Since the world championships in Milano, Jack Culcay is better known as “golden Jack”. He is the first german in 14 years that won the gold medal in amateur boxing. “I am really happy. That’s the biggest moment of my career”, said the new champion after his victory.
But that was just the beginning of his career. On the 11th of November the amateur world champion signed a contract with the german boxing stable Universum. “There where so many boxers became world champions”, said Culcay. “I think there are 32. Someday i want to raise this number.“ He gained his success due to his south-american boxing style: Fast as lightning combinations, very agile and strong punching power. “His style to box is effective and spectacular, he will excite the audience”, said Dietmar Poszwa from the Universum management.
Since September the media was crazy about the world championship victory of the german boxer: All famous and well-know newspapers such as Bild, SZ and FAZ wrote about Culcay. Television channels starting from RTL to ZDF concentrated one’s attention to the boxer. In Hessen Culcay got voted as the “Athlete of the year” ahed of the gymnastics icon Fabain Hambüchen.
This success story reminds of the amateur world champion Henry Maske. “Both of them share the counterstrike-orientation. Additionally Jack has a good eye and exceptional reflexes” praised the German national coach Roland Kubath. “However he is considerably more dynamic and has very different qualities. “Maske became world champion even in the pros – Culcay also wants to win the world title. “I want this belt, since I have been a small boy”, said the welterweight.
Boxing is running through Culcy’s blood. His father Roberto also stood in the ring. “Boxing is part of me”, said the amateur world champion. “If I can’t train one or two weeks, then I feel miserable”. With this attitude Culcay became one of the best amateur boxers in Germany and a very promising professional.
He was born in Ambato (Ecuador) about 10000 km away from his hometown Darmstadt. In 1991 when Culcay was 5 years old his whole family moved from Ecuador to Germany. “Since then I never returned to Ecuador”, says Culcay. “But I hope I can go back there very soon.”
His Hometown is Darmstadt, but for training purposes he lives in hamburg. When Culcay was 11 years old he was still playinmg soccer, but one year later his life in sports changed dramaticallly. His father Roberto took him to the boxing department of TG Darmstadt. “It was fun from the get go”, says Culcay, at the age of 12 Jack started boxing fairly late. “The first tournament I competed in I won.”
His father runs with his brother Michael a boxing gym that holds the name of the family in Darmstadt. Alltogether Jack has four siblings that all box. “We are all crazy about boxing”, says “golden Jack”.
In the Juniors Culcay displayed inconsistent performance, but in 2004 when he moved to the seniors his performance increased significantly. “I trained more regulary and harder, had the right opponents and developed very quickly”, says the welterweight. Since 2006 he is a member of the boxing division of the german army which is reserved only fort he most promising athletes in Germany. He used to train at the olympic training center in Heidelberg.
In 2007 he build up a strong record: He came in second place during the international Chemiepokal. He also won the first time in his career the german Championships. In the final Culcay beat Rinat Karimow on points 15:10.
Afterwards Culcay reached an excellent 5th place. In the semi finals he lost to the winner of the tournament Demetrius Andrade (USA).
The success story continued in 2008: After 2nd place in the previous year Culcay won the international Chemiepokal. In the finals he outclassed the australian Gerard O’Mahony 22:7. Culcay was voted best technical fighter of the tournament.
At the olympic games Culcay suffered a setback. In a very close fight he lost to the South Korean Kim Jung Joo 11:11, he lost on the grounds of a lower world ranking.
However according to Culcay it was very important experience to be part of the olympic games.
The defeat of the olympics was quickly forgotten as Jack won the german championchip the second time. In the final he defeated Dieter Döhl on points 10:7.
In the same year Jack accomplished the biggest achievement in his young career winning the second place of the european championships in Liverpool (England). During the final Jack was leading by two points (5:3). But 15 seconds before the end of the third round the ringdoctor stopped the fight because an old cut reopened.
In the german Bundesliga Culcay remained unbeaten fighting for Hertha BSC. His team came second place at the end of the season.
During the world championchips in Milano 2009 Jack lived up to the high expectations and won the golden medal beating the Russian Andrej Zamkovoy 7:4.
