Steve Blitman is ready
for a good fight

By Joe Mason
For the Times

Steve Blitman never wavered.
When Blitman started his amateur boxing career two years ago, he just wanted to get in shape and have a little fun.
Now he’s still in the ring for the same reason. But things are a little different for the man known on the boxing circuit as the "Hitman."
"It’s still the same, but I think people treat me different because I’ve done pretty well," said Blitman, who is 12-1-1 in his career. "I just go out and have fun. The training takes up a lot of time — I usually work out six days a week, three in the gym, three in the ring, but I’m still doing it for fun."
Still, when Blitman steps between the ropes, you can be sure of a couple things.
One, he’s going to bring a powerful punch.
Two, he’s going to bring a lot of fans.
"I have a pretty good following," said Blitman, a 1998 graduate of Northeast High School. "Most of it is my friends, people who like watching me fight. It’s fun because no one thought of me as a fighter, but now that they’ve seen me, they want to come and watch me. To them, I’m still Steve, but now I’m Steve who is knocking people out."
Blitman will go for another KO on July 12 as part of Gary Barbera’s War at the Shore in Atlantic City, N.J. He will square off with John Mercurio, who stands well over 6 feet and weighs 250 pounds.
If you’re keeping track, he’s a lot taller than the 5-foot-11 Blitman. He also weighs roughly 50 pounds more than the Hitman.
No problem.
Size might favor Mercurio, but Blitman credits his seven years of service in the Civil Air Patrol (think the Air Force version of ROTC) and his year on the Northeast High School wrestling team for his nimble feet and stamina.
"Usually, when I go up against guys like him, they’re much slower," Blitman said. "I’ll go out and dance around and work the body. I’m still going to go after him, I always fight. I used to be more of a brawler, but I’ve worked on combinations and stuff like that. I’m going to be ready and I’m going to be in shape.
"I’m putting in as much hard work as I can," said Blitman, who grew up near Tyson and Algon avenues. "I just go to the gym as much as possible and work at everything."
The gym part isn’t too difficult, but now that he’s achieved some success, things are getting a bit more hectic.
In addition to getting sponsors, Bitman has to make sure his friends and family get tickets to all of his fights. And just like Rocky Balboa, he still has a day job.
Blitman runs a T-Mobile store in Olney. That means he has to find free time to train.
"If I didn’t like it, it would be a pain," he said. "But I have to look good for the girls, and I have to be ready when I get in there. People don’t want to see a fat fighter who isn’t ready.
"I’m still learning a lot, but I’ve done pretty well," he added. "I’ve never met the canvas and I’ve hit some guys pretty hard. It’s still kind of new, but I’m right where I want to be."
Blitman’s immediate concern, of course, is July 12. Although he’s not the main event — the featured bout pits NBC10 sports anchor Vai Sikahema against former baseball player and current poster child for steroids, Jose Canseco — Blitman still hopes to entertain his old fans while attracting new ones.
"With gas prices the way they are, I’m not sure how many people will get out there, but I’m hoping a lot," he said. "I’m pretty excited because (Mercurio) is tough, but I’m thinking I can take him. Then I can watch my boy Vai beat up Canseco.
"Vai is my guy," Blitman said. "He’s been on other cards with me and he’s always a great guy. I want to see him beat up Jose. Then we’ll have the after party at the Borgata. That’s going to be fun, that’s where the action continues."
But right now he’s all business, and he hopes to gain about 15 pounds in the next two weeks to bulk up for the fight. That means lifting weights and lifting the fork.
"I’ve spent more time with the weights because of this," he said. "And I’m eating about three-thousand calories a day, instead of two-thousand. Lots of pasta, lots of chicken. And I’m all-natural. I’m not getting any tips from Canseco; I take no supplements and nothing funny. Can’t do that if you want to succeed."
Blitman, a 27-year-old graduate of Temple University, realizes that his chances of reaching the big time are tough because of his late start in the fight game.
He’s OK with that. He’s content with living a dream while honoring his favorite ex-athlete and taking part in his favorite sport.
"Growing up, I always loved Mike Tyson and loved boxing," he said. "With mixed martial arts, people kind of stopped watching boxing. But I’ve watched them both, and I can tell you, I think boxing is so much better.
"And I know he had a bad rep and everything, but when he was in the ring, no one was better than Mike Tyson. He just took care of business," the Hitman said. "I still have posters of him on my wall. I’m a fan, maybe that’s why I have so much fun out there."
Especially when he wins.
"I knew I’d be good when I got involved, so I’m not surprised that I have twelve wins," he said. "It’s funny how things work out. It’s fun, but I’m still pretty dedicated and I’m in great shape. If you do that, that’s about all you can do. Then you just go out and see what happens." ••
For tickets and information about the fight, call 267-468-2875.
Joe Mason can be reached at joemason70@hotmail.com