O'malley Taking His Fight To Russia -- Edmonds Boxer Has Come Far In 4 Years

Four years ago, Martin O'Malley Jr. had never seen "real boxing" in person or taken a boxing lesson.

But when the Goodwill Games begin Saturday in St. Petersburg, Russia, the Edmonds boxer will be fighting as a member of the United States team.

His preparation? Growing up with three brothers who spent time battling as youngsters in Dublin and following their father, who was an amateur boxer in Ireland.

When he ordered tickets to the 1990 Goodwill Games boxing finals in Seattle, O'Malley Sr. never thought he'd be attending the 1994 games to see one of his boys compete.

"It's like a dream," he said.

As soon as the Seattle games concluded, the kids began badgering their father to teach them to box.

"I couldn't wait to try on a pair of gloves and get started," O'Malley Jr. said. "I loved it."

His mother approved the use of a heavy punching bag in the basement, but forbid any boxing in their home.

"She said boxing had to be confined to the gym," Martin Sr. said. "So I took them to see Bob Jarvis at the Hillman City Gym."

Jarvis, who runs the gym in south Seattle, said early sparring sessions involving the O'Malleys were so intense that their father often had to step in and restore order.

Boxing seemed a natural outlet for the sons of Martin and Isabelle O'Malley, Irish immigrants who met at a St. Patrick's Day dance at the Seattle Center in 1972. Their boys received a pugilistic baptism when the family moved back to Ireland from 1980 to 1984.

"The boys had a few fights over there," said their father. "They were the new kids from America. Some of the other kids would call them names and, of course, they responded."

O'Malley Jr. said he and his brothers watched many more fights than they were in, but couldn't help noticing how popular fighting was. Even teachers joined the cheering.

"And everybody congratulated the winner," he said.

When he returned to Ireland in April as a member of an American boxing team, more than 100 relatives, including three of his father's brothers, were in the crowd that celebrated his victory as if he were a native son.

Martin, 19, is the only brother who trained continuously for four years. Twins Dennis and Michael, 17, concentrated on weightlifting the past two years, but sparred before one of Martin's bouts earlier this year. Tom, 20, who has an 11-0 amateur record, has begun training again after more than a year away from the sport.

O'Malley will need all of his power if he's going to strike gold at St. Petersburg. He'll need three wins against a field that includes Chris Navarro of Los Angeles, who beat O'Malley for USA Boxing's national title in March at Colorado Springs, and Waldemar Font of Cuba, the reigning amateur world champion.

He'll fight at 51 kilograms (112.2 pounds) Monday against an opponent yet to be determined. The boxing finals are July 30.

He will be joined by six athletes from Washington on the U.S. Goodwill Games team: boxer Derrell Dixon of Tacoma (91 kilograms or 200 pounds); rowers Betsy and Mary McCagg of Kirkland, in the women's eight; team handball player Michael Ray Jones of Union Gap; and triathlete Donna Peters of Seattle.