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Posted by: PBC FL Cop

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Worcester officers set to box in London


Police to box ‘across the pond’


By Milton J. Valencia TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF


Police Officer William D. Mosley smiles while on the beat on
Police Officer Andrew “A.C.” Cravedi wraps his hands before stepping into the ring at the Worcester Boys & Girls Club


WORCESTER— For Police Officer Andrew “A.C.” Cravedi, boxing is about the excitement. For Officer William D. Mosley, it’s the passion.

'“I train seriously now, it’s like a lifestyle to me,” he said.

The two partners on the police beat are part of an effort to establish a Worcester Police Department boxing team, and will pioneer that cause when they travel to London on Friday to fight police officers on that city’s metropolitan force.

The trip is part of a relationship Worcester police have established with the Massachusetts State Police boxing team and the Bermuda police boxing team. It’s not uncommon for police departments to have their own teams. Bermuda is a small squad, however, and reached out to friends in the Massachusetts squad to help fill slots on the trip to London. Officers Cravedi, 33, and Mosley, 30, who have fought before, were asked to assist and were grateful for the opportunity.

“They’re going to be representing Worcester police,” said Officer Nathan Reando, of the gang unit, who is spearheading efforts to form the Worcester team. He said the team should be formed by the fall, when police from Colorado visit here for the first scheduled fights.

But in the meantime, Officers Cravedi and Mosley will lead the way, in what has been described as a black-tie type of event, a fundraiser attended by London officials.

But it’s not about the crowd, Officer Cravedi said. It never was, even in his first fight.

“It’s the contest,” he said. “Why do you play any sport? To win it.”

Both grew a passion for the sport during charity events. Officer Cravedi fought to a draw two years ago against Trooper Gregg Spahl in the annual Give Kids a Fighting Chance boxing event, which raises money for the Worcester Boys & Girls Club.

“It was so fun that I said, if you need someone to fight, let me know,” Officer Cravedi said.

He’s trained regularly since, helping others prepare for their own fights, most recently in the Give Kids a Fighting Chance event in May. He planned to fight two months ago in Cape Cod, but the fight was scrapped.

Officer Mosley, too, began fighting for a charity event. It was canceled, but he continued to train anyway. He, too, fought to a draw two years ago in the annual charity event at the Worcester Palladium, but continued to fight in other events and has earned eight wins, with seven knockouts.

The way he put it, trainers Carlos Garcia and Rocky Gonzalez told him to stick with the sport, and he did.

“I just got the sense of it,” he said.

Both were athletes in other sports, with Officer Mosley playing basketball and Officer Cravedi playing football at the College of the Holy Cross.

But their hearts turned to boxing soon after lacing their first pair of gloves.

It’s a primal sport, but a mental one, Officer Cravedi said. “I just love it so much,” he said.

It’s a feeling that’s grown within the Worcester Police Department, with officers training regularly at the Boys & Girls Club with trainers Mr. Garcia and Mr. Gonzalez. Officers started working regularly with youngsters at the Boys & Girls Club in what began as a community policing relationship, but officers began showing up at the boxing gym and training on their own.

Many have already fought in charity events, including gang unit Officer Chris Panarello, who recently scored a victory in the Give Kids a Fighting Chance event. Others are known to frequent the gym, and gang unit Officer Carmelo Oquendo recently refereed his first professional boxing match.

Officer Reando, who said he hopes to fight on the team, said it’s a culture that has spread throughout the whole department by word of mouth. Many city police love the sport, he said, and many officers have shown interest in the Worcester team.

Officers Cravedi and Mosley leave for London tomorrow, and fight Friday as heavyweights. It’s an amateur event, and they are required to wear headgear.

In their day jobs, they’re partners on the 3-11 p.m. shift, patrolling the Pleasant and Chandler streets area. They have different styles on the job, with Officer Cravedi being the diplomat and Officer Mosley being the enforcer. Officer Cravedi likes to call it “verbal judo.”

“I’m not tolerant of too many excuses,” Officer Mosley said. “If a situation calls for more diplomacy, he’s the man.”

But in the ring, they’re on their own, they know, and are excited to travel to London and represent the Worcester Police Department.

“There’s going to be knockouts,” Officer Mosley predicted.

Best of Luck!!!

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Posted by: jyanis

Best of luck boys! Be safe Will!!

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Posted by: Pvt. Cowboy

AC is a great, great guy. I hope he does well in London.

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Posted by: DPD6860

Officer Will Mosley is great cop and good boxer. I've seen him box at the Palladium. He will knocking out some heads in London.

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