User:Elisabetaq/Sandbox:Sascha Blasi

Sascha Blasi Sascha Blasi, nick-named by fans: The Gladiator, America's warrior, Sexy Sasch and Baby Face. Blasi, is an American professional boxer, business man and actor, and he is considered by many boxing experts to be the best and most talented heavyweight in the world. Some have called him "boxing’s best kept secret." In 2008, boxing insider Robert Sheer, predicted Blasi will become the first boxer to generate over a half a billion dollars in revenue, surpassing Evander Holyfield  and Oscar De La Hoya. Year 2008 marked Blasi's much anticipated return to the ring after a lay off due to a dragged out custody battle. Blasi's training staff called the lay off; "A blessing in disguise, as it let his body heal, rejuvenate and mature after twenty plus years of training. And because of that, he is bigger, stronger, and faster than before.  He is more dangerous than ever."

Family and early life
Sascha Blasi was born in New York, NY the son Gigi and Ernest Blasi. His mother is a former model and his father is a mechanical engineer. His sister, Elke Blasi, is a film producer/director. Blasi was raised a devout Roman Catholic in a very tight-knit, loving and caring home. The family moved to Long Island, NY when Blasi was a young child. He attended public school where it was discovered he had a slight speech impediment (lisp) and some reading difficulties. At the end of the school year, Blasi's parents made the decision to enroll their son at Old Westbury School Of The Holy Child, a prominent private catholic school currently called Holy Child Academy. Blasi credits the school for resolving both, his lisp and reading difficulties, in record time. While at Holy Child, Blasi was given an independent IQ test where he scored in the high 150's! He also credits the school for discovering and cultivating his athletic talents. Blasi would give tours of the campus, during open house visits, to parents considering the school for their children. As a child, Blasi traveled often with his parents and sister and regularly spent a month out of the summer at their vacation home with immediate and extended family. Blasi has stated "Those were great times". Blasi excelled in many sports and was a star athlete in school. His love for hockey and boxing lead him to Canada where he lived with a family in order to play for a Major Junior "A" team. He also lived in Catskill, NY with legendary boxing trainer, Kevin Rooney, best known for taking Mike Tyson to the heavyweight Championship of the world. Blasi often added years to his age while playing hockey and boxing. This allowed him to play at an elite level when he was not yet allowed to. "Coaches wanted more mature, experienced players, so I would tell them what they wanted to hear". During the last year of high school, Blasi's parents enlisted a private tutor for their son, at his request, due to his heavy travel schedule between hockey and boxing. The tutor assured the reluctant couple that their son would be just as educated as if he were in a regular classroom if not more so. Blasi was torn between playing professional hockey or becoming a professional boxer. Ultimately he chose boxing.

Athlete
While in school, Blasi was an outstanding athlete, winning numerous MVP titles in several sports. Blasi's combination of speed and power made him hard to contend with in any sport. In high school, he would regularly run the 40 yard dash in 4.24/4.25. and squat close to 500 pounds. Although Blasi excelled in many sports, including football, La Cross, and baseball, Blasi's heart lied with hockey and boxing. He went on to play Major "A" hockey in Canada and prep school hockey in New England and would box on Long Island, NY during the off season. During the mid 80's, Blasi occasionally practiced and scrimmaged with the New York Islanders and credits that kind of exposure to his gaining the experience needed to play at the elite level. After being named MVP for the B.T.S.A All-Star team, seven time Stanley Cup champion and hall of famer Bryan Troitter, along with coach Keith McAdams, stated “Blasi would be a dominate force at the highest levels of hockey.” In 1988 Blasi won a Silver Medal for the New York Islanders- Skate, Stick and Shoot skills- tournament and was named the MVP for the county All-Star team. During the summer of 1988, Blasi attended Huron Hockey Training Camp, an elite school where NHL (National Hockey League) and Major Junior "A" players gathered for the summer months, to fine tune and show case their talents to NHL coaches and scouts. It is there that Blasi caught the eye of many NHL scouts, in particular a scout from the Edmonton Oilers and coach Ted Sator. Everything pointed to the start of a promising NHL career when for reasons unknown to many, Blasi unexpectedly and abruptly ended his hockey career by walking away from the sport for ever. Speculation was Blasi simply loved boxing more than he loved hockey.

Tragedy Strikes in 2000
During the summer of 2000, Blasi's long time trainer and friend coach John was killed when a single engine plane, piloted by Jack Gambino, crashed en route from New York to Florida. Coach John, a passenger on the plane, was on his way to a business meeting when tragedy struck. Blasi was at his Long Island home when he received the news. He was described as shocked and devastated. It was well known the two not only had a trainer to fighter relationship, but an older brother to younger brother relationship as well. The two were close and when Coach John died, Blasi's career suffered a set- back. Coach John was known for his unorthodox training principles and was solely credited for developing Blasi's jab and left hook which is considered today as one of the best in the heavyweight division. In 2003-2004, Blasi and world class trainer Phil Borja discussed the possibility of working together. The two had meat through coach John years prior. In the end Blasi did not want to relocate to Las Vegas and leave his young daughter behind and Borja was unable to move back to New York. The union never materialized. During my boxing career I have met just a handful of good trainers. They are a rare breed. Guys like Coach John, Rooney, Borja, Cardona, Trimble and Higgins are hard to come by. They understand the sport, they understand the fighter. It takes a lot more than a conditioning coach or a trainer yelling inspirational quotes at you from the corner. If I wanted a cheerleader, I'd ask the local football team if I could borrow a few of theirs. There are very few first rate trainers in the world. Most are second rate, third rate and no rate trainers. It's amazing to me how a person who never threw a punch, a real punch in their life, decides to throw a towel over their shoulder and call themselves a trainer. So, if I grab a golf club and head over to the putting green, does that make me a pro golf instructor? I don't think so. There is an art to boxing; after all, it is called the sweet science. I like to call it a very fast paced game of chess. When you have trained with the best, it's hard to settle for anything less. ~Sascha Blasi On why he has found it hard to get along with certain trainers.

New Trainer
In the spring of 2009, Blasi's handlers had a brief telephone meeting with arguably the best trainer in the world, Floyd Mayweather Sr. During the conference call, it was agreed upon that Mayweather Sr. would take over training duties for team Blasi starting in fall of 2009. Blasi was described as extremely happy about the union.

Business
Blasi has been partially credited for the start-up of many successful Internet companies, back in the mid to late 90's, which millions of Internet users utilize today. In late 2007 Blasi developed and patented a product called Sleep My Little Baby. The product has been nominated for the 2009 Product of the Year Award. Sleep My Little Baby became available in retail stores in April of 2009. Industry analyst, Jeff Abraham, projects domestic revenue for the 2009 fiscal year in upwards of $50 million. In October 2008, it was reported that Blasi stands to make billions, if he were to accept an offer from a syndicate of overseas investment banks wanting to bring his company public on the London Stock Exchange with an IPO. Estimates by investment bankers valued the future IPO at approximately $1-$3 billion. If and when Blasi decides to take his company public, he has stated he would like to possibly bring in Ms. Lisa Buyer to help shepherd the company through its IPO. Blasi's advisors have strongly suggested waiting for the economic crisis to pass before filling for an IPO. There has been some talk about a possible partnership between Blasi and billionaire business moguls Tom Gores and Mark Cuban. Exactly what type of partnership and what type of project has been keep under wraps. Speculation say it might be some type of a production company. On February 24 2009, one of Blasi's business offices located in Farmingdale, NY was destroyed by an early morning fire. It took three hours and over two hundred firefighters to put out the blaze. No one was hurt and nothing of any significant value was lost in the fire as all of the company’s technical equipment, data systems and other valuable items were housed at the company’s main head quarters.

Charity Work
Once a year, since 1994, Blasi randomly selects a soup kitchen in New York City where he feeds the homeless for the day. In 1995 Blasi was pulled over by police while delivering food to a church located in New Castle, NY, after asking a known gang member for directions. The officers quickly recognized Blasi as the Golden Gloves Boxer and realized he was delivering food and was not there for any other reason. The officer gave Blasi the correct directions to the church and suggested he be careful in that part of town. At the start of each winter, Blasi and his daughter hand out blankets together at church to people that have lost their heat. He makes it a point to involve his daughter so she can learn that not everyone is as fortunate as others and it is good to help those who are not. Blasi believes these are the values and memories she will grow up remembering. Each Christmas Blasi organizes visits from Santa to children who are less fortunate. Santa makes stops at local hospitals, homes and foster homes. In December of 2008, a celebrity website reported seeing a homeless man approach Blasi while he was Christmas shopping in New York City. The man apparently asked Blasi for some spare change. Blasi walked the man to a nearby restaurant and bought him lunch. They chatted for a few minutes. He wished the man well and left to continue his shopping. The homeless man ate his lunch and was visibly touched.

Delicate Surgery
In 2004 Blasi noticed a dime sized nodule on the left side of his neck. After consulting with his doctor, it was determined Blasi would receive two weeks of antibiotics to see if the nodule was the cause of an infection. After two weeks there was no improvement and it is was determined the nodule needed to be removed and tested. Blasi wanted to be awake during the surgery and Dr. Alan Sleepian agreed Blasi should be able to communicate with him during the delicate procedure. The nodule was sitting on the major nerve that controlled the left arm. Dr. Sleepian was especially concerned about any potential damage that could occur to the nerve due to Blasi's profession. During the surgery, Blasi stayed perfectly still and communicated with the surgeon about what he was feeling. The surgery was a success and no damage occurred to the nerve. It was determined the nodule was a swollen lymph node due to inflammation caused by trauma. The removal of the lymph node proved to be beneficial in relieving the pain and neck twitching Blasi had been experiencing for years.

Mercury Toxicity
In 1999 Blasi began developing weird symptoms. Some included vertigo, arrhythmia, dizziness, tachycardia and patches of hair loss. The symptoms were sporadic at first, but as the months pasted, they became severe and frequent. Blasi went through a battery of tests to determine the problem. After cardiac, blood and neurological test, all came back negative Blasi stated "It was a bitter sweet moment on one hand I was happy nothing was wrong, but on the other I was back to square one in determining what was causing the symptoms." It took close to another year before doctors determined Blasi was suffering from mercury toxicity. The discovery came when Blasi and a nurse were conversing about nutrition. The alert nurse recognized the problem might lie with Blasi's frequent consumption of tuna. He told the nurse he was eating two pieces of tuna daily seven days per week. Tests revealed Blasi was ingesting fifty six times the EPA'S recommended daily allowance of tuna. The EPA states: an individual’s mercury levels should not be above 99. A mercury test revealed Blasi's levels were close to 1500. Blasi was told to stop consuming tuna and all other seafood immediately. Over the next several months, Blasi went through a detoxification program by flushing his body with vitamins, minerals and other natural detox methods. Eventually Blasi's mercury levels began to drop and all of his symptoms were reversed. Blasi credits the alert nurse for recognizing the problem.

Unauthorized Pictures
In the winter of 1997, while undressing in a locker room in Canada, Blasi was unsuspectingly photographed by Emily Chase, a freelance photographer for a local sports magazine. Blasi was alerted when Chase stated on her web site she had taken nude photos of pro athletes, while hiding in lockers rooms, and intended to post them on the Internet. Among other athletes she photographed were well known Canadian hockey players. After Blasi threatened to file a lawsuit if any pictures of him were used, Chase was quoted as saying " I don't know why he is so upset.  He has nothing to be embarrassed about.  He is obviously blessed in a certain area." Blasi responded with a letter from his attorney. Ultimately the photos were destroyed and none ever made it to the world wide web.

Hollywood
In 2007 Blasi accepted a small role in the major motion picture *69 set for release in 2010. He agreed to the role on the condition that all his scenes be shot on days he was not with his daughter in order not to miss any time with her. In 2009 he accepted a co-starring role in the much anticipated film Dogs Of War. Although the cast has been kept confidential, it is said to be star studded. Once again, Blasi requested his scenes be shot on certain days to accommodate his parenting time.

Relationships
Over the years, Blasi has been romantically linked to several Hollywood starlets. In the late 80's early 90's, before Sascha Blasi was Sascha Blasi and before Pamela Anderson was Pamela Anderson, it has been said the two were an item, while Blasi was playing Major "A" hockey in Anderson's home town of Vancouver Canada. Blasi has denied ever dating the much older Anderson and explained this by pointing out his then Canadian girl-friend bared a striking resemblance to Anderson. So much so, people would ask him if he was dating the Labatts girl. (Anderson was a model for Labatts Beer) While playing hockey for a prep school in New England, Blasi was introduced to Jamie Hertz by her younger brother Scott, who was a teammate of Blasi. The introduction was made shortly after Hertz stared in the movie The Lost Boys. It was rumored the two had a brief, but steamy relationship. Blasi has denied the relationship. Other notable actresses Blasi has denied being romantically involved with Molly Sims, Jessica Biel, Bree Williamson, Erica Durance.

There would be absolutely no reason for me to deny dating anyone. Just because you meet someone or talk to someone does not mean you are dating or having a sexual relationship with that person. It's sad two people can't even talk without it being misconstrued as something other than what it is. It is a very narrow minded way of thinking. I feel it's our society’s insatiable appetite for gossip that leads to this type of thinking. ~ Sascha Blasi- About his rumored relationships.

Fatherhood
On September 18, 2000 Blasi became the proud father of a baby girl. Since then, Blasi has been described by all as a loving, caring and doting father, who always puts his daughter first. School teachers described his daughter as a child who adores her father and lights up whenever she talks about him. Neighbors affectionately call Blasi Mr. Mom because of his hands on approach and his doing the motherly duties his ex wife neglected to do.

Divorce
Blasi married Michelle Wetteland during the summer of 2000. On September 18, 2000 the couple celebrated the birth of their baby girl named Taylor at Mercy Hospital in Rockville Center, New York. The couple separated after three years and ultimately ended their marriage. Blasi stated in an interview that Wetteland was impossible to get along with and refused to elaborate any further out of respect for his daughter. The court appointed Physiologist echoed Blasi's sentiment and testified in court that Wetteland was a person who would have trouble getting along with anybody she entered a relationship with, including her own daughter. He went on to say that her daughter would rebel against her mother out of resentment when she was older.

Custody Battle
Blasi originally had wanted joint custody with his ex wife, however Wetteland had petitioned the court for sole custody and sought to limit the time Blasi would have with their daughter. In a recent interview Blasi was quoted as saying "what kind of mother, what kind of person or decent human being does not want the father of their child to be part of the child's life for absolutely no good reason. Being bitter and vindictive over a failed marriage and taking it out on the child is unacceptable.  Using the child as a weapon as a tool in order to get back at me is unacceptable.  Any mother who thinks it's OK for a child to be without a full time dad who has been there from the begging is not much of a mother and is only thinking of themselves and not the child.  Any good Psychologist will tell you the same thing.  I 'm not talking about a Psychologist like Gary Aumiller who only gets appointed because he's the lowest bidder.  I'm not talking about a Psychologist like Gary Aumiller who has pornographic material on his computer while children and I are in his office. I 'm talking about a Psychologist who actually takes pride in what he or she does and actually is out for the best interest of the child. Not to go in whatever direction he thinks the judge wants him to in order to get reappointed. What I want to know is what kind of law guardian is Margaret Schaefler to condone such behavior? The answer to that is a corrupt, unethical and a biased one. One who does not care about the truth, but only cares about getting reappointed. Anyone can look at the court papers, the minutes and see exactly what I am talking about. This so called law guardian (Schaefler) acted like second counsel to my ex wife instead of a lawyer to my child and what was in her best interest. The way I see it is either Schaefler has no children, or is not a very good parent if she does. Because any good parent, any good law guardian, would see this type of parenting is unacceptable. I, you, everybody in general have to ask: is this what they call in the best interest of the child? I didn't know parent alienation was in the best interest of any child. Any law guardian, any Psychologist, any court official who allows and condones this type of behavior is no better than the person committing the act and should be immediately disbarred and removed from their position."

Custody Battle Aftermath
Before the custody trial began Blasi consulted with several high ranking public officials to voice his concern about getting a fair trial. He became concerned after hearing horror stories from parents who had already dealt with the court system and some of the same individuals he would be dealing with. He followed the advice of the officials and recorded ever phone conversation and every meeting with everyone who was involved in his case, including; the law guardian Margaret Schaefler, the psychologist Gary Aumiller, and his ex- wife. Blasi was told he would not be allowed to audio tape the trial, as no recording devices were allowed in the court room. Blasi counter acted this by inviting two reporters to his trial. The two sat in during the trial quietly and took notes. The two reporters are currently putting the final touches on the investigation and it will air during the summer of 2009, at which point the evidence gathered will be turned over to who Blasi describes as "the highest people you can go to." Currently Blasi is finishing a book on his whole ordeal and says his story and all of the evidence gathered will be there for people to see. The two reporters will also have two chapters in the book describing the unfair treatment Blasi received during the trial. The book is being backed by a powerhouse publishing company, and Blasi will be retaining the services of Public Relations master, Gary Lewi from Rubenstien and Associates.  Blasi makes it clear that every penny he receives from book sales will go to different charities.

Court Corruption
There was growing concern within the Blasi camp during the trial about comments his ex wife, Michelle Wetteland, had made throughout the trial. She stated to Blasi there would be no way he would win a decision in court, due to the fact that her good friend was good friends with court officials, including the presiding Judge Donald R. Blydenburgh. She was seen on three different occasions sitting behind Wetteland, during the trial, and on one of those occasions was seen using a pass around her neck to enter chambers during a recess. Feeling he was not getting a fair trial, Blasi, on two occasions, asked Judge Blydenburgh to recuse himself from the case. Blydenburgh refused both times. Blasi has stated if need be, he will be filling charges with the Justice Department against anyone who may have corrupted the outcome of the trial.

Diner Incident-Police Called
In 1996 police were called to the Empress Diner located in East Meadow, NY after an altercation erupted between Blasi, his two colleges and twelve other men. The following are from eye witness accounts and police reports. On May 17 at approximately 12:30 am Blasi had gone to the Empress Diner after his security detail (body guard shift) to meet up with two other bodyguards, who were also long time friends. This had become a ritual between the three. At approximately 12:50 am a group of twenty four (twelve men and twelve women ) walked into the diner. Witnesses at the scene described the men in the group as bikers on steroids. At some point a female from the group walked to the bathroom. Two teenage boys seated at a nearby table made a comment to themselves on how attractive the woman was. The women overheard the comment and upon returning to her table informed the group she had been disrespected. The group of twenty four proceeded to confront the two teens. The diner's manager and employees attempted to settle the group down. The men in the group became very agitated at the manager and employees for getting involved, and began to violently beat them along with the two teens. One waitress was thrown to the ground when she tried to intervene. The cash resister was thrown through the front window which hit a patron walking up the steps of the diner. Approximately two hundred patroons witnessed the altercation.

The senior waitress ran to the back of the diner to tell Blasi and his colleagues what was happening and asked if there was anything they could do to help. The trio sprang into action and quickly found themselves in a battle against a dozen men. The melee eventually spilled into the parking lot and onto the middle of Hempstead turnpike, bringing cars to a halt. A waitress called 911 and was told all units were responding to a call at the other end of town, but would try to send units to the diner soon. The waitress was heard crying to hurry, that they were killing each other. One male witness at the scene stated "the three men were seriously outnumbered, but you would never have guessed it. The three were fighting hard and were not messing around.  They appeared to be really good fighters." A female witness named Karen stated "It was really scary to watch. These three guys were really fighting for their lives; some of the other guys had weapons.  There was nothing any of us could do, fifteen big guys were killing each other, the only thing we could do was hope the good guys would come out on top."

It would be close to twenty minutes before police finally arrived. By then, the twelve men were badly beaten and some were unconscious. Responding officers were shocked to see the damage that had occurred to the establishment and to the twelve men. At first, the officers believed there were much more than just three men who had beaten the other men and that the rest must had fled the scene. After witnesses gave their statements to police, it became clear that Blasi and the other two had not only saved the diner from any further damage, but they had also saved the manager, staff and the two teens. Officer O'Maly was on scene and stated "The manager was lucky these three guys were here tonight. The other male subjects picked the wrong place and the wrong people to start with tonight; chalk one up for the good guys." In the end, seven of the men were taken to the hospital. The other five were arrested at the scene. It is unknown if charges were filed by the diner. Blasi and his two colleges had no serious injuries and declined to press charges. Police recovered a lead pipe, an ax handle and a knife at the scene, all belonging to the arrested men. The parents of the two teens were grateful the three took a stand and decided to protect their children.