James Pomerantz

And so I called Keith Wisniewski that night. He goes, yeah, come on in tomorrow night. You know, we practice at whatever, 6 p.m. And so I show up there and, you know, it's like the most vivid memory pulling into this parking lot of this shithole shopping mall at the very end in the worst part of town, all the way at the very end.

And all the window, the big glass windows and the windows are totally steamed over as you can't see anything. But all you can hear is music and you can hear people just thudding in there. Dumb, dumb, dumb. And here I am like this. I pull in my little piece of shit car and I'm just sitting here like this. I'm going, oh, my God, am I really going to do this? Right.

And all the window, the big glass windows and the windows are totally steamed over as you can't see anything. But all you can hear is music and you can hear people just thudding in there. Dumb, dumb, dumb. And here I am like this. I pull in my little piece of shit car and I'm just sitting here like this. I'm going, oh, my God, am I really going to do this? Right.

And all the window, the big glass windows and the windows are totally steamed over as you can't see anything. But all you can hear is music and you can hear people just thudding in there. Dumb, dumb, dumb. And here I am like this. I pull in my little piece of shit car and I'm just sitting here like this. I'm going, oh, my God, am I really going to do this? Right.

This feels like the most daunting thing that you could possibly imagine doing at this time for me. And then the door opens and this behemoth of a man comes out. He's got a tattoo of a cross, just gigantic, bald headed guy. And he walks past my car and he looks right at me. And he's got his shirt off. And he looks right at me. And I just look at him like this.

This feels like the most daunting thing that you could possibly imagine doing at this time for me. And then the door opens and this behemoth of a man comes out. He's got a tattoo of a cross, just gigantic, bald headed guy. And he walks past my car and he looks right at me. And he's got his shirt off. And he looks right at me. And I just look at him like this.

This feels like the most daunting thing that you could possibly imagine doing at this time for me. And then the door opens and this behemoth of a man comes out. He's got a tattoo of a cross, just gigantic, bald headed guy. And he walks past my car and he looks right at me. And he's got his shirt off. And he looks right at me. And I just look at him like this.

I go, we both stare each other right in the eyes. And he just gives me this most subtle little nod like that. And I'm like, oh, yeah, man. I'm doing this, man. I'm doing this. So I walk in there. And they had just, you know, the team guys, they have all finished, right? These guys are part of the Doolin Valley Tudor team. They're done. I walk in. Keith and Justin, they go, hey, who are you?

I go, we both stare each other right in the eyes. And he just gives me this most subtle little nod like that. And I'm like, oh, yeah, man. I'm doing this, man. I'm doing this. So I walk in there. And they had just, you know, the team guys, they have all finished, right? These guys are part of the Doolin Valley Tudor team. They're done. I walk in. Keith and Justin, they go, hey, who are you?

I go, we both stare each other right in the eyes. And he just gives me this most subtle little nod like that. And I'm like, oh, yeah, man. I'm doing this, man. I'm doing this. So I walk in there. And they had just, you know, the team guys, they have all finished, right? These guys are part of the Doolin Valley Tudor team. They're done. I walk in. Keith and Justin, they go, hey, who are you?

I say, I'm Tom. I talked to you earlier. They said, OK, come here. They go, did you bring shorts? I'm like, yeah, I brought some shorts. And they go, OK, put them on. And then they just proceeded to smash me for an hour and a half, just grind me into the mat, into the corner, down, everything they had, everything I had. It actually probably wasn't nothing for them.

I say, I'm Tom. I talked to you earlier. They said, OK, come here. They go, did you bring shorts? I'm like, yeah, I brought some shorts. And they go, OK, put them on. And then they just proceeded to smash me for an hour and a half, just grind me into the mat, into the corner, down, everything they had, everything I had. It actually probably wasn't nothing for them.

I say, I'm Tom. I talked to you earlier. They said, OK, come here. They go, did you bring shorts? I'm like, yeah, I brought some shorts. And they go, OK, put them on. And then they just proceeded to smash me for an hour and a half, just grind me into the mat, into the corner, down, everything they had, everything I had. It actually probably wasn't nothing for them.

And I stood up at the end after all this time. There's guys in the gym watching and laughing and pointing. He goes, all right, I'll see you tomorrow. Fuck yeah. I go, fuck yeah, man. And I was in. And that was it. I was hooked. And then from that point on, it was about a year, I'd say, before I set up my first fight. Did you like the fights? Did you enjoy it?

And I stood up at the end after all this time. There's guys in the gym watching and laughing and pointing. He goes, all right, I'll see you tomorrow. Fuck yeah. I go, fuck yeah, man. And I was in. And that was it. I was hooked. And then from that point on, it was about a year, I'd say, before I set up my first fight. Did you like the fights? Did you enjoy it?

And I stood up at the end after all this time. There's guys in the gym watching and laughing and pointing. He goes, all right, I'll see you tomorrow. Fuck yeah. I go, fuck yeah, man. And I was in. And that was it. I was hooked. And then from that point on, it was about a year, I'd say, before I set up my first fight. Did you like the fights? Did you enjoy it?

The fighting was the best thing I think I'd ever done. Even if I look back on everything, like the experience from my first fight and the post fight and that sensation was, it was just, there's almost nothing has matched that.

The fighting was the best thing I think I'd ever done. Even if I look back on everything, like the experience from my first fight and the post fight and that sensation was, it was just, there's almost nothing has matched that.

The fighting was the best thing I think I'd ever done. Even if I look back on everything, like the experience from my first fight and the post fight and that sensation was, it was just, there's almost nothing has matched that.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. When do you stop doing that? You know, at what point do you eventually say, no, actually I can't do that, but you have to at some point.