Ex-Champ John Ruiz Opens Medford Gym; Andre Chiefs Summer Comes to an End

Two-time World Boxing Association Heavyweight Champion and Chelsea native John “The Quietman” Ruiz is nowhere near finished with the sport he has dedicated the majority of his life to. While Ruiz may have knocked out his last opponent in the ring, he will now be diverting his energies towards helping aspiring young prizefighters to knock out theirs.

Ruiz, 39, recently opened the Quietman Sports Gym, inside the Gold’s Gym off Mystic Valley Parkway in Medford. The new gym is a full-contact facility, with a boxing ring and a cage for mixed martial arts, wrestling, jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai fighting. The Quietman Sports Gym also features a full spate of boxing and full-contact fighting classes, with personal and semi-private instruction, self-defense classes and white collar boxing.

The gym opened last month, but the official grand opening is set for Sunday, Sept. 17.

Chiefs Fall in Title Series

The Intercity Baseball League Playoffs came to a conclusion last week, although it certainly wasn’t the one the Andre Chiefs were hoping for.

The Lexington Blue Sox captured a record-setting fifth consecutive ICL crown at the expense of the Chiefs, despite being pushed all the way to a decisive fifth game by the tenacious, and, at times, seemingly charmed franchise which calls Medford’s Tufts University home.

Game four of the best-of-five series will live in the annals of ICL lore for some time to come, as Mike Andre broke a 2-2 deadlock in the 10th inning with a majestic two-out grand slam that sent the Chiefs home walk-off winners and forced the pivotal game five tilt the following day. Jared Freni turned in a true workhorse effort, firing all ten frames while fanning 11. Justin Crisafulli drove in the Chiefs’ other two runs.

After all the tension and drama of the previous game, the clincher possessed none of the above. It was as if the baseball gods finally turned their favor from the Chiefs, and Lexington ran out to an easy 10-0 victory in the finale to capture their record-breaking title. Drew Brzozowski turned in a complete game three-hitter to end the Chiefs title chase, while Andre starter Tim Dunphy went no further than the fourth inning.

Walsh named AD at Saint Clement’s

On August 28, Saint Clement School announced the appointment of Timothy E. Walsh as the school’s new athletic director. Walsh brings 36 years of experience teaching and managing all aspects of high school sports and education to the position.

Saint Clement’s competes in the Catholic Conference Small School Division, and most squads begin meaningful competition next week.