CRIOLOSPORTS FEATURED ATHLETE: Vladine Biosse, From Cape Verde to Providence

Born in Cape Verde, the 27-year-old Boxer, Vladine Biosse, moved to Providence at 13 years old. His love for sports started with Soccer. “Sports are in my blood,” he explained. “Everyone in our family grew up like that from watching my father, an ex-soccer player.

The fact he didn’t speak any English and didn’t play football caused some social problems for Vladine. These problems eventually got him into playing football. “When I first moved here I was the odd guy out because I played soccer and ran track. I tried to make friends but the kids in my neighborhood and school teased me because I didn’t play football. My senior year at Hope High School I decided to try football. I liked it and went on to play at Dean College (2-time Junior College All-America player) and the University of Rhode Island. I did well because I was always fast. I learned the game as I went along. I do think there are similarities between football and boxing. In football, you work as part of a team, train hard and study tapes of your opponents. I may be fighting alone in the ring, but boxing takes a team effort, too, with your corner men playing a big part. The only big difference is football’s played on a field; boxing is in a ring”, he said.

Vlad, didn’t start boxing until he moved to Providence. He had a 25-3 amateur record, including four overseas tournaments as a member of the Cape Verdean National Boxing Team. He captured a silver medal at the African Games and qualified to be a member of the 2008 Cape Verdean Olympic Team, but he didn’t get an opportunity to compete in Beijing due to lack of funding.

“Vlad is a neighborhood hero,” promoter Jimmy Burchfield said. “He is a graduate of Hope High School and the University of Rhode Island, where he played football. Vlad is a true gentleman who is doing a great job in the Cape Verdean community. He’s an exciting performer who is working hard to become a top prize fighter.”

He is one of the lucky few who have an incredibly high (or no) ceiling. Vlad has deadly power, he’s dedicated to the gym and staying in shape, he has a great personality and people come to see him fight. Very few fighters understand the do’s and don’ts of the fight game but Vladine Biosse does.

“I understand it’s not all about boxing,” Biosse remarked about his rising popularity, especially in the Cape Verdean community. “My college education has helped me realize that boxing is a sport in which you have to perform, but it’s also showbiz and there’s a need to entertain. Someday, I want to be world champion, and I’m working hard to reach that goal.

The former University of Rhode Island football player and current undefeated super middleweight (6-0, 4 KOs) continues his remarkable journey from Cape Verde to Providence and into the ring, on an ESPN televised event on Friday July 9th 2010, at the Twin River Event center in Lincoln, R.I.









Watch Interview with  Vladine Biosse



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