Things weren’t like that. The original plan was a 10-minute phone interview to discuss Jesse Hart’s upcoming eight-round fight.
He fought more. The stakes are higher. But as time went on, our stories included death, divorce, suicide, revenge, mental health, and depression. Hart took me on this fascinating journey, many times with a smile on my face, sometimes pausing to swallow hard, sometimes breaking into tears at the thought.
But the interviews are light-hearted, even when they talk about sad and sad times.
Hart’s words and speeches have a magnetic effect. It urges you to hang on to every word, thinking that the next statement or response will either lift you up or sink you into the depths you fell into. the year 2010, when his brother was murdered and in his presence before the murder.
Whether the subject is boxing or real life, the story is well told (not in an interview style) and Hart is one of those people who clearly separates the two. When you have experienced it and suffered from it, world issues can force boxing politics, events and even boxing to stand still and face the walls of the crowded room when mom and dad are talking.
At 34, Hart is still ambitious and smart.
If he is proud to hold the world championship above his head, it is more than a sports championship, as the driver not only enters his soul but also extends to his blood.
As we speak, Hart is wearing a black T-shirt emblazoned with the words “Don’t Grind” and “Keep Grinding”, and there’s no better outfit than that – no frills, but definitely method. In 2010, Jesse’s famous older brother Robert (whose friend calls him Damon (his middle name) because he likes him) was out with a friend in Philadelphia. Damon was captured and, according to Jesse, “someone shot him in the head; one’s head swells;
The sound was loud, and Hart stopped to reflect. This is still a burden on him and his family. Damon works as an assistant and cares for the residents of the nursing home.
“He’s a great guy — my brother is a great guy,” Hart said with a big sigh. – If you ask anyone, my brother will give you the shirt off his back if he has one. He will give you everything. He was never selfish, even if he didn’t know you. If he takes you under his wing or accepts you as a child, he will give you everything he has. My brother is a great man. “He’s my brother, you know what I’m saying? It destroyed my mother, it destroyed my family, and I wasn’t in the right mind for a while. The league didn’t come back to me until I was born. daughter
Life can be dark. Months pass, years pass. After giving birth to her daughter in 2012, Hart competed in the Olympic trials with some greats, but her emotions took a toll.
“The public response was, ‘Oh, you won,'” he said. ❗️❗️You won the Olympic Trials. You won national championships.
– I don’t know how much because nothing is more important than my brother’s death. I have a lot going on, but life itself is driving me.
Hart took it all in stride and moved on, full of grief – and a desire for revenge.
The killer was eventually caught and sentenced to life imprisonment. Hart cannot forgive and forget.
Philadelphia Hero Jesse Hart Is Surviving a Fight Like No Otherhttps://t.co/cV6HgPQmrx
— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) April 27, 2024
When asked if he could find peace of mind by giving up, Hart said that now is not the right time.
“No, I don’t think I was ready mentally or emotionally,” he recalled. – I don’t think I’m ready. My mother talked about forgiveness. Now, when I look at my brother’s grandchildren and daughter, I don’t find the place in my heart to forgive. One day I will find it in my heart to forgive this person, but right now I can’t.
– I feel sad every time I go to my brother’s grave to celebrate his birthday or just to be with him. I’m still crying. I have not forgotten, [but] one day I will have the heart to forgive.
In 2010, mental health is viewed differently than it used to be. This is not part of the discussion. Not for teenagers; not for combatants; not for the tough kids on the streets of Philadelphia or the sons of boxers who worship boxing.
As a result, Hart took this fate and took it with him. The current problem is in part because this disease is not treated professionally.
According to Hart, those were different times.
“Yes, it takes a long time, and you’re absolutely right,” he said of the changes that occur when people can talk more about emotions.
– I was not told. I don’t believe I have access to the right opportunities for all my mental abilities. My heart is truly broken; My heart is broken. This type of pain can affect people — and even kill them. This is not just a disease; this is a common disease. It’s not like my sister is sick.
– A man takes his life. The man just died, you don’t know how to release his power. You don’t need to go to counseling, you just have to go and it won’t really heal. I think that’s worse than anything.
The famous streets of Philadelphia are the most innocent streets – not only is Damon murdered, but the Hart family must show strong solidarity; don’t leave it to someone who rejects them while they are getting smaller.
“No, you can’t be vulnerable without being where I came from,” Hart said. “My city is in North Philly, and you shouldn’t show your vulnerability because it will take over;” They chew and spit;
– You will be all cold, but it is very different – it is not normal. It is not normal to experience such pain without getting help. My brother’s death is of no benefit to me. I haven’t talked to a counselor since his death. When I’m in that situation, “I’m tired, I can’t hear, I’m crying,” that feeling hurts, man.
– It is a very painful condition. This is worse than any pain I have ever experienced in my life. The losses are nothing compared to this. I suffered from the worst disease. Everything about boxing was a win for me – everything, because I had the biggest loss in the world that could happen to me.
The aftermath of the murder left a heartbroken family, and it was too much for Hart’s mother. He had to be admitted to a mental institution and lost control of his physical activities, and when he was released he was so distraught over the loss of another child that he barricaded the doors and windows of his house. so that Jesse and his brothers could. can be overcome. will not return.
“Look at my life,” Hart exclaimed. – I still want people to see my life. See what happened to me. People think boxing is like this – and, “You’re up, you’re this, you’re that – and look at what I’ve done.
——Me, I have two sisters and one brother. Mom had five children, one of them was lost, me, another brother, and two sisters were at home with Mom, she was crying. We were about to leave, and he came into the room and started removing the chairs, closing the windows, pulling the curtains and saying, “Don’t go!” None of you survived, we had to call someone to help him.
Talking to Hart about boxing, and his eight-round fight against Daniel Aduku on Saturday night at the Liaikouras House in Philadelphia, was a little uncomfortable — and in some ways, because it was deeper. the meaning of boxing.
The campaign is called “Let’s Settle Down” and was started by Dominic Walton. Hart hopes to help the North Philadelphia community understand all aspects of the event.
Hart has suffered from the terrible effects of the butchery and he doesn’t want anyone else to suffer the way he or his family did.
“Man, this is a very bad person, very tired, I don’t like anybody,” Hart said. – That’s why the Let It Be Decided event took place on April 27th… If I could, I would like to not affect the families of my city and the world. If we can unite my city under one roof with a fun night of boxing, let’s try to expand the handshake from now on. Let’s start here and expand the information. Let’s all start here and enjoy entertainment – a hero who gave his blood, sweat and tears so we don’t kill each other here. That’s the real story.
– I know now that this year if I can help children to avoid this, I want to help them. This is boxing—boxing to help people stop killing each other. Let’s get started.
However, when it comes to boxing, Hart (30-3, 20 KO) – is about to mature. He fought for the title, but like his most successful sensation, Eugene Tornado Hart, who was a threat in the mid-1970s, did not break the defense and win the World Championship title . He has twice lost the super middleweight title to Gilberto Ramirez and has held a share of the lightweight titles.
Both defeats were close – the second by majority decision – but Hart took it easy and didn’t say anything.
When asked what prevented him from claiming the crown, he lamented: “Time, I don’t think God was ready to say it was my time.” – Everything happens in God’s time, friends. When you want it to happen, it doesn’t happen. It doesn’t happen when you want it. The time has come. I think I’m better at fighting than before. I had a lot of problems with my right arm at the time – four operations were done – it’s just a problem like that.
– If I’m not healthy, I can’t perform at my highest level. I was very careful because I felt pain; I felt the fire [stabbing the severed arm]. If you have people like me, now at this age, I have to adapt a lot to survive. I prefer to be healthy, so when I go out and break the trades.
Hart’s future is at 175 pounds as he doesn’t believe a bigger boxer will give him a chance at 168 pounds, which is why Ramirez and Joe Smith Jr. died.
His goal is to be world champion, but his ambition is to make life better for those around him.
“There’s a lot of gun violence in Philadelphia, where I’m from, and that’s what the show is about,” Hart continued. – Yes, I lost my brother to gun violence. I’m doing this for a purpose, and it’s not just to shoot a point, but for a purpose that’s bigger than all of that – to raise awareness of the concerns about gun violence in Philadelphia, where I’m from.
– This is no ordinary boxing match. So that we can all unite under one roof, which is the Liakuras Center, and make that march and unite all of us to stop the senseless murders in my city because there are the uncontrollable here. There’s a problem brewing – a real problem in Philadelphia.
As we approach the scheduled 10 minute call time, the little boxing issue comes up again. Everything Hart experienced in his life was meaningless.
Even boxing, a very tough sport, was made easier by Hart’s pain.
“People say ‘fear before war’ – there is no fear,” Hart said. ——I’m afraid of losing my family and living on the street. I am afraid of losing my mother.
– That dirt [boxing] is nothing to real life. This will change you. Things like that change you. Things like Death Squad, change your whole perspective on things.
– If you don’t get proper help to talk about these things with other people, you will go crazy. You’re not cut out for boxing, I always tell people I’d rather box than deal with everyday life; It’s that simple.
Hart hopes that on Saturday he will shine a light where love has long lurked in the shadows of tragedy, where hard smiles hide the gloom.
This wasn’t just any eight-round contest Saturday night in Philadelphia. It’s more than this.