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Adonis Frazier brings Minneapolis boxing pedigree to Paris Olympics

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Adonis Frazier brings Minneapolis boxing pedigree to Paris Olympics


One Minnesotan headed to the Paris Olympics might never appear on camera.

That fits his style.

Adonis Frazier, the fitness director at the famed Minneapolis gym that produced WBA welterweight champion Jamal James, is serving as an assistant coach on the USA boxing team.

On the phone from the USA’s training camp in Saarbrucken, Germany, Frazier pauses while a few of his cohorts walked by, loudly commenting on the “S” pendant he wears.

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“It’s supposed to represent Superman,” he said. “But sometimes I think it stands for ‘Stress.’”

The Frazier family tends to bite off as much as it can chew. Adonis’ father, Sankara, is the founder, executive director and head coach at the Circle of Discipline gym, which uses boxing to teach life skills, and engages in other forms of community service.

Sankara coaches James, the former champion who is trying to get another shot at a title.

“Jamal is still working at the Circle, still giving back,” Adonis said. “My father always told us, I don’t care if you guys become champion of the world, if I get a sense you’re not giving back, I’m not dealing with you.”

Adonis is a former boxer whose career was altered by a car accident. He, like his father, went into coaching, and now he states as his goal bringing the USA its first men’s boxing gold since 2004 and first women’s gold since 2016.

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“I’ve been a part of Team USA since 2017 and worked with the youth team and with the elites,” Adonis said. “We’ve been to the Pan Ams, the Netherlands, Thailand, Italy, Columbia, Guadalajara. I’ve been out to Colorado Springs quite a few times working with the U.S. team. We’ve done a lot of traveling, we just haven’t said much about it.”

That’s boxing’s lot in the modern sports world — every shred of attention must be earned. James recently threw out the first pitch at a Twins game, and the people at the Circle were surprised that it went unmentioned. They’re also proud of three young boxers from their gym who have made it to national silver and golden gloves tournaments — Luis Ortiz, Demarcus Murphy and Stevie Gomez.

The COD also runs a training camp in Barnum, Minn. that serves children, and which has received support from the Armory Foundation and MEI Total Elevator Solutions.

“I was hesitant about taking on Olympic coaching, because making the Circle great is always our family’s primary objective,” Adonis said. “But my whole family — my mother, my wife, my father, everybody — were like ‘Hey, man, go do it.’ It’s part of the legacy of the Circle and everything else in the Frazier name. So I thought, let’s go ahead and do this.’”

That legacy is growing. James won a title. The Fraziers are renowned coaches and role models. Former North High standout Omar Brown played safety at Nebraska and signed with the Denver Broncos. “He’s one of our cousins and he grew up in the Circle, as well,” Adonis said.

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Adonis’ son, Dasan, is a popular social media influencer and actor. “Which is funny, because when I was growing up, you never wanted people to know what you were doing,” Adonis said. “I don’t get social media, but he does. He just had his first role call with Tyler Perry. He’s going to meet me in Paris.”

Adonis’ daughter, Nia, boxes, and another product of the Circle, J.T. Baker, attended Cornell and works for J.P. Morgan.

Jamal James is 35, and still looking for high-level fights. Adonis said he had to pass on a couple of opportunities recently when Sankara was ill, but that “at 35, these days, he still has time.” Boxing may never return to its glory years, but the Fraziers have proved that it has its place, at least in Minneapolis.

When Adonis was coaching his daughter in a national tournament, he took a picture of her, and later saw a motto on a shirt behind her.

“It said, ‘Once you try boxing, everything else is easy,’” Adonis said. “I love that. My youngest son is fighting now. We’ve got five generations of fighters. I’m in Germany today because of the drive that my father instilled in me.

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“My wife works at the Circle. My mother’s there. My father’s there. Everybody’s putting in the work, and we’re working with The Link.”

The Link, a charitable organization, was founded in 1991 by Vikings Jim Marshall and Oscar Reed.

Asked his goals for Paris, Adonis said, “I would say ‘Make history,’ but I think it’s important to say ‘Make history in a positive way.’ That’s the kind of history we’re after.”



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Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis construction workers call on developers to take stand against ICE

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Minneapolis construction workers call on developers to take stand against ICE


Construction workers in Minneapolis on Friday called for developers to demand that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement leave Minnesota and offer protections for their crews. Protesters at a separate demonstration on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis asked corporate businesses to end what they call cooperation with immigration enforcement.



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Minneapolis, MN

Fan behind Anthony Edwards’ orange bracelet has beaten cancer

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Fan behind Anthony Edwards’ orange bracelet has beaten cancer


The story behind Anthony Edwards wearing a bright orange bracelet since last season has received a positive development, after Timberwolves fans learned Luca Wright has beaten leukemia.

Anthony Edwards, Luca Wright connection

What we know:

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Last January, the 6-year-old Minnesotan met “Ant” for the first time following a game against the Detroit Pistons, proclaiming him to be his favorite player, and asking him to wear a bracelet that symbolizes leukemia awareness, resilience and support for those affected. During the interaction, the fan had created a sign with a to-do list: “1. Beat Cancer. 2. Be The Next MJ.”

Leukemia is a type of cancer that spreads throughout the bloodstream, infecting bone marrow and a person’s lymphatic system by rapid production of abnormal white blood cells that can’t fight infection.

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Since then, the Wolves’ MVP has worn a bracelet that proclaims, “Love Like Luca” on it for every game he has played, vowing to wear it “until he hangs up his sneakers.”

Ant has gone on to explain how the gesture connected with him given that he lost both his mother, Yvette, and grandmother, Shirley, to cancer when he was 14 years old. The No. 5 jersey he wears currently is a tribute to them both.

Luca bracelet latest

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Dig deeper:

More than a year later, Wolves fans have received the update they hoped for – now 7-year-old Luca has beaten his cancer.

What’s next:

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Ant has since responded to the news with his own social media video, calling it “God’s gift” and saying, “Let’s do this Luca.”

No word yet on whether he intends to keep wearing the bracelet, though he’s previously said he has a stash of replacements near the team bench should one ever be broken.

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The Source: Information provided by the Minnesota Timberwolves public relations department.

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Family of Minneapolis brothers killed by cousin says their deaths were preventable:

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Family of Minneapolis brothers killed by cousin says their deaths were preventable:


A Minneapolis family is struggling to make sense of a tragedy that has left them heartbroken. 

Family tells WCCO 14-year-old Xavier Barnett and 23-year-old Akwame Stewart were killed Monday.

The brothers were very different, but equally loved. Barnett was a good student and athlete. Stewart was a painter, creative and thoughtful. Two brothers, loved and full of promise, gone. 

Police say the accused shooter is their cousin, 23-year-old Eddie Duncan.

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Court records show Duncan was released on bail Monday on charges of fleeing law enforcement and possession of a gun modified with an “auto sear switch.”

Court records also show Duncan was ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation, but not until next month, on March 24.

Deasia Freeman, Barnett and Stewart’s sister, says this loss could have been prevented. 

“They all failed us. We got two innocent lives gone for no reason. Didn’t do nothing to nobody,” Freeman said.

Family members say the system and Duncan’s family let them down.

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Freeman says Duncan’s family saw the warning signs and still bailed him out

“If you knew this man was thinking like this, y’all should have kept him in there and he should not even have bail,” she said. 

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office says they noted Duncan was a public safety risk and asked for a high bail, much higher than a typical request. 

“In Minnesota, there is a constitutional right to bail, and the bail amount is set by the Court. Our office noted a public safety risk with Mr. Duncan and asked the judge to set bail at $70,000, or $35,000 with conditions; both of which are higher than we would typically request in this scenario. The judge set bail in that amount. Mr. Duncan posted $35,000 bail with conditions of release, as is allowed under the Minnesota Constitution, and was released from custody. Our thoughts are with all those impacted by yesterday’s violence. This was a terrible tragedy for this family and our community,” a spokesperson for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said.

For Freeman and her family, the hardest part isn’t just the legal process but living each day without their brothers. 

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Even in the heartbreak, she says the memories of the good days, the laughter and love they shared will carry them through.

“I wish I could get just one more phone call from them asking me where I’m at,” Freeman said as tears rolled down her face. 

Court records confirm Duncan left the scene of the crime and fled to nearby Brooklyn Center. There, a search warrant says Duncan “fired a gun at officers, striking two squads,” when police arrived. That’s when officers returned fire, shooting and killing him.

Three officers have been placed on critical incident leave as the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension leads the investigation into Duncan’s fatal shooting.

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