Fair Lawn Native Loses in NJ Golden Gloves Title Bout

Updated at Saturday, April 14 at 2 p.m.

Fair Lawn's Jeff Della Valle came up short in his New Jersey Golden Gloves title fight against Paterson's Ben Diaz on Friday night, losing a very close fight by split decision. It was the third time the pair had fought during the double-elimination Golden Gloves tournament and both men were prepared and cautious against the other. In the end, however, the judges deemed that Diaz had prevailed.

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When one thinks of the prototypical pugilist, he likely doesn’t envision someone anything like Jeff Della Valle.

A 27-year-old technology sales support staffer with a degree in physical therapy from Hartford University, Della Valle has dreams of returning to school for his MBA in a few years.

Yet Friday at the 5 Star Boxing Gym in Plainfield, Della Valle, a stocky 5-foot-4-inch graduate, will face off against Paterson’s Ben Diaz for the prestigious New Jersey Golden Gloves boxing championship in the 132-pound novice division.

While he’s always enjoyed watching boxing, grew up with a heavy bag in his basement and is a devoted fan of the Rocky movies, Della Valle only took up the sport seriously about two years ago.

After a light sparring session at Body Designs in Paramus with his future trainer -- former professional boxer Joel Mendoza -- Della Valle was hooked. 

He had finally found a sport where his height was not a disadvantage.

“I’m a small guy,” said the 5-foot-4-inch Della Valle, who was primarily a lacrosse player in high school. “I’ve always played sports where everyone’s bigger than me…It’s nice to compete against people my own size for once.”

Even in the 132-pound weight class, Della Valle typically gives up three or four inches to his opponents. But what he lacks in height, he makes up for with superior strength.

“I’ve always been pretty strong for my weight,” he said. “So that’s one thing going for me.”

At the amateur level where knockouts are few and far between, however, Della Valle said he’s learned that endurance and repetition are more valuable characteristics in the ring.

“My first couple matches I just tried to bully people,” he said. “I thought I was a tough guy because I had power, but I’ve been learning that throwing more punches is the way to go.”

Della Valle’s championship fight Friday will be his second in as many tournaments. In the Diamond Gloves tournament this past fall -- the only other tournament he’s entered – Della Valle lost in the championship.

He likes his chances against Diaz in Friday’s title bout. They’ve already squared off twice in this five-man double elimination Golden Gloves tournament.

Diaz won the first match, but Della Valle got his revenge last Saturday with a decisive victory over the theretofore-undefeated Diaz. 

“The first time around I was tense,” Della Valle said of his first bout with Diaz. “When you’re tense you use a lot of unnecessary energy. I got tired quickly.”

He came out relaxed in his rematch with Diaz, more concerned with having a good fight than the eventual outcome. The more casual approach paid off.

“I handled him pretty well,” said Della Valle, who with a win Friday would bring home the first-ever championship to LA Boxing in Paramus, where he trains. “There’s a little bit of pressure on me, but I’m trying to stay relaxed and just fight well instead of thinking of winning or losing.”

Della Valle is trained by both Mendoza, who originally introduced him to the sport, and Mike Rizzo, whom he met after starting to train at LA Boxing about a year ago.

Della Valle said he spends about 15 hours per week training for boxing on top of his full-time tech support job at an Allendale biotechnology supplier.

“The tough part is that every day feels like the same,” said Della Valle, who gets home from training around 9 each night, showers, eats and goes to bed. “It’s like Groundhog Day.”

When he’s not at the gym, Della Valle’s running around town in a seven-mile loop that takes him up Fair Lawn Avenue to Saddle River Road, down Saddle River to Morlot Avenue, down Morlot to River Road, and up River back to Fair Lawn Avenue. 

You may even have thrown him a confused stare as he trudged down the street decked out in his high elevation mask.

“I ran around town the other day and people looked at me like I was crazy,” said Della Valle, who described his head gear as a gas mask with variable-sized nozzles that simulates high elevation and makes breathing difficult.

“I do running with that mask on. I do pad work, I do bag work with it on,” he said. “It just makes it hard for me to breath while I’m doing that work so when I take the mask off it’s a million times better.”

While Della Valle loves the rush of getting into the ring, he’s about ready for a break from his monotonous training regimen. Win or lose Friday, after the fight he’ll be taking a break that’ll extend through the summer, starting with a trip to Disney World next Friday.

“It would definitely be nice to win a championship and be able to say ‘I’m going to Disney World,” Della Valle said.

His fight with Diaz Friday begins at 7:30 p.m.