Fighting For His Life

Dewey Bozella spent 26 years behind bars after wrongfully being accused
of murder. On Saturday night, his dream came true when he fought Larry
Hopkins and won. He retired with a 1-0 record and will now open a gym to
help keep kids off the streets in Brooklyn.

Imagine spending 26 years behind bars for a crime you didn't commit. You sit in your cell day after day and watch all your hopes and dreams pass you by.

Dewey Bozella could have easily called it a life and packed it in. He could have became just another Average Joe trying to make his way in the world. Instead through anger and frustration of wrongful imprisonment in the Sing Sing prison, Bozella kept his dreams alive.

After being accused of killing 92-year-old Emma Craspar in 1983, Bozella spent his time in Sing Sing earning two college degrees. He also became the light heavyweight champion of Sing Sing before being exonerated in 2009.

Dreaming night after night of fighting in front of a crowd, Bozella finally got his wish on Saturday night. Not only did he fight, he beat Larry Hopkins by a unanimous decision, allowing the 52-year-old to retire with a 1-0 record.

"I used to lay in my cell and dream about this happening," Bozella said. "It was all worth it. It was my dream come true."

Many of us go through our entire lives and watch dreams fade away. Not Bozella. He watched his father beat his pregnant mother to death when he was 9 years old. Two of his brothers were murdered on the streets of Brooklyn.

Perhaps that's why he kept fighting — fighting for life and fighting for freedom.

After his release from prison, he managed to catch the eye of Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Productions — earning his license and fighting his way to the top. Now that his fight is over, Bozella said he plans to open a gym to help get kids off the streets.

Bozella is the epitome of having that never-give-up attitude. Its what helped him in the ring and its what will continue to help him as he tries to put the pieces of his life back together.