Infectious Boyd Melson making difference in spinal cord research, one fight at a time

Boyd Melson is on the other end of the telephone, talking. And talking. And talking. He sounds like a football coach pulling out the "Win one for the Gipper," speech.

He's "obsessed," he says in one breath, about finding a way to help those with chronic spinal cord injuries to get out of their wheelchairs and walk, and to see them resume normal lives.

"Can you imagine how great that would be?" he says, without giving one an option to think anything but, yes, that would be the greatest thing ever.

In the next breath, he's talking about his fighting career and his ambition to win a world title. Anyone who understands professional boxing and knows the type of commitment it demands, the sacrifices it requires, and the skill it takes, knows it's a pipe dream.

Melson is 30 and has a full-time job at Johnson & Johnson, as well as what amounts to a full-time job as a fund-raiser. As he's talking, it seems like he's doing two or three other things at once. He barely has the time to commit to a telephone conversation, let alone a fight career.

Melson, though, is a true believer. No one does anything without trying and, by golly, he's going to try and try as only he can.

"I never say I can't do something," Melson said. "I started boxing late. I don't have the wear and tear on my body a lot of these guys who started when they were little kids have. And I have a motivation to become a champion that not a lot of people do.

"The better I do, the more prominent and successful I am as a boxer, the louder my voice is. I believe I was put on this planet to help find a cure for chronic spinal cord injury and to give help to those who need it. If I win the world title, I will have that huge platform to give voice to the cause."

Christan Zaccagnino has known Melson for a bit more than 10 years they met at the Thirsty Turtle in White Plains, N.Y., on June 22, 2002, to be exact, she says and she doesn't bother trying to corral Melson.

Especially when fight time approaches, Zaccagnino has learned it's best to keep her distance. Melson, 8-1, fights Khalik Memminger on Thursday at Roseland Ballroom in New York.

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Infectious Boyd Melson making difference in spinal cord research, one fight at a time