Former Fighting Irish Star Tom Zbikowski to Train with Hall of Famer Steward

Baltimore Ravens safety Tom Zbikowski hired Hall of Fame trainer Emmanuel Steward earlier this week to work in his corner Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

“Tommy Z” destroyed a bum named Richard Bryant in 105 seconds to earn his second professional win via TKO on March 12.

Zbikowski (2-0, 2 KOs), a two-time third-team AP All-American at Notre Dame who was drafted by the Ravens in the third round of the 2008 draft, floored Bryant (1-2) with a solid left hook to the body.

Despite getting up at the count of seven, referee Russell Mora compassionately halted the bout to prevent Bryant from withstanding additional punishment.

"I was looking to get a little more work but, you take a win any way you can get it," said Zbikowski, 25, who pocketed $50,000 without breaking a sweat. "I know I hurt him with the hook, you could feel the air come out."

The Illinois native first met Steward as a 13-year-old in 1998 and they reconnected after the Bryant debacle.

"I forgot who he was," Steward said of Zbikowski. "I just remember looking at the screen and seeing this guy slipping and sliding, dancing around. It was beautiful."

“Tommy Z,” who compiled a 75-15 record as an amateur pugilist and advanced to the finals of the Chicago Golden Gloves, knocked out another slouch named Robert Bell a mere 49 seconds into his debut as a prizefighter at Madison Square Garden in June 2006.

Zbikowski has now triumphed in two bouts in less than three total minutes in the squared circle and Steward believes he hasn’t even scratched his potential as a prizefighter.

"We did some work on the pads," Steward said. "He has such beautiful balance. He has a great natural rhythm and he's always in position when he is punching. He doesn't box like a football player. He boxes like a boxer."

Promoter Bob Arum revealed he is planning to provide Zbikowski with a high-intensity workload.

"As long as he is available to fight, we plan to keep him very busy, whether it's once a month, every two or three weeks," said promoter Bob Arum, a corruptible weasel who acknowledged during a 2000 federal trial that he bribed the International Boxing Federation (IBF) to attain a higher ranking for one of his fighters.

"Our matchmakers feel he can compete at the top level in boxing as a cruiserweight, and we're going to keep him busy.”

Steward said Zbikowski is fully committed to boxing during the NFL lockout and they will train together at the famed Kronk Gym in Detroit.

"He told me boxing was his first love," Steward said. "I don't know where this is going to go right now but he seems committed to it."

If Tom Zbikowski is truly “committed” to boxing, cruiserweights around the world had better seriously prepare for one scrappy “Fighting Irish” alum.