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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Los Angeles, CA – October 9, 2013 -NY Golden Gloves boxer David Waknine, the subject of an upcoming documentary, isn’t just telling his story—he’s also telling the story of Beltzhoover native Eddie Tyler. The film, entitled ONE MORE ROUND, is the story of Waknine getting back in shape for the professional fight he never had, 20 years after the peak of his amateur career. The recent death of Tyler, Waknine’s beloved mentor and coach, inspired David’s return to the ring.
“Eddie was an essential part of my life. Losing him made me realize how much life is worth fighting for,” Waknine said.
In his prime, Tyler was himself a great boxer. He won the Pennsylvania Golden Gloves often enough to challenge Philadelphia’s reputation as the Keystone State’s boxing capital. He moved to New York to begin his professional career, but success in the ring did not follow. He was struggling to find younger boxers to train by the time he met Waknine. In each other, the unlikely pair found the missing puzzle piece. Tyler quickly became more than a trainer; he became a father figure, and under his mentorship, Waknine fought his way to the finals of the NY Golden Gloves, one of the biggest amateur boxing tournaments in the world.
The pair reconnected some years after their careers ended, as Tyler’s health was already fading, but he refused to be slowed. He was already walking with a cane, but insisted on showing Waknine around his native city.
“He was so proud of Pittsburgh,” Waknine said, “He took me everywhere and showed me everything.”
The one-time Pittsburgh champion died in September of 2011.
HFC Pictures , short for Hollywood Fight Club, is in production for the documentary, which follows Waknine’s arduous physical and mental preparations for his first and last professional match. In order to establish the enormous impact Tyler had on Waknine, ONE MORE ROUND will also document the meeting between Waknine and Tyler, as well as the effect that Waknine’s retirement had on both their lives.
ONE MORE ROUND has already shot footage in and around Pittsburgh, and will continue to do so as filming progresses. Several Carnegie Mellon graduates are part of the production team, including associate producer Max Montel, who received his MFA in directing from the CMU School of Drama.
In honor of Eddie’s memory, the ONE MORE ROUND team will also be participating in the LA Cancer Challenge, which funds cancer research. “With production in full swing, it seems like there’s never enough hours in the day,” said producer Ashley Pontius, “but we all agreed this was an important cause, and the best way to live up to the spirit of the film.” Donations will be in commemoration of Eddie Tyler, and will go entirely to the Hirshberg Foundation.
For more information on ONE MORE ROUND, visit the HFC Pictures Facebook page (www.facebook.com/hollywoodfightclubproductions), the ONE MORE ROUND Twitter (twitter.com/onemorerounddoc), or our website (hfcpictures.com/films/onemoreround/).
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Contact:
Ashley Pontius
818-665-5474
ashley@hfcpictures.com
By: Madelyn Glymour