If ever a young man was born to be a fighter, it is Zachary Wohlman, aka Kid Yamaka. At first glance, with his hands held high in a tight defence, while constantly circling his opponent, Wohlman could be any young fighter embarking on a career in professional boxing. The difference between Wohlman and other young pugilistic prospects lies in how he approaches the sport.
Many young fighters fight because they are naturally good athletes and boxing is one of many sports at which they excel. Still others take up boxing for the fame, glory and money that are available only to the sport’s most elite fighters. Zachary Wohlman needs to fight. He needs to fight like a drowning man needs to breathe. It is literally the essence of his being. If you looked at his DNA in a microscope, you would see the word “Everlast” imprinted upon it.
At 23 years of age, he already displays traits reminiscent of much older and more experienced fighters. He shows great focus training in the gym and displays tremendous concentration during his fights. With only two professional fights on his ledger, Wohlman is quickly becoming the talk of the town. This in itself is rather impressive, when you consider the town he lives in is Hollywood.
Wohlman knows that talk is cheap in Hollywood and that his accomplishments in the ring are the legacy he will leave behind once his career is over. Hollywood is a town where celebrities are so ubiquitous that most stars only make the news when they get in trouble or break the law. Well, Wohlman used to get in trouble and break the law when he was a young teen. Now, after spending time in a marine boot camp and juvenile detention, Wohlman has left his wild years long behind in search of a better life. Through hard work, grim determination and an unquenching desire to succeed at all costs, he has found that better life in boxing. Hell surely awaits any boxer who tries to take the better life away from him.
Wohlman is the answer to a future trivia question. He is the only amateur ever trained by recent Hall of Fame inductee Freddie Roach, the consensus best trainer in boxing today. Many young fighters starting out in the fight game often have trouble avoiding the pitfalls of the business side of the sport. This is something Wohlman will never have to worry about thanks to his best friend and confidante, Paulie Malignaggi, the former WBO/IBF junior-welterweight world champion.
Malignaggi advised Wohlman that he has many business options out there and did not necessarily have to sign with the first manager to approach him. He told his young friend to take his time and consider all of the many proposals that were coming his way.. Ultimately Wohlman signed with Malignaggi’s manager, Steven Bash. With his management situation resolved to his satisfaction, Wohlman now has one less thing that he has to worry about. All Wohlman wants to do is go to the gym everyday and train. If it were up to him, he would have no days off.
Kid Yamaka is an unusual nickname. It was jokingly suggested by Freddie Roach to compliment the fact that Wohlman is Jewish. Wohlman is a student of the game and knows full well that during the early part of the previous century, Jewish boxers were in abundance in boxing in every weight division. The list of great Jewish fighters is remarkable. Warriors such as Barney Ross, Bob Olin, Solly Seeman, Lew Tendler, Georgie Abrams and, of course, the immortal Benny Leonard, the Wizard of the Ghetto, are all familiar names to the young San Fernando Valley born and bred Kid Yamaka.
Back in the early 20th century, Jewish fighters starting out had no advantages at all. Most of them were self-taught, whereas Wohlman has the fistic genius of Freddie Roach, in his corner, providing him with an almost incalculable advantage. Roach works to smooth off the rough edges in Wohlman’s style in the gym, pruning away bad habits, turning a young and eager kid into a polished, professional welterweight contender. Roach’s influence is clearly evident as Wohlman’s overall skills begin to improve with each fight.
During fights, Roach sagely gives Wohlman advice and encouragement in between rounds. As kind and generous as Roach is, he is also a strict disciplinarian. Make no mistake about it. Roach does not ever suffer fools or people that waste his time. Any fighter that screws up via drugs, crime or running the streets is gone for good. Luckily for Wohlman, those days are long in his past.
In his first pro fight against Ricardo Malfavon, Wohlman displayed fast hands and a tight defense with his hands held high and close to his face while winning a 4 round unanimous decision. He also showed that he is religiously committed to pounding his foe’s body, in particular throwing his left hand to the liver numerous times and to great effect. Such body work always pays huge dividends over the long run during a fight. There are not many fighters in boxing that can consistently take the Mexican left hook to the liver and still be around at the end of a fight. Wohlman’s bodywork will benefit him further when he begins to engage in longer bouts of 8 to 10 rounds.
Something else Wohlman displayed in his debut pro match, much to his own surprise, was power. He dropped Malfavon with a check left hook, near the end of the fourth and final round, sending the 400 Wohlman fans in attendance into a loud frenzy. Wohlman counterpunched effectively throughout the 4 round match making Malfavon pay for every errant punch he threw.
Wohlman showed the savvy of an old pro by continuously circling the ring, forcing Malfavon to keep turning, never allowing him the chance to set his feet and sit down on his shots. Malfavon did manage to catch Wohlman with some stiff shots but those were few and far between and the Jewish warrior took them well.
The world famous Wild Card Gym is the center of Wohlman’s universe. He even he bought a place right near it, so that he can hang out there on his off days. A few other fighters hang out at the Wild Card gym too. One of them is Manny Pacquiao, the pound for pound finest fighter in the world. Wohlman has sparred with many of the world champions that train at the gym such as Amir Khan, Paulie Malignaggi and Alfredo Angulo, the Mexican knock out artist with crushing power in both hands.
Angulo is a junior middleweight, and is bigger, stronger and hits harder than Wohlman. However, Wohlman had no fear when sparring with the Mexican slugger, using his speed of hand and foot and vast array of boxing skills to keep Angulo at bay. Mind you, Wohlman admits that he was sore for a couple of days after because of the shots he absorbed from Angulo on his arms and flanks. It should be pointed out that Angulo is big, even for a junior-middleweight, while Wohlman is a small welterweight.. The kid still held his own and then some.
Wisely, Roach has kept the young, Jewish phenom from sparring with Manny Pacquiao, although Wohlman would not turn the opportunity down were it offered to him. Roach also came up with his young protégée’s nickname, “Kid Yamaka,” a phonetic spelling of “yarmulke,” the Jewish skullcap worn by observant Jews while praying in synagogue. There are few Jewish fighters fighting professionally these days. Yuri Foreman, Dmitry Salita and Israeli cruiserweight, Ran Nakash come to mind. Salita in fact called Wohlman to welcome him to the fraternity.
Roach’s roster of world champions is a long one and still growing. He is the most sought after trainer in boxing today. Wohlman hopes to be on that elite list of world champions trained by Roach one day. For Roach to take interest in such a young fighter, is a huge statement of the confidence and belief that he has in Wohlman. By his own account, Wohlman is about 3 years away from a world welterweight title shot. Wohlman is also very patient and happy to learn the tools of his trade however long it takes him. He is well aware that it takes time, hard work, toughness and discipline to become a world champion. He is willing to do whatever it takes to reach that ultimate pinnacle.
Wohlman’s favorite fighter is Sugar Ray Robinson, widely regarded as the pound for pound, greatest fighter of all time. Wohlman liked Robinson’s hit and not be hit style, which is the nature of the sport. He also admired the way Robinson used the whole ring to his advantage, using his ring smarts and boxing skills to out think and outpoint his many rivals. There is a certain symmetric irony in the fact that Wohlman idolizes the man generally considered to be the greatest fighter ever while also working at the same gym as today’s pound for pound king, and Robinson’s only real rival as the greatest fighter of all time, Manny Pacquiao. Probably the most appealing thing about Sugar Ray Robinson for Wohlman is that the Sugar man took care of business inside the ring and then took care of his own businesses outside the ring. Ray Robinson was a self-made man. It is indeed difficult to think of a better fighter to idolize than Sugar Ray Robinson.
Any fighter who gets in the ring with Wohlman expecting to encounter a nice Jewish boy will be sadly mistaken and extremely sorry at the end of the night. Wohlman has boxing skills to spare, dazzling his opponents with both foot and hand speed. He throws sizzling fast combination, preferring to use his ring smarts to outfox and outpoint his opponents.
Years ago, while watching Marvelous Marvin Hagler- butcher Mustafa Hamsho to a bloody pulp, a broadcaster remarked to Sugar Ray Leonard that Hamsho had guts. “Ray calmly responded, “Yes, but guts gets you killed. Smart wins you fights.” Wohlman has taken those words to heart. Why stand in ring center and needlessly trade with an opponent? The idea of the sport is to hit and not get hit and that is not lost on Wohlman. His strength is his boxing skill set, and it makes more sense to play to his own strengths rather than those of his opponent.
Wohlman credits the sport of boxing for resurrecting him personally and professionally. He is probably right. Boxing permanently instilled some much-needed discipline in Wohlman when he was a teenager. Boxing has also given him two things equally as important as self-discipline, namely, hope and a future. A young man without hope or a future is nothing more than a ticking time bomb waiting to go off and hurt someone, usually himself. Without boxing, Wohlman would either be in prison or dead.
Zachary Wohlman’s early life is so incredible that it reads more like science fiction than biography. Perhaps the most frightening thing about Wohlman’s early trials and tribulations is that they are all true. They all happened! Wohlman’s story began in some of the roughest areas of the San Fernando Valley. Wohlman was left to fend for himself at a young age, after emerging from a broken home. Wohlman usually could be found wandering the crime and drug infested streets of Woodland Hills on his own, looking for food, lodging and trouble. He rarely found all three on the same night.
All you have to do is read the local papers of most big American cities to know that the majority of children who begin life like Wohlman simply do not survive. They either die young in the streets, or end up pursuing a life of crime. The fact that Kid Yamaka survived his early teenage ordeals and is now thriving and succeeding at a high level in the toughest of all sports, is nothing short of a miracle. The fact that he has never given up on his lifelong dream of being a pro boxer, regardless of how bad that early life was, is a testament to the current and future greatness of this young man.
Many young fighters fight because they are naturally good athletes and boxing is one of many sports at which they excel. Still others take up boxing for the fame, glory and money that are available only to the sport’s most elite fighters. Zachary Wohlman needs to fight. He needs to fight like a drowning man needs to breathe. It is literally the essence of his being. If you looked at his DNA in a microscope, you would see the word “Everlast” imprinted upon it.
At 23 years of age, he already displays traits reminiscent of much older and more experienced fighters. He shows great focus training in the gym and displays tremendous concentration during his fights. With only two professional fights on his ledger, Wohlman is quickly becoming the talk of the town. This in itself is rather impressive, when you consider the town he lives in is Hollywood.
Wohlman knows that talk is cheap in Hollywood and that his accomplishments in the ring are the legacy he will leave behind once his career is over. Hollywood is a town where celebrities are so ubiquitous that most stars only make the news when they get in trouble or break the law. Well, Wohlman used to get in trouble and break the law when he was a young teen. Now, after spending time in a marine boot camp and juvenile detention, Wohlman has left his wild years long behind in search of a better life. Through hard work, grim determination and an unquenching desire to succeed at all costs, he has found that better life in boxing. Hell surely awaits any boxer who tries to take the better life away from him.
Wohlman is the answer to a future trivia question. He is the only amateur ever trained by recent Hall of Fame inductee Freddie Roach, the consensus best trainer in boxing today. Many young fighters starting out in the fight game often have trouble avoiding the pitfalls of the business side of the sport. This is something Wohlman will never have to worry about thanks to his best friend and confidante, Paulie Malignaggi, the former WBO/IBF junior-welterweight world champion.
Malignaggi advised Wohlman that he has many business options out there and did not necessarily have to sign with the first manager to approach him. He told his young friend to take his time and consider all of the many proposals that were coming his way.. Ultimately Wohlman signed with Malignaggi’s manager, Steven Bash. With his management situation resolved to his satisfaction, Wohlman now has one less thing that he has to worry about. All Wohlman wants to do is go to the gym everyday and train. If it were up to him, he would have no days off.
Kid Yamaka is an unusual nickname. It was jokingly suggested by Freddie Roach to compliment the fact that Wohlman is Jewish. Wohlman is a student of the game and knows full well that during the early part of the previous century, Jewish boxers were in abundance in boxing in every weight division. The list of great Jewish fighters is remarkable. Warriors such as Barney Ross, Bob Olin, Solly Seeman, Lew Tendler, Georgie Abrams and, of course, the immortal Benny Leonard, the Wizard of the Ghetto, are all familiar names to the young San Fernando Valley born and bred Kid Yamaka.
Back in the early 20th century, Jewish fighters starting out had no advantages at all. Most of them were self-taught, whereas Wohlman has the fistic genius of Freddie Roach, in his corner, providing him with an almost incalculable advantage. Roach works to smooth off the rough edges in Wohlman’s style in the gym, pruning away bad habits, turning a young and eager kid into a polished, professional welterweight contender. Roach’s influence is clearly evident as Wohlman’s overall skills begin to improve with each fight.
During fights, Roach sagely gives Wohlman advice and encouragement in between rounds. As kind and generous as Roach is, he is also a strict disciplinarian. Make no mistake about it. Roach does not ever suffer fools or people that waste his time. Any fighter that screws up via drugs, crime or running the streets is gone for good. Luckily for Wohlman, those days are long in his past.
In his first pro fight against Ricardo Malfavon, Wohlman displayed fast hands and a tight defense with his hands held high and close to his face while winning a 4 round unanimous decision. He also showed that he is religiously committed to pounding his foe’s body, in particular throwing his left hand to the liver numerous times and to great effect. Such body work always pays huge dividends over the long run during a fight. There are not many fighters in boxing that can consistently take the Mexican left hook to the liver and still be around at the end of a fight. Wohlman’s bodywork will benefit him further when he begins to engage in longer bouts of 8 to 10 rounds.
Something else Wohlman displayed in his debut pro match, much to his own surprise, was power. He dropped Malfavon with a check left hook, near the end of the fourth and final round, sending the 400 Wohlman fans in attendance into a loud frenzy. Wohlman counterpunched effectively throughout the 4 round match making Malfavon pay for every errant punch he threw.
Wohlman showed the savvy of an old pro by continuously circling the ring, forcing Malfavon to keep turning, never allowing him the chance to set his feet and sit down on his shots. Malfavon did manage to catch Wohlman with some stiff shots but those were few and far between and the Jewish warrior took them well.
The world famous Wild Card Gym is the center of Wohlman’s universe. He even he bought a place right near it, so that he can hang out there on his off days. A few other fighters hang out at the Wild Card gym too. One of them is Manny Pacquiao, the pound for pound finest fighter in the world. Wohlman has sparred with many of the world champions that train at the gym such as Amir Khan, Paulie Malignaggi and Alfredo Angulo, the Mexican knock out artist with crushing power in both hands.
Angulo is a junior middleweight, and is bigger, stronger and hits harder than Wohlman. However, Wohlman had no fear when sparring with the Mexican slugger, using his speed of hand and foot and vast array of boxing skills to keep Angulo at bay. Mind you, Wohlman admits that he was sore for a couple of days after because of the shots he absorbed from Angulo on his arms and flanks. It should be pointed out that Angulo is big, even for a junior-middleweight, while Wohlman is a small welterweight.. The kid still held his own and then some.
Wisely, Roach has kept the young, Jewish phenom from sparring with Manny Pacquiao, although Wohlman would not turn the opportunity down were it offered to him. Roach also came up with his young protégée’s nickname, “Kid Yamaka,” a phonetic spelling of “yarmulke,” the Jewish skullcap worn by observant Jews while praying in synagogue. There are few Jewish fighters fighting professionally these days. Yuri Foreman, Dmitry Salita and Israeli cruiserweight, Ran Nakash come to mind. Salita in fact called Wohlman to welcome him to the fraternity.
Roach’s roster of world champions is a long one and still growing. He is the most sought after trainer in boxing today. Wohlman hopes to be on that elite list of world champions trained by Roach one day. For Roach to take interest in such a young fighter, is a huge statement of the confidence and belief that he has in Wohlman. By his own account, Wohlman is about 3 years away from a world welterweight title shot. Wohlman is also very patient and happy to learn the tools of his trade however long it takes him. He is well aware that it takes time, hard work, toughness and discipline to become a world champion. He is willing to do whatever it takes to reach that ultimate pinnacle.
Wohlman’s favorite fighter is Sugar Ray Robinson, widely regarded as the pound for pound, greatest fighter of all time. Wohlman liked Robinson’s hit and not be hit style, which is the nature of the sport. He also admired the way Robinson used the whole ring to his advantage, using his ring smarts and boxing skills to out think and outpoint his many rivals. There is a certain symmetric irony in the fact that Wohlman idolizes the man generally considered to be the greatest fighter ever while also working at the same gym as today’s pound for pound king, and Robinson’s only real rival as the greatest fighter of all time, Manny Pacquiao. Probably the most appealing thing about Sugar Ray Robinson for Wohlman is that the Sugar man took care of business inside the ring and then took care of his own businesses outside the ring. Ray Robinson was a self-made man. It is indeed difficult to think of a better fighter to idolize than Sugar Ray Robinson.
Any fighter who gets in the ring with Wohlman expecting to encounter a nice Jewish boy will be sadly mistaken and extremely sorry at the end of the night. Wohlman has boxing skills to spare, dazzling his opponents with both foot and hand speed. He throws sizzling fast combination, preferring to use his ring smarts to outfox and outpoint his opponents.
Years ago, while watching Marvelous Marvin Hagler- butcher Mustafa Hamsho to a bloody pulp, a broadcaster remarked to Sugar Ray Leonard that Hamsho had guts. “Ray calmly responded, “Yes, but guts gets you killed. Smart wins you fights.” Wohlman has taken those words to heart. Why stand in ring center and needlessly trade with an opponent? The idea of the sport is to hit and not get hit and that is not lost on Wohlman. His strength is his boxing skill set, and it makes more sense to play to his own strengths rather than those of his opponent.
Wohlman credits the sport of boxing for resurrecting him personally and professionally. He is probably right. Boxing permanently instilled some much-needed discipline in Wohlman when he was a teenager. Boxing has also given him two things equally as important as self-discipline, namely, hope and a future. A young man without hope or a future is nothing more than a ticking time bomb waiting to go off and hurt someone, usually himself. Without boxing, Wohlman would either be in prison or dead.
Zachary Wohlman’s early life is so incredible that it reads more like science fiction than biography. Perhaps the most frightening thing about Wohlman’s early trials and tribulations is that they are all true. They all happened! Wohlman’s story began in some of the roughest areas of the San Fernando Valley. Wohlman was left to fend for himself at a young age, after emerging from a broken home. Wohlman usually could be found wandering the crime and drug infested streets of Woodland Hills on his own, looking for food, lodging and trouble. He rarely found all three on the same night.
All you have to do is read the local papers of most big American cities to know that the majority of children who begin life like Wohlman simply do not survive. They either die young in the streets, or end up pursuing a life of crime. The fact that Kid Yamaka survived his early teenage ordeals and is now thriving and succeeding at a high level in the toughest of all sports, is nothing short of a miracle. The fact that he has never given up on his lifelong dream of being a pro boxer, regardless of how bad that early life was, is a testament to the current and future greatness of this young man.
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