Shawn Miller nearing pro status; Shannon back in the ring

Let's take a quick break from high school sports to talk about the local boxing scene. Troy natives Shannon and Shawn Miller took a few minutes on Monday afternoon to let us know about the St. Patrick's Day Showdown happening this Friday night at the Washington Avenue Armory.

Shawn, a physical education teacher at Catholic Central High School, was a star high school athlete at Troy High not too long ago, also playing football at Hudson Valley Community College and pitching on the baseball team for West Virginia University. He's managed to become a fantastic boxer in the meantime, carrying on the family tradition of his father Bob, who owned the Uncle Sam Boxing Club in Troy and his mother Lorraine, who was Mike Tyson's first promoter.

His older brother Shannon will be taking to the ring on Friday night for the first time in 16 months after bouncing pair from a pair of career-threatening injuries. Look for the full story on Shannon in Wednesday's edition of The Record.

For more information on Friday's card, visit www.pugnaciouspromotions.com
Here is an excerpt of a conversation with Shawn, who is aiming to turn pro this summer.

Shawn Miller talks with a Record reporter in December. His amateur fight at Catholic Central High School was scratched due to a snowstorm and he has a few more loose ends to tie up at the amateur level before turning pro, likely this summer. (Photo by J.S. Carras - The Record)

Q: Are you not fighting on Friday because you have a few more things to do before turning pro?
A: I had to get back into it with fighting and I had to get back in shape. Even though I was in shape, boxing shape is a little different than any other shape.

Q: What is on the schedule for you over the next few months?
A: There is 2009 National Championships and after that I'll be pro. Maybe a few more from now until probably June or July and then it's on.

Q: Has watching Shannon battle back from injuries the past few months inspired you to kickstart your own training?
A: Watching him fight, and watching all the fighters fight throughout my career, obviously I was playing baseball and football and going down that road, but once I realized on a daily basis, I came back to my childhood and said, 'this is what it is all about.' It gets you excited. You get to see your brother fight for years and years and you get to see what your dad does with his fighters and it's an awesome thing. You try to live it.

Q: I remembered seeing all of the little kids that came up to high-five you after winning at the KO at the Joe event last summer. How important is it for you to see kids involved with your programs at N.Y. Boxing?
A: Me and my brother, that's what we try to do. We try to be role models and try to teach kids about hard work, discipline and respect. That's what we do here at our gym and if you ask our clients that come here, that's what we do. We have fun, we treat everybody with respect and we try to teach the kids a few things.


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Shannon Miller talks with reporters during a press conference at N.Y. Boxing in Cohoes on Monday afternoon. He fights Ryan Thompson at the Washington Avenue Armory on Friday night. Read about Shannon in Wednesday's edition of The Record (J.S. Carras - The Record)