STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — After more than a year away from competition, Staten Island boxer Reshat Mati , also known as the “Albanian Bear,” is preparing for his comeback fight on Oct. 18 at Barclays Center .

The 27-year-old Grasmere resident has been boxing nearly his entire life. He first laced up his gloves at 4 years old, turning what began as a way to learn self-defense into a lifelong passion.

“It first started with self-defense,” said Mati. “I wasn’t a very big guy. I was always trying to protect myself. Then, it started off with competitions, which led to turning professional.”

Success story

That passion quickly turned into success. As an amateur, Mati won the New York Golden Gloves in 2017 , before adding both the National Golden Gloves and the New York Ringmaster Championsh

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