INTRODUCING WORLD CLASS CUTMAN—DARREN ANTOLA

Posted on | December 24, 2009 | No Comments

DARREN ANTOLA: Professional boxing cutman to world champions
DOB: 3-4-72

When a boxer wins a world championship, he gets most of the glory. Maybe some credit goes to a trainer, manager or promoter but some nights most important to him is his cutman.

Being a cutman to world class fighters isn’t a trade that is easily mastered but one young man from New Jersey fell in love with boxing and wanted to be involved in the sport at any level.

Enter Darren Antola.

Antola began to box at the Times Square Gym where he met Jimmy Archer who was the brother of Middleweight contender Joey Archer.

Unfortunately, Antola was in a car accident which cut short any type of in-ring career.

Antola had the fire to stay around boxing and would hang around boxing gyms and just talk boxing with the likes of Lou Duva and legendary cutman Ace Marotta.

Also at the gym was world renowned trainer Tommy Brooks, who just happened to be the son-in-law to Duva.

Also in the gym was another cutman named Jimmy Colotto. Colotto learned his trade from Chicky Ferrera and Charlie Goldman.

Colotto took Antola under his wing and young Darren began to learn everything there was to know about being a competent cutman.

Antola continued to observe and learn in the gym until he was ready to work his first corner.

Although a little nervous, Antola remembered a very important bit of advice he received from Archer and that is “Don’t Panic and just do your job”

Antola’s first experience with a cut happened in an exhibition bout in Ohio where Antola was working with Archer. The fighter for which Archer was working with suffered a cut just ten seconds into the round, when sitting in the corner, Archer told Antola “Darren, be ready to take care of that cut”

Much to his surprise the nerves were gone and Antola went to work on the fighter’s cut. The cut was not a problem for the remaineder of the fight and Antola had his calling.

Months later, Brooks came to Antola and told him that it was time to leave the exhibition circuit and join him and Duva in the paid ranks. Antola wanted to seek approval from his mentor, and Archer gave him his blessing to become a professional cutman.

From that point on, Antola begun working with Brooks and Duva first at the Red Brick Gym in Newark, New Jersey then later at a gym that Brooks and Duva opened up in West Paterson, New Jersey.

Antola has built up a great reputation for himself as he has been in the corner for Yuri Foreman’s WBA Super Welterweight title winning effort this past November 14th in Las Vegas. Not bad for a kid from New Jersey.

Antola also has manned the corner of other world champions such as former WBO Jr. Welterweight champion Kendall Holt as well as former Heavyweight champion of the world Riddick Bowe and former Jr. Welterweight champion Vivian Harris as well as former two-time cruiserweight title challenger Bobby Gunn.

Antola also is the chief cutman for some of New Jersey’s finest prospects such as Jorge Diaz, Jeremy Bryan, Victor Valenzuela, Pawel Wolak as well as Maryland’s undefeated Light Heavyweight, Mark “TNT” Tucker .