pounds: Destiny Jasso, Dallas, vs. Carmen Vargas, Houston.
Women 132 pounds: Nicole Ocasio, Fort Worth, vs. Nancy Garcia, Austin.
132 pounds: Jose Bernal, Corpus Christi, vs. Jordan Jenkins, Dallas.
141 pounds: Joshua Jenkins, Dallas, vs. Marquese Steward, Austin.
Women 141 pounds: Destiny Jones, Austin, vs. Ravven Brown, San Antonio.
152 pounds: Mauricio Quintanilla, Houston, vs. Joshua Moreno, San Antonio.
165 pounds: Eugene Hill, Houston, vs. Noah Jones, Dallas.
178 pounds: Jessie Elizando, San Antonio, vs. Jaylon Stanley, Houston.
201 pounds: Jergen Deraj, Fort Worth, vs. Den Tati-Mackaya, Austin.
201-plus pounds: Devon Rangel, Houston, vs. Habeed Saibu, East Texas.
