This is super featherweight boxer Monty Meza Clay (27 years old, 5'2", 129 lbs.) photographed one week before his bout with Mexican fighter Omar Lizarraga outside Pittsburgh. Because Monty is a much-loved resident of Rankin, PA, I chose to shoot his portrait inside the old Carrie Furnace, a defunct iron furnace that is awaiting re-development into a county park. The location seemed an appropriate metaphor for this tough-as-nails fighter, who has moved up the ranks to become top-ranked in numerous boxing associations. 

Meza-Clay turned pro after an unfortunate incident wherein he was beaten by local police officers for no apparently good reason. At the time he was an Olympic hopeful, but the injuries he sustained in the beating kept him from making the trials. One week after this photo was shot, Meza-Clay KO'd his opponent Lizarraga in just 91 seconds with a booming blow to the liver. The fight was so short, I didn't get any good shots of it, really. I was just getting situated alongside the ring when Lizarraga dropped to the canvas. I was like, "Is that it?" Yup. Unfortunately, Monty suffered a wrist injury during the brief bout (rumored to be broken, but not confirmed as of yet.) Hopefully, within the next 9 months, Monty will have a shot at the current WBO champ Steven Luevano. I plan to follow him through his training for this fight.