Tahdooahnippah, 21-0-1 (18) with one no-contest, (fighting on January 28 at the Coca-Cola Center in Oklahoma City as the headliner of “OKC Fight Night,” hosted by former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion James “Buster” Douglas and benefiting the Oklahoma City PAL) wields that nickname with pride. Of Comanche and Choctaw descent and a registered member of the Comanche nation, the Lawton, Oklahoma native’s desire to become a boxer was rooted in family and evolved from his own athletic pursuits.
“I always wanted to box all my life. My uncles, my grandfather, they were all boxers; because in the boarding schools, all the Native Americans boxed,” Tahdooahnippah said. “But I didn’t have the opportunity. They didn’t have boxing back in Lawton, at the time. So, I wrestled in college and I started doing kickboxing and then I joined a ‘Toughman’ contest about when I was 23 and I won it..”
Tahdooahnippah’s desire to fight didn’t come without the typical sprinkling of youthful invincibility. In addition to his teen angst and fiery bravado, there’s a hint of social history responsible for fueling that aggressive fire. With the specter of poverty alcoholism incessantly looming over the indigenous peoples of America, Tahdooahnippah was caught in the latter’s trappings early. Fortunately, the young Indian didn’t give the disease a chance to sink its insidious claws into him. But it would be foolish to believe it didn’t play a part in Tahdooahnippah’s once-wild streak.
”I was another Indian boy from [the] Southern Plains. I fought all the time. I used to drink alcohol here and there. So, it was around me because a lot of Native Americans have problems with that. [But] I was always a good fighter. I was an extreme fighter all my life. I was always that knuckleheaded kid,” he recalls. “I fought every weekend. I was partying around.”
But Tahdooahnippah rose above what many other Natives sadly cannot, doing so by busying himself with athletics. The wild partying a thing of the past, Tahdooahnippah excelled at wrestling (more on that later) and kickboxing; becoming a champion at light heavyweight. But boxing, the sport that hung thickly in the air like smoke, gave him his true sense of belonging.
“When I joined the boxing gym, I knew, right then and there, that that was what I was supposed to do, Tahdooahnippah said. “Even when I was a wrestler, I never did train like I do now. I never did eat right. I’d never run and lift weights and condition. But I do this on my own because I wanna win and I believe that [boxing] saved my life and it changed my life.”
When talking about his influences, Tahdooahnippah is animated and enthusiastic. But he also remembers to ultimately dole out props to the person who was most influential in his life. “Boxing-wise, I grew up Mike Tyson, y’ know.” He was ‘The Man.’ He was just a phenom, of course, and just a machine. How he used to psych people out, I mean, his amazing speed…Y’ know, he had power, but his speed was amazing,” said Tahdooahnippah. “My foundation was Muhammad Ali, how smart he was and how much confidence- that’s what I seen in Muhammad Ali. He always won, in his mind, before the fight started. He was a winner already. And, of course, there was my father. My dad was right there for me; day in, day out. He always kept me going; kept me motivated. I was different from the rest of the Indian kids. I was always playing football or wrestling. I was always playing baseball. He always kept me going and I never tried to be like everybody else. He always tried to keep us away from drugs and alcohol. We already know what happens to our people when they drink. We can’t beat it, y’ know. He always kept me in line and kept me on point and on that path.
“Of all the sports I played in my life, [boxing] was the only sport that came naturally,” continues Tahdooahnippah. “I’ve got natural movement; I’ve got natural power. I’ve got the hand and eye [coordination]. A lot of people, they’ve been boxing five, six years, but when I came into it, I was doing things they couldn’t even do at that time. I knew what I was supposed to do was box and, as soon as I started in ’02, I haven’t stopped. It’s been non-stop since then.”
For Tahdooahnippah, that non-stop journey was prepared with a pre-flight jaunt into quite a few serious forays into combat competition beginning with building quite the foundation as a Greco-Roman All-American competitor.
“When I was a wrestler, I wrestled on the national and world levels. I went to Japan to wrestle and I was an All-American wrestler. So, I had that competition with the elite as a wrestler. And wrestlers are real strong guys. It’s like bears. He’s a bear. I’m a bear. So when I got into boxing, I had that experience with the elite athletes, but not boxers. But I had the strength. I had power. I knew how to lean on ‘em and push and wear people out, and then I’d just use my mind and my mental toughness. It’s really helped me out.
With as much as Tahdooahnippah has achieved in sports, one would think he’s a bit of an overachiever. “Comanche Boy” sees things a little differently. In fact, he hasn’t done nearly enough to be where he thinks he needs to be in his professional life.
“I could be [an overachiever], but, y’ know, I haven’t achieved what I wanted to achieve. I wanna be on HBO for my Native American people.. I wanna be victorious on HBO. Until that day is done, I don’t feel like I’m an overachiever. I feel like I’m hungry. I’m starving and it’s burning and while it’s burning, I’ve gotta go do it. They might call me that [an overachiever]. I don’t feel that way. I feel like I’ve gotta keep on climbing. I’ve got a long ways ahead of me.”
With that journey assessed, Tahdooahnippah, has just the right “spirit guide” showing him the way. David Vaughn, who trains Tahdooahnippah at the Mad Man Boxing Gym in Elgin, Oklahoma, has been there since jump; even when Tahdooahnippah tested the waters with trainer Shaheed Saluki. According to Tahdooahnippah, Vaughn’s open to the opportunity to work with other teachers.
“David Vaughn’s been with me since I got going,” said Tahdooahnippah. “I ventured outside, every now and again, just to get some different experience; and we’ll get some people that’s been on these levels. Me and Vaughn are from the same area. We’ve known each other. We’re a team. We’ll always be a team. Maybe, in the future, we might use different trainers but he’s always gonna be there ‘cause he’s learning as well. He always keeps me grounded and he’ll never lie to me. He’s a loyal person that is always right there for me. He knows me.”
Although Tahdooahnippah and Vaughn have an exceptionally harmonious relationship, Vaughn has his job cut out for him; in having to deal with the constantly metamorphosing style-set Tahdooahnippah poses. For a fighter nicknamed “Comanche Boy,” according to him, Tahdooahnippah would be best-served with the name “The Chameleon.”
“I don’t know [who I would compare my style to]. I like Andre Ward. I try to be them all. I try to be Andre Ward, the way he gets on the inside, the way he roughs ‘em up, he breaks you down; he breaks your spirit down. I try to be Arthur Abraham, y’ know, with his defense and he keeps on pressuring you. And sometimes I try to be Mayweather, with his movement and defense. Y’ know, I don’t know who I am!” Tahdooahnippah realizes. “Sometimes, in my mind, I think Antonio Margarito ‘cause I keep coming, I keep coming, I keep coming. So I really don’t know who my style is like. I try to take each one of them and every fight’s different. I fight a different style because of [the fighter I face]. Whoever I gotta be that night, y’ know, when it’s time to fight.”
Even though Tahdooahnippah can’t quite nail down who he is, stylistically, he certainly has a lock on who he is, via his pre-and post-fight theatrics; which are fueled by ethnic pride. Pride that Tahdooahnippah fully appreciates, recognizes and pays homage to; inspired by a certain Filipino pound-for-pound icon.
“Before, there were Native American fighters but- not to sound bad- but they never brought what I’m bringing and I bring it with a ring entrance. When I knock someone out, I do my war dance. I bring it all together and, at the end of the day, it seems that I’m drawing more and more- not just Native Americans- just more and more people,” Tahdooahnippah says with pride swelling in his voice. “Sometimes, it becomes a show and there’s a lot of Native American casinos in Oklahoma and they want me there. So, I’m ready to get outside of Oklahoma. I’m ready to spread my wings but I know there’s some building time. I need to build and gain some experience and see what happens. But I’m happy it is the way it is and I’m happy I’ve got fans. I feel like a Manny Pacquiao for my people. I carry the pride for them and I’m going in there for them. If I win or lose, I’m carrying my race with me.”
Carrying his race is hugely important to the extremely proud Tahdooahnippah. He realizes that prominent Natives in boxing are few and far between. The acknowledgement is frustrating-yet-sobering. It serves as a wake-up call for him to accomplish his mission of entitlement.
“You say ‘Native Americans, where are they at on the elite level?’ proposes Tahdooahnippah. “I mean, you don’t see ‘em. I’ll name the elite boxers, Marcus Oliveira, he’s half-Menominee. You’ve got Shawn Hawk. So there are very few of us so we’ve gotta be strong ‘cause we wanna do the same. We wanna put our people on the map.”
As of press time, and on outlets like BoxRec.com, Tahdooahnippah’s opponent was still listed as “TBA.” However, “Comanche Boy” has a general idea of who he’s facing on January 28 in Oklahoma City. He chalks up his opponent’s overall quality to business-as-usual.
“I believe I’m fighting a guy named Chris Overby (9-12 (2) with one no-contest) from Ohio. He’s a journeyman,” admits Tahdooahnippah. “It’s just the politics of boxing. They’re not paying a whole lot so they’re not gonna be putting me in there with anybody tough. I mean, it is what it is. I hate saying a ‘tune-up fight’ because no fight’s a tune-up fight. It’ll get me going this year. I just need to get busy. I’m looking for something good, March, April, and we’ll see what happens. This next fight (January 28) is gonna be at super middleweight but my [subsequent] fight will be at middleweight. If it’s middleweight, I’ve gotta be real disciplined, make the weight. To me, it’s challenging and it’s gotta be worth some value. Not some cheap little fights. When I take that jump and that leap, it’s gonna be at middleweight.”
And, for Tahdooahnippah, that jump is fraught with unknown possibilities. But he’ll take what he can get.
“At middleweight…(pauses) I hate calling people out because I don’t even know, I mean. There’s a lot of prospects in the middleweight division. Man, if a dream opportunity like a Kelly Pavlik, or someone like that, hey, I’ve gotta take that opportunity because I’m gonna learn from a champion, but I might pause him ‘cause I can crack,” Tahdooahnippah says, with a sudden surge of confidence. “I don’t know. I don’t even care. Once it happens, I’m gonna get ready for it. I’ve got a puncher’s chance but, also, I’m a boxer. They don’t know my style. They don’t know my movement. And that’s why I surprise a lot of people because they think I’m just a puncher. They end up getting outboxed.”
Natives in boxing are rare; as are movies about boxing that don’t involve a certain Italian icon named “Balboa.” So what does Tahdooahnippah think about how the sport- and Native boxers- were depicted in the 2004 film “Black Cloud”?
“It was cool, but I wish the main guy (the titular character portrayed by Eddie Spears)- I’m not knocking the guy- he just didn’t look coordinated,” critiqued Tahdooahnippah. “He didn’t look like a fighter, y’ know? I wish they could’ve found someone a little more coordinated, but it’s how it is. It’s how it is for a lot of us Indian boys. I was glad it was out there.”
For all of his achievements, one would think a fighter of Tahdooahnippah’s ilk would play just as hard as he works. But his manner of relaxation, all at once, is profound and simple. Tahdooahnippah’s focus is clearly on his family- which includes three very young sons and his fiancée, Mia- and improving his community. And his focus is unwavering as Tahdooahnippah relishes his job as an example for his people.
“I’ve got three sons (Nacona, age 5, George Jr., age 3 and Talon Sage, age 1) and it’s all them,” gushes Tahdooahnippah, “Right now, I’m taking it out of my time from my kids. I miss out a lot. When the day comes and the fight’s over, it’s 110% for my kids and my family. That’s all I do. At home, I do a lot of things with my other Indian boys ‘cause there’s a lot of people- I’m a role model to a lot of ‘em and they wanna get going. And not even boxing. It might be football and basketball but they wanna eat right. They wanna work out. They wanna get motivated. And that’s what I do. I’m a health coordinator so I work with my people to get ‘em active, to get ‘em moving, to start changing their lifestyles.”
There’s a thought that many Natives do whatever they can and glean whatever knowledge they can in order to escape whatever oppression they feel is attached to their home; in many cases, their reservation. Tahdooahnippah sees validity in this mentality but offers an even better catalyst to return home.
”When we were growing up, we were country boys. We wanted to get away. We wanna go away on our journeys and see what happens and learn as much as we can and we always think we’re gonna be gone and live somewhere else,” Tahdooahnippah expounds, with the voice of the man who knows. “But it’s not just the ‘rez’ or the people, but God calls you back over there because you’ve gotta take all that knowledge and information and you’ve gotta spread it to the young bucks; the little ones. You’ve gotta show ‘em. So, even doing this boxing, y’ know, it’s my duty now. I didn’t wanna be a role model growing up. I didn’t think of myself [that way]. I just thought, ‘Hey, I’m a badass,’ but now I know what it is and I’ve gotta carry myself with pride and I’ve gotta carry myself with dignity and I’ve gotta be respectful. If I’m looking bad somewhere, I’m making my people look bad. So, I’ve gotta be positive 24/7. It’s pressure, especially when people wanna knock you down because they’ve never seen our own kind doing what we’re doing. It’s tough but it’s all worth it. If God took me today, it was alright. It was alright. But I’ve got so much more to give.”
“I like people saying, ‘I’ve never met an Indian or a Native American like you,” and I say, ‘Just wait. There’s more of us coming. (laughs)”
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