Pictured here is Jordan's most famous boxer, Mohammed Abu Khadija. The guy is massive, intimidating, and one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. He grew up in the Baqa'a Palestinian refugee camp just north of Amman. It is one of the most densely populated patches of ground on earth and a very rough place. Khadija quickly rose to become Jordan's most promising boxer, training under an Iraqi coach who defected just before the first gulf war. His career highpoint came when he qualified for the 2004 Olympics in Greece. To make extra money Khadija worked as a security guard at a particularly rough coffee shop inside the camp (like the one pictured below). A few weeks before he was set to leave for the Olympics a gang of seven men entered the coffee shop and stabbed Khadija several times. He fought back and ended up killing two of them with only his hands. In the US this would clearly be self-defense, but here in Jordan he spent over a year in jail awaiting trial. He was found innocent, but by the time he was released the Olympics were over and he was too old to qualify for the 2008 games. He is now the head boxing coach for country of Jordan. Walking with him through the camp was like walking around Philadelphia with Rocky.
now that is really cool....
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