Inside the Mind of "The Professor" Undefeated Light-Heavyweight Prospect, Chuck Mussachio
 By Danny Serratelli (Oct 3, 2007) Doghouse Boxing (Photo © Raquel Gonzalez)
Undefeated Light Heavyweight prospect, "Professor" Chuckie Mussachio, 10-0 (5), will headline KEA Boxing's "Wildwood Wars" Saturday, November 10 th. He will be taking on the Bronx, New York's Victor Paz at the Oceanfront Arena in Wildwood, New Jersey.
Mussachio last fought on KEA boxing's "Brawls at the Birchwood 3". After an impressive performance in that outing over "Smokin" Joe Frazier's fighter, Chandler Durham, KEA decided to take the show on the road into Mussachio's hometown of Wildwood, New Jersey. Doghouseboxing/Brickcityboxing.com caught up with Chuckie as he prepares for his fight next week against Paz.
Danny Serratelli: Chuckie for starters, tell me a little about your amateur career.
Chuck Mussachio: What's up Danny? Hmm…the amateurs. Well, I had over 100 amateur fights, winning an extreme majority of them, so my amateur career was pretty extensive.
DS: Well that is impressive to me, I think a good amateur background, while not always crucial, is usually a big help for professionals as they progress in the pros. Have you been in the ring with anyone that fans may be familiar with?
CM: I agree with you about the amateur background. I've been in the ring, either in competition or sparring, with the best in the world, literally. I fought Andre Direll, (the guy who recently beat Curtis Stevens) and dropped a close decision, but I beat Max Alexander who was recently on this season's Contender. I also beat Romel Rene in the amateurs, who was ranked number 1 at the time, so that was cool. He is now an undefeated pro (Rene is 9-0, 6 KO's) and fighting as a cruiserweight, so maybe we will meet again at some point down the road.
As far as who I've been in the ring with there are some names that will be in the Boxing Hall of Fame some day. Some of those guys were just a one time experience. Those names include the legendary Roberto Duran, Hector Macho Camacho,
James Buster Douglas, and Merciless Ray Mercer. The opportunity presented itself and I jumped on it. The guys, however, that I've been in camp with and am very proud to say I've held my own with include WBA cruiserweight champion of the world Virgil "Quicksilver" Hill, "The American Dream" David Reid, Jaidon Codrington from this season's "The Contender", and Rudy Cisneros from last season's "The Contender" just to name a few. There are a few names of guys that the public has not heard of YET but rest assured some of the guys that I've been in the ring with will be out of this world, literally, one of these days.
DS: That is pretty impressive, and very cool that you have had those opportunities with Hall of Fame fighters and that you are always willing to jump in and work with anyone. You have a lot of history in boxing for a young pro. Why don't you share your experience with a couple of the reality show finalists?
CM: Well, I lived and trained with Jaidon Codrington who is in this season's Contender finals for two years at the Olympic Center in Marquette Michigan. That was a great experience. I also beat a guy who made the finals on Oscar De La Hoya's reality show "The Next Great Champ", David Pereja in the amateurs.
DS: That is cool, my good friend, and another undefeated prospect Roberto Benitiez was out there at the Olympic Center, were you out there with him too?
CM: Yes, Roberto is a great guy and a very good fighter. He happens to be a close friend of mine. We were neighbors in the dorms for two years out there. When I first got there, I knew NO ONE. I hated it and wanted to come home. He took me under his wing, in a sense, and gave me the confidence that I was lacking to make feel like a belonged there and I owe him for that. I've never told him this so if he reads this, it's going to really be a shock for him to know that. Hahaha, but seriously though Roberto is the reason I stayed where I was in the Olympic Center and part of the reason that I am where I am today.
DS: Yeah, Roberto is one of the good guys in boxing and I am sure he will appreciate to hear what you had to say about him. So it's clear you had an impressive amateur career, let's talk about your professional career. What do you feel was your toughest fight to date?
CM: My last fight was THE TOUGHEST fight to date. His name was Chandler Durham and that dude CAME TO TAKE MY LIFE. After the fight I saw Joe Frazier's nephew, Tyrone Frazier, who is a personal friend of both Durham's and mine. He told me he thought I was going to knock him out after the 4 th round, and he has never seen Durham look like that. He also told me that Durham was ready to quit after the third or fourth round because he hit me with absolutely everything he had and in all honesty he did not hurt me one bit. I took everything he had with a smile (I was literally laughing at him because he was grunting with every punch and couldn't even hit me let alone hurt me) and I gave it back to him twice as fast. His face looked like Burger King when the fight was over. He was completely busted up. By Tyrone telling me that Durham was ready to quit after the fourth round, I was proud of my performance because I felt like I broke his will; he is a tough Philly fighter and for a little white boy from a rich town at the beach in New Jersey to do what I did, really made me proud and feel like I accomplished something.
DS: How did you feel about the decision?
CM: Well I thought I won a unanimous decision, but it was a majority. A win is a win. I tip my hat to Durham, he came to fight and win but came up short that night. I think my opponents underestimate me A LOT because of my size. I'm not a huge person, at all. Actually, I would underestimate me too, hahahaha. There is an old saying that says "size hurts but speed kills". I had a good time fighting up in North New Jersey on KEA Boxing's show and I am excited that they are bringing the show down into my home town of Wildwood.
DS: What do you think about your opponent, Victor Paz, from the Bronx, New York?
CM: Hey he's got two arms and two legs so he is a threat to me. This is boxing and you always have to be ready because anything can happen. He has a good record and has fought some decent opposition. Actually, I should be more worried about him than he should be of me. He fought a close friend of mine, Alfred Kinsey, (who is also appearing on the card) who knocked him out. I can't go by that however because Alfred has knocked me out before while sparring in the gym. Alfred has told me not to look past him and that he comes to fight. So with that sound bit of advice, I'll walk into the ring on Saturday night as if I'm fighting Roy Jones, Jr.
DS: When I have seen Paz in the past he has tried to box. How have you prepared for him and who have you worked with?
CM: I have had a great camp. I have worked hard like I always do because you can't take anyone lightly in this business. Like I just said, he was knocked out by Alfred Kinsey but so was I. I have done some good sparring with some guys who will who are currently champs and guys have who have fought for world titles, particularly smaller and faster guys such as "Mighty" Mike Aranoutis and undefeated prospect Shamone Alvarez.
DS: Lastly, where did you get the name "Professor"?
CM: Hahaha. I knew that question was eventually coming. I was wondering what took you so long. When I began boxing there was a stipulation that my mother made for me. She made promise that I would not let my grades fall and under no condition would I let this sport deter me from goal of being a school teacher. I agreed and pursued my college degree in Elementary and Special Education. I received my B.A. in Elementary and Special Education but didn't stop there. Like I said before, I was out in the Olympic Center in Marquette, MI. While I was there, I pursued a Master's Degree in Guidance Counseling. The coordinator of the boxing program had never seen a boxer that was on his way to receive a Master's Degree. So from the first moment that I arrived in Marquette the entire Olympic Center began calling me "Professor". Actually I don't think that anyone would even remember my real name. Hahaha, just kidding. I keep in touch with all of them and they follow my career pretty closely. So when I came home from Marquette, got a job as a Middle School Special Education Teacher, and began my professional career in the ring, the name just seemed to stick. I love both of my jobs, boxing and teaching, but because I have two of them, I'll never be without work.
DS: Is there anything else you would like to say to your fans and readers of Brickcityboxing.com and Doghouseboxing.com?
CM: Yeah, I'd like to mention that I would not be where I am today without the love and support of my entire family (Mom, Dad and Sister). They have stayed by my side through it all and although it has been rough at times and going to get even more rough in the future, together, as a family, we will make it to the top. I think that I am extremely lucky to not only have the family that I have, but to have my own father be the one who looks me in the eyes in between rounds. I can see the love and pride beaming out of him and I want nothing more than to make him happy by winning and performing at my best. My father has stuck with me when no one else was around and I don't think Id still be boxing if it weren't for him. In this slimy business of boxing, having someone who you can trust and TRULY has your best interest and safety at heart is something that is hard to come by. I'm lucky to have that in my father. He is there for me and I know without a doubt he wouldn't let anything happen to me as long as he has something to say about it.
I would also like thank you Danny, Andre Kut and KEA Boxing for believing in me and coming down to Wildwood to do this show. The venue is great and I promise the fans will be in for a great show. I'd also like to thank my fans and the readers of Brickcityboxing and Doghouseboxing for the support.
DS: Thanks Chuck, I will see you back in the ring next Saturday, do your thing.
CM: See you at the show and I promise it will be a good one.
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