Five Years Later – Ring Magazine All-Star Report Card Revisited (Part One)

Published

12 years ago

September 11, 2012

Sorting through one of my old dresser drawers, I found an old Ring Magazine from 2007. Before tossing it in the trash (I try not to be a packrat), I noticed it happened to be the issue from exactly five years about this month, September 2007.

Moreover, I noticed it included the 2007 All Star Report Card, an article intended to grade the very elite of the sport and forecast where their careers might be headed. I thought it’d be interesting to have a look at who those folks were then versus whom they turned out to be. The report card for 2007 was written by Gavin Evans.

He notes the list was “compiled according to talent, achievement, marketability, support system and growth potential” of the boxers. A total of twenty fighters made the list. Notable absences are two historically excellent fighters who were ranked in the magazine’s top ten pound-for-pound list at the time, Marco Antonio Barrera and Winky Wright.

Part one of this TSS special will focus on the first ten fighters listed in piece, starting at the top with the heavyweights and moving on down. Interestingly enough, there were three heavyweights listed in the report (and only one of them was a Klitschko).

Despite being dropped a total of eleven times in his three losses, Wladimir Klitschko is noted as rating “several levels above his rival titleholders.” Evans goes on to note a likely bright future for the then 31-year-old IBF titleholder, calling him a “clean liver” who should “press hard for a unification bout” so that he can consolidate his status as the best heavyweight in the world. Of course, Klitschko did just that and still holds all major title belts in the division, save the WBC belt his elder brother, Vitali, wears around his waist. Overall, the younger Klitschko has established himself as one of the most dominant heavyweight champions of all-time. He’s won sixteen bouts in a row since his 2004 loss to Lamon Brewster, which he avenged, and he has defended some version of the heavyweight crown in his last twelve of them.

Former heavyweight titleholder Sam Peter was apparently at his peak in 2007. Not only is he actually listed in article as an elite, but he’s praised as a “fitter and faster” fighter who had become a “far more rounded boxer” in his rematch win against James Toney. Evans notes Peters brief amateur career being offset by his tremendous power, and that “there could be a good deal more to come, provided he doesn’t revert to the lackadaisical training approach of his past.” The highlight of Peter’s career came soon after the article was published when he defeated Oleg Maskaev in 2008 to win the WBC heavyweight title. Later that year, Vitali Klitschko came back from a four year hiatus to dominate Peter for the belt in just eight rounds. He was never the same fighter after, whether it was from a lackadaisical training regimen or overall talent issue.

Ruslan Chagaev made the cut as well. Evans notes Chagaev as a “hard-hitting, well-schooled box-fighter of considerable potential”. The WBA titleholder at the time, Chagaev was undefeated, his one blemish being a disputed technical draw early in his career to Rob Calloway. Chagaev was struggling to make a name for himself with U.S. fight fans in 2007 and never really seemed to do be successful with it after either. He remained an unknown quantity stateside as his career progressed, but he did secure a heavyweight title unification bout with Wladimir Klitschko in 2009 to re-establish the perhaps-then-more-important Ring Magazine heavyweight champion, which hadn’t been crowned since big brother Vitali had momentarily paused his career in 2004. The bout was streamed online via ESPN during the day and probably should have been a bigger draw than it turned out to be, but Chagaev proved no match for Klitschko anyway. He was knocked out in round number nine in a largely one-sided affair. To his credit, Chagaev is still active and successful, his only other loss coming against undefeated slugger Alexander Povetkin via decision. He is perhaps most notable for his nickname, “The White Tyson” as well as his burly chest hair, a rarity in the sport these modern days.

Light heavyweight Bernard Hopkins was an old fighter then, too. Hopkins was 42 at the time, and readers were warned to not be surprised “if he presses on.” He has, of course, done just that, likely far longer than anyone at Ring Magazine foresaw at the time. In 2007, Hopkins had just moved up to light heavyweight to defeat Antonio Tarver in what was then his most shocking victory to date. Fans were looking forward to his pending showdown with fellow pound-for-pound elite Winky Wright, who Hopkins would go on to defeat later in the year. Evans notes “The Executioner was once a rugged, dirty brawler, but gradually transformed himself into a safety-first, dirty, boxer who paces himself carefully and boxes defensively.” Hopkins used that style, along with his “phenomenal conditioning” to solidify his status as one of the best fighters of the era. He upset Kelly Pavlik, bested rival Roy Jones, Jr. in a long awaited rematch, and in 2011, at age 46, scored an impressive victory over Jean Pascal to earn the distinction of being the oldest boxer to ever win a world title. Amazingly enough, Hopkins is still active and looking for another big fight after his most recent setback, a decision loss to light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson.

People were wondering what to do with super middleweight champ Joe Calzaghe in 2007. The Welshman was “unbeaten but untested at the truly elite level”. Sure, he had thrashed up-and-comer Jeff Lacy, but fight fans and boxing media wanted to see him tangle with the very best. Calzaghe would only fight three more times in his career, but they were just the fights he needed to cap his undefeated career as a true elite. Calzaghe used his cache of “blistering speed, dazzling combination punching, along with superior timing” to best fellow notables Mikkel Kessler, Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones, Jr. Calzaghe retired in 2008 without a blemish on his pristine record and a legitimate claim to being one of the best 168lbers ever.

Fellow European Mikkel Kessler was considered by some at the time to be “the number one boxer in continental Europe” in 2007. In fact, many thought Kessler was on his way to superstardom. After all, he was “strong, hard-hitting with both hands” and possessed “an extremely solid jab.” Kessler was given credit for taking the toughest challenges he could find. He defeated Anthony Mundine, Librado Andrade and Julio Cesar Green, and he was a huge draw in both his home country of Denmark as well as Germany. Evans called for Kessler to “secure a fight with Calzaghe then win it” to unleash his full potential as a boxing mega-draw. Kessler did half that, securing the fight that very same year but losing a unanimous decision. Still, Kessler has only lost to the very best fighters he’s faced thus far (Calzaghe and Andre Ward), and he is still an active and important fighter in the sport. In his last fight, Kessler moved up to light heavyweight (where some believe his future lies) to dominate Allan Green in just four rounds.

The middleweight champion of the world at the time, Jermain Taylor, was identified as “one of those rare fighters whose reputation actually seemed to diminish after winning the world title”. He had defended the title he won by close decision over Bernard Hopkins four times up to that point, but was noted for really needing “an exciting win over Kelly Pavlik to make the leap” to superstardom. He did engage in an exciting bout with Pavlik, but lost by TKO 7 and again by decision in the rematch. Since then, he’s lost to just about every notable fighter he’s faced, including knockout losses to Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch, the exception being a decision win against Jeff Lacy, who’s never quite regained form as a legit threat since his own fall from grace at the hands of Calzaghe. Taylor has suffered severe concussions over the past couple years, but still seems intent on making a career out of it, much to the chagrin of many in the sport.

Perhaps no fighter was on the rise more at the time than middleweight Kelly Pavlik. He was “suddenly” one of the best and brightest stars in boxing. His workmanlike approach and heavy hands made him an almost overnight star in the sport, and he needed only a signature title win to solidify it. Evans notes Pavlik was “reasonably elusive when he wants and has sound boxing skills.” Fight fans were ready to see a fight against champion Jermain Taylor, and they’d get their wish soon. Pavlik won the middleweight crown against Taylor in 2007, defended it in a rematch in 2008 then took a showcase win against Gary Lockett to prepare for his superfight versus Bernard Hopkins. He was the prohibitive favorite in the catchweight bout, but he was soundly outclassed by Hopkins. He went on to defend his middleweight crown twice before falling to Sergio Martinez in 2010 by hard-fought decision. Pavlik has struggled with alcohol addiction since and ended up checking himself into the Betty Ford clinic, not once, but twice. He fired long-time trainer Jack Loew and was in and out of the news for his erratic behavior. He’s rebounded nicely since he reportedly sobered up and now campaigns at 168lbs.

Oscar De La Hoya was a fighter, not a promoter, in 2007. “The Golden Boy” had just come off a shockingly close split decision loss to Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in what was a fabulous effort in hindsight. Even at age 35, Evans notes De La Hoya possessed “one of the best jabs and left hooks in the business” and that Oscar was a figure who “transcends boxing.” De La Hoya had a bounce back win over Steve Forbes before he was brutalized by Manny Pacquiao over eight rounds a year later in what turned out to be his final fight. He was quite the popular fighter while he was active, and he’s done a good job of parlaying his financial success into one of the top promotional units in the sport today. Unfortunately, his beef with one-time promoter Bob Arum has left fight fans yearning for fights that never seem to materialize, the chief among them being Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. Still, Oscar has left an indelible mark on the sport, and he continues to do so. No impact is perhaps more interestingly applicable to this TSS special, though, than his purchase and subsequent housecleaning of the beloved Ring Magazine, an issue that divides fight fans and boxing media members to this day.

Finally, welterweight Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is listed as the “world’s number one pound-for-pound” boxer in 2007, a distinction he is still afforded by many. Evans notes Mayweather’s “multi-layered defensive skills, impeccable timing, the ability to fight as well on the inside, at middle range and long range, plus wonderfully accurate counterpunching skills.” Mayweather’s popularity skyrocketed after his 2007 defeat of De La Hoya, and he has remained undefeated ever since, over an impressive group of competitors which includes elite fighters Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley and Miguel Cotto. For some, Mayweather’s legacy remains incomplete unless he faces fellow all-time great Manny Pacquiao before he retires. Both fighters seem reluctant to take the risk, though, and the cold war between Golden Boy and Top Rank isn’t doing anything to help matters. Nonetheless, Mayweather will go down in history as one of the most impressive fighters of his era. Next week, we’ll have a look at the other ten fighters who made the list, including Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manual Marquez.

You can email Kelsey McCarson at theboxingstop@yahoo.com, or follow him on twitter @TheRealKelseyMc.

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R.I.P. Paul Bamba (1989-2024): The Story Behind the Story

Published

1 day ago

January 6, 2025

Arne K. Lang

RIP-Paul-Bamba-1989-2024-The-Story-Behind-the-Story

Paul Bamba, a cruiserweight, passed away at age 35 on Dec. 27 six days after defeating Rogelio Medina before a few hundred fans on a boxing card at a performing arts center in Carteret, New Jersey. No cause of death has been forthcoming, leading to rampant speculation. Was it suicide, or perhaps a brain injury, and if the latter was it triggered by a pre-existing condition?

Fuel for the latter comes in the form of a letter that surfaced after his death. Dated July 25, 2023, it was written by Dr. Alina Sharinn, a board-certified neurologist licensed in New York and Florida.

“Mr. Bamba has suffered a concussion and an episode of traumatic diplopia within the past year and now presents with increasing headaches. His MRI of the brain revealed white matter changes in both frontal lobes,” wrote Bamba’s doctor.

Her recommendation was that he stop boxing temporarily while also avoiding any other activity at which he was at risk of head trauma.

Dr. Sherinn’s letter was written three months after Bamba was defeated by Chris Avila in a 4-round contest in New Orleans. He lost all four rounds on all three scorecards, reducing his record to 5-3.

Bamba took a break from boxing after fighting Avila. Eight months would elapse before he returned to the ring. His next four fights were in Santa Marta, Colombia, against opponents who were collectively 4-23 at the time that he fought them. The most experienced of the quartet, Victor Coronado, was 38 years old.

He won all four inside the distance and ten more knockouts would follow, the last against Medina in a bout sanctioned by the World Boxing Association for the WBA Gold title. As widely reported, the stoppage, his 14^th, broke Mike Tyson’s record for the most consecutive knockouts within a calendar year. That would have been a nice feather in his cap if only it were true.

Born in Puerto Rico, Paul Bamba was a former U.S. Marine who spent time in Iraq as an infantry machine gunner. In interviews on social media platforms, he is well-spoken and introspective without a trace of the boastfulness that many prizefighters exhibit when talking to an outsider. Interviewed in a corridor of the arena after stopping Medina, he was almost apologetic, acknowledging that he still had a lot to learn.

His life story is inspirational.

His early years were spent in foster homes. He was homeless for a time after returning to civilian life. Speaking with Boxing Scene’s Lucas Ketelle, Bamba said, “I didn’t have any direction after leaving the Marine corps. I hit rock bottom, couldn’t afford a place to stay…I was renting a mattress that was shoved behind someone’s sofa.”

He turned his life around when he ventured into the Morris Park Boxing Gym in the Bronx where he learned the rudiments of boxing under the tutelage of former WBA welterweight champion Aaron “Superman” Davis. “I love boxing,” he would say. “The confidence it gives you permeates into other aspects of your life.”

Bamba’s newfound confidence allowed him to carve out a successful career as a personal trainer. His most famous client was the Grammy Award winning R&B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo who signed Bamba to his new sports management company late in the boxer’s Knockout skein. Bamba was with Ne-Yo in Atlanta when he passed away. Ne-Yo broke the news on his Instagram platform.

Paul Bamba had been pursuing a fight with Jake Paul. Winning the WBA Gold belt opened up other potentially lucrative options. In theory, the holder of the belt is one step removed from a world title fight. Next comes an eliminator and, if he wins that one, a true title fight attached to a hefty purse will follow…in theory.

Rogelio “Porky” Medina, who brought a 42-10 record, had competed against some top-shelf guys, e.g., Zurdo Ramirez, Badou Jack, James DeGale, David Benavidez, Caleb Plant; going the distance with DeGale and Plant. However, only two of his 42 wins had come in fights outside Mexico, at age 36 he was over the hill, and his best work had come as a super middleweight.

Thirteen months ago, Medina carried 168 ½ pounds for a match in New Zealand in which he was knocked out in the first round. He came in more than 30 pounds heavier, specifically 202 ¼, for his match with Paul Bamba. In between, he knocked out a 54-year-old man in Guadalajara to infuse his ledger with a little brighter sheen.

Why did the WBA see fit to sanction the Bamba-Medina match as a title fight? That’s a rhetorical question. And for the record, the record for the most consecutive knockouts within a calendar year wasn’t previously held by Mike Tyson. LaMar Clark, a heavyweight from Cedar City, Utah, scored 29 consecutive knockouts in 1958 after opening the year by winning a 6-round decision. (If you are inclined to believe that all or most of those knockouts were legitimate, then perhaps I can interest you in buying the Brooklyn Bridge.)

Clark was being primped for a fight with a good purse which came when he was dispatched to Louisville to fight a fellow who was fairly new to the professional boxing scene, a former U.S. Olympian then known as Cassius Clay who knocked him out in the second round in what proved to be Clark’s final fight.

Paul Bamba was a much better fighter than LaMar Clark, of that I am quite certain. However, if Paul Bamba had gone on to meet one of the world’s elite cruiserweights, a similar outcome would have undoubtedly ensued.

One can summon up the Bamba-Medina fight on the internet although the video isn’t great – it was obviously filmed on a smart phone – and pieces of it are missing. Bamba was winning with his higher workrate when Medina took his unexpected leave, but one doesn’t have to be a boxing savant to see that Paul’s hand and foot speed were slow and that there were big holes in his defense.

This isn’t meant to be a knock on the decedent. Being able to box even four rounds at a fast clip and still be fresh is one of the most underrated achievements in all of human endurance sports. Bamba’s life story is indeed inspirational. When he talked about the importance of “giving back,” he was sincere. In an early interview, he mentioned having helped out at a Harlem food pantry.

Paul Bamba had to die to become well-known within the fight fraternity, let alone in the larger society. One hopes that his death will inspire the sport’s regulators to be more vigilant in assaying a boxer’s medical history and, if somehow his untimely death leads to the dissolution of the fetid World Boxing Association, his legacy would be even greater.

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Don’t Underestimate Gloria Alvarado, an Unconventional Boxing Coach

Published

3 days ago

January 4, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Don’t Underestimate Gloria Alvarado, an Unconventional Boxing Coach

“I have been around gyms all my life. Combat sports are in my DNA.”

So said Gloria Alvarado, a boxing coach/trainer who has earned the respect of her peers. It’s no longer shocking to see a woman assisting in the corner of a prizefighter, but when a woman is the main cog, as Alvarado usually is, well, that’s still a novelty.

“Coach Gee” to her fighters, Alvarado may not fit the stereotype of a boxing coach, but she certainly has the pedigree. Her grandfather boxed and her grandmother was a professional wrestler. Gloria is the niece of MMA legend Benny “The Jet” Urquidez and his sister, Lilly Urquidez Rodriguez, both of who were instrumental in popularizing the sport of kickboxing in the United States. Aunt Lilly, notes Alvarado, once trained Bridgett “Baby Doll” Riley, a ground-breaking West Coast boxer who fought on the undercard of the first meeting between Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield at Madison Square Garden.

“In my family, people became great fighters or great trainers,” says Alvarado, 53, who competed as an amateur kickboxer. A single mom for the last 22 years, Gloria was born in the great boxing incubator of East LA and currently resides in Burbank.

She helped train Seniesa Estrada when the future undisputed world minimumweight champion was an amateur. “I have known her since she was a little girl. She was a great kid growing up,” says Alvarado.

Things between them became frosty when Alvarado began training Yokasta Valle. The rift between them became a major storyline when Estrada and the Costa Rican, each holding two world title belts, were matched for the undisputed title this past March in Glendale, Arizona. The media contorted the match into a grudge fight which became something of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Valle finished strong in a fan-friendly fight, but all three judges voted against her, giving the fight to Estrada by 97-93 scores. Valle was fighting an uphill battle from the opening round when she suffered a bad gash over her right eye, the result of what was ruled an unintentional clash of heads.

Gloria Alvarado begs to disagree, arguing it was an intentional head butt. Post-fight, she took umbrage with the decision, an unpopular verdict, and demanded a rematch, but that’s not likely to happen, at least not in the near future. Estrada announced her retirement in October several months after tying the knot with Sports illustrated Senior Writer and DAZN ringside correspondent Chris Mannix. And if Seniesa eventually unretires (for an undefeated fighter, the first retirement is seldom the last) and a rematch comes to fruition, Gloria Alvarado likely won’t be there. She and Yokasta Valle are now on the outs because, says Gloria, Yokasta was a stiff, refusing to pay her all that she was owed.

Alvarado doesn’t limit her good counsel to boxers that share her gender. She trains and is also the manager of Alan “Kid Kansas” Garcia.

Garcia, who turns 22 tomorrow (Jan. 5), hails from the town of Ulysses in the southwestern portion of the Sunflower State. He fought twice on Top Rank cards before inking a multi-fight deal with the organization in March. “Alan Garcia is a sensational young talent with world championship potential,” Top Rank honcho Bob Arum was quoted as saying in the press release that announced his signing.

Kid Kansas

Kid Kansas was 14-0 with 11 KOs when his career hit a snag. On Sept. 20, he was knocked out in the fifth round by Spanish-Bolivian journeyman Ricardo Fernandez.

Garcia had his back to the ropes when he was tagged with a looping right hand. It was a classic one-punch, 10-count knockout. Garcia crashed to the canvas, his head resting under the lower strand of ropes. Coincidentally, it came in the round when ESPN broadcasters Bernardo Osuna and Tim Bradley had their microphones turned off and half the screen was focused on Alvarado shouting instructions to her fighter. The knockout punch rendered her speechless, but the look of horror on her face left a lasting impression.

“When it happened,” recollects Alvarado, “my view was blocked or I would have yelled for Alan to get off the ropes and he would have instantly obeyed my command.”

While a one-punch knockout can betray a brittle chin, it’s also easier to overcome than a knockout forged by sequences of unanswered punches in a relentlessly one-sided fight. That’s because the victim of a one-punch knockout was usually just careless, a correctable deficiency. Before the roof fell in on him, Garcia had won every round, arguably every minute of every round.

“I had no time to brood over the mishap,” says Gloria Alvarado, “because I had to be in Mexico the next day with three of my amateur boxers.”

Alvarado feels an emotional connection to all her fighters but that goes double for Garcia’s stablemate, 23-year-old Iyana Verduzco. Nicknamed “Right Hook Roxy” (her middle name is Roxanie), Verduzco is the youngest of Gloria’s two daughters. (The older girl, now 35 years old and a mother of three, fought as an amateur; she was Alvarado’s first boxer.)

As an amateur, Iyana won 21 national titles. “Thanks to her, I got to see a lot more of the world,” says Alvarado, noting that she accompanied her daughter to tournaments in places like Poland and Hungary.

Alvarado, who once owned her own gym, can usually be found at Freddie Roach’s famous Wild Card Gym. Iyana, currently signed to Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions and 3-0 as a pro, can usually be found there too, training alongside men including world champions.

Roxy Verduzco

Iyana entered the pro ranks with a ready-made fan base thanks to social media. Among other things, she has an Only Fans platform. But don’t be fooled; it isn’t what you might think.

While it is true that the bulk of its revenue derives from pornographic material, Only Fans didn’t start out that way and the majority of its content is still created by entertainers and influencers who use the site to monetize interactions with their fans. You won’t find anything raunchy on Right Hook Roxy’s platform. “If she did that,” says her mother, “I would disown her.”

Being a woman in a male-dominated sphere can be daunting. “Getting access to [my fighter’s] dressing room is always a challenge,” says Alvarado. “When I am with Alan Garcia or another male boxer, security guards assume that I am his mom. ‘I’m sorry,’ they might say, but only the boxer and his handlers are allowed in there.”

She says this without a trace of rancor. There isn’t a hard-edge to her, at least not around civilians with whom she is always pleasant. But there is one thing that really bugs her, and that’s internet trolls who spew invective at a boxer encountering adversity: “No one would dare rush up to ringside and yell ‘you suck’ at a fighter while a bout is in progress, but they can do it on the internet because their cowardice has no consequences. What others call a troll, I call a keyboard gangster.”

A woman who likes to stay busy – she ran three restaurants before her passion for boxing became all-consuming – Alvarado will be especially busy in February. Alan “Kid Kansas” Garcia begins his comeback on Feb. 1 in Garden City, Kansas, with the ubiquitous TBA in the opposite corner. Gloria’s daughter Iyana Verduzco, aka Right Hook Roxy, returns to the ring on Feb. 17 at SoCal’s Commerce Casino in a 6-round super featherweight contest that will air on UFC Fight Pass.

Concurrently, more people will become conversant with Gloria Alvarado, an unconventional boxing coach who can hold her own with the big boys.

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Dante Kirkman: Merging the Sweet Science with Education

Published

5 days ago

January 3, 2025

The Sweet Science

By TSS Special Correspondent RAYMOND MARKARIAN — It’s difficult to understand the mind of a fighter. At its core, a life filled with danger in the boxing ring is stranger than the normalcy of everyday work. Throw a punch or send an email, and you live with the consequences. Most boxers begin their journey at a young age, driven by self-promotion and personal ambition. But Dante Kirkman is not like most aspiring fighters.

A Stanford senior majoring in Art Practice, Dante is a highly educated young man with a passion for boxing — not for fame or financial gain, but for a deeper purpose. While most boxers are self-centered, focused on building their personal brand, Dante has a different vision. He wants to merge the worlds of education and boxing, using the sport as a platform to give back to the community.

“I want to go all in with my boxing,” Dante says. “But outside of that, my family and I are creating a non-profit to help kids with their education. My family has always been big on education.”

Dante’s commitment to education stems from his upbringing. His brother ran a non-profit focused on helping underserved communities prepare for college and SATs, a mission Dante is determined to continue. His goal is to combine his love for boxing with his passion for mentoring and uplifting others.

“I believe in using my life to help others,” he explains. “My family raised me with a deep sense of faith and selflessness. We grew up Catholic-Christian, always trying to do good for others. I believe God has a purpose for everyone, and this is what my life looks like.”

It’s a rare perspective in a sport where most 23-year-old professional boxers are focused primarily on their own careers. But for Dante, boxing isn’t just about personal glory. It’s about creating opportunities for others to grow, both inside and outside the ring.

“While I box, I want to continue to build my non-profit,” he says. “I want to combine these two worlds — education and boxing.”

Dante’s family has supported his boxing journey since he first stepped into the ring at 10 years old. They’ve always encouraged him to focus on his education first. “The same way basketball or football players go to the NBA or NFL after college, I’m just continuing with boxing,” he says.

Now 3-0 as a professional, Dante, a middleweight, plans to fight several times this year. He trains at B Street Gym in Downtown San Mateo, California, under the guidance of former bantamweight and featherweight campaigner and three-time world title challenger Eddie Croft.

Dante’s love for boxing is shaped by the fighters he admires. He’s a fan of Andre Ward and Floyd Mayweather, two athletes who, in his eyes, embody the artistry of the sport. “Being in Silicon Valley, I’ve been around people who don’t really understand what boxing is,” he says. “Most people think of the Rocky movies, but boxing is so much more masterful and artful than people give it credit for. I realized that because I’m a huge fan of Floyd Mayweather and Andre Ward. Those two lived and breathed the art of the sport.”

Dante is not just inspired by their success, but by their intelligence in the ring. “The top 1% of fighters are smarter than people give them credit for,” he says. “Boxing is a mental game as much as it’s a physical one.”

As a modern athlete, Dante is no stranger to the influence of social media. His TikTok and Instagram accounts document his journey in the boxing world, providing a behind-the-scenes look at his training, personal growth, and the highs and lows of his professional debut. These platforms allow him to share his story with a broader audience, blending his passion for the sport with his commitment to education.

Despite the risks of boxing and the bright future he could have in other fields, Dante is committed to his dual pursuit of the sweet science and education. It’s an unconventional path, but for Dante Kirkman, it’s the one that feels right.

Note: Kirkman returns to the ring on March 8 against an as-yet-undetermined opponent at the Thunder Valley Casino in the Sacramento suburb of Lincoln, California.

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You can connect with author Raymond Markarian at TikTok @huntsports and on Instagram @raymarkarian

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