The NABF and WBC Cares are pleased to announce that it has formed a relationship with the Non-Profit Organization Merging Vets and Players (MVP) and will be supporting the MVP Mission.
The WBC Cares MVP initiative will be led by Boyd Melson and Jaime Cantu. Boyd is a retired professional boxer. He is a former WBC Junior Middleweight USNBC Champion as well as the WBC Ambassador of Peace and WBC Ambassador to the Military. Boyd is a Major in the U.S. Army Reserve, an Iraq Combat Veteran, a West Point Graduate, and a former Amateur World Military Boxing Champion. He serves on the Advisory Board for the Non-Profit STOP SOLDIER SUICIDE.
Jaime is a retired Sergeant First Class from the United States Army and father of WBC/NABF Champion Oscar “Lil Oscar” Cantu. He currently works with the Military Veterans Peer Network MVPN which helps link veterans and their family members to services, primarily those who are dealing with Mental Health issues due to experiencing PTSD, TBI and MST (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury and Military Sexual Trauma).
Both Melson and Cantu believe in the MVP mission statement which states “MVP empowers combat veterans and former professional athletes by connecting them after the uniform comes off; providing them with a new team to assist with transition, promote personal development, and show them they are never alone.”
Melson and Cantu will assist current and former professional boxers looking to be a part of the MVP mission as they transition out of the sport or have done so already. Any individual wanting additional information on joining or getting involved should contact these two directly. The skill-sets of professional boxers will compliment the training work-outs MVP has traditionally utilized that focus largely on boxing and grappling.
Merging Vets and Players (MVP) was created in 2015 by Jay Glazer (NFL Insider/Analyst) and Nate Boyer (Army Green Beret/NFL Alumni) to address the similar challenges combat veterans and former pro athletes face when the uniform comes off. The organization is built on their team’s years of experience coaching, mentoring, and leading men and women to their highest level of performance – in every sphere of life. If you are a combat veteran, including veterans who served in combat zones, or a former professional athlete.
Both Jay and Nate shared how positive they feel about this new relationship. “We are so grateful to have our MVP Tribe supported by the WBC. Whether you’re a Combat Vet or a former Pro Athlete we gotta “keep on punching,” and when we do get knocked down, understanding that it’s ok to let the people in my corner help pick me back up. We’re all in this together, and we’ll fight through to see another day” said Nate Boyer.
The organization hosts its sessions in seven different cities throughout America and two virtual chapters for its members. MVP is a free weekly program for combat veterans and former professional athletes who gather to work physically and mentally as individuals and as a team. Sessions consist of a workout involving boxing, mixed martial arts, and circuit training, followed by a post-workout chat called “The Huddle.” MVP is a community that allows members to lean on one another while navigating the labyrinth of transition, creating a new team of accountability and trust. The WBC Cares is proud to support their mission by referring and helping retired professional boxers join the fight in combating the negative stigmas surrounding mental health while utilizing their professional skill-sets at the same time.
For more information on Merging Vets and Players, visit www.vetsandplayers.org