Photo by Gautham Nagesh for StiffJab.com
by Stiff Jab Staff
2013 was a great year for boxing as a whole, but especially here in the nation’s capital. The D.C.-Maryland-Virginia fight scene exploded over the past 12 months, and the area now boasts the finest crop of young boxers East of the Mississippi.
Fans, writers and boxing people are always asking me which of these prospects they should be paying attention to. The short answer is: a lot of them. Sure, one or two have done more than the rest, like Stiff Jab 2013 Prospect of the Year Mike “Yes Indeed” Reed (left) or 2012 winner Dusty Hernandez-Harrison (center). But for most of the others, it’s far too early to tell how good they could be.
Hopefully a few of these young guns will be tested in 2014, but for now, here’s a list of young, local pro fighters worth keeping an eye on. Wherever possible, we’ve included links to our previous coverage. Find out who made the cut:
David Grayton photo by Anna John for StiffJab.com
David Grayton IV (above), welterweight: Longtime readers of this site are already familiar with David “Day-Day” Grayton, whom I profiled for The Washington Post last year. A former National Golden Gloves champion and D.C. native, Grayton, 25, showed his talent by beating 2012 U.S. Olympian Errol Spence Jr. to win the crown in 2010. While Grayton hasn’t been boxing that long, he has already built a strong following among local fight fans.
Unfortunately finding fights for Grayton has been a problem, as it has for many local fighters of late. Whether due to opponents pulling out or other complications, Grayton fought only four times in 2013, which is not enough for a young fighter learning his craft. I know he’s probably getting great sparring with the wealth of local talent, but that’s no substitute for the real thing. Hopefully 2014 will be a busy year for Day-Day.
Gervonta Davis (left) photo by Gautham Nagesh for StiffJab.com
Gervonta Davis, featherweight: At just 18, Gervonta “Tank” Davis is one of the youngest fighters on this list. He might also have the highest competitive ceiling. A southpaw featherweight with a counterpunching style, Davis won each of his six bouts by knockout last year, albeit against questionable opposition. Another half-dozen wins this year should put him firmly on the radar of the sport’s talent scouts and matchmakers.
Davis seems like a can’t-miss talent, but there’s no such thing in Baltimore. The city has watched more than a few talented young pugilists get lost in the streets. Gervonta shows all the signs of being special, so if he can stay on the right path, he might be the one to bring boxing back to Charm City in a big way.
Jerry Odom photo by Trey Pollard for StiffJab.com
Jerry Odom, super middleweight: If Davis is the best prospect on technique, Jerry “2 Tickets 2 Paradise” Odom could be the biggest potential star among the area’s young fighters. The intimidating super middleweight from Bowie, Md. carries himself with a menacing air that belies his 20 years. Of his eight opponents, only the most recent, Demetrius Walker, made it out of the first round. And Odom still dropped Walker in each round of the third-round stoppage.
Odom should be a known quantity, after being named Outstanding Boxer at the 2012 National Golden Gloves tournament and snaring 2012 Stiff Jab Amateur Boxer of the Year honors for the effort. But he has flown mostly under the radar, at least until he recently signed with GH3 Promotions. After growing up as the toughest kid in D.C.’s notorious Paradise projects, it’s not hard to understand why Odom is such a beast inside the ring.
Perhaps our only issue with Odom is his lackluster nickname. He fights with bad intentions and packs thunder in both hands. Hence our decision to christen him “2 Tickets 2 Paradise” instead of his preferred “The King’s Son.” You be the judge.
Kevin Rivers Jr. photo by Gautham Nagesh for StiffJab.com
Kevin Rivers Jr., featherweight: Kevin Rivers Jr., 23, is an excellent example of how the decline of amateur boxing has negative implications for the professional game. A decorated amateur, Rivers fought at the highest level in the unpaid ranks before turning professional in the fall of 2012. He fought well early, and should have been snapped up by a manager or promoter with a keen eye for talent.
Instead, Kevin has been opening cards that he should headline. Older and more experienced than many of his peers, Rivers is probably more ready for a real fight than almost anyone on this list, save Russell and Taylor. But “K-Smoov’s” hardest fight to date was his first, and he has lingered on the shelf since last June after several fights fell through. When someone finally wakes up and realizes this kid is a potential star, we should see him get regular work once again.
Dusty Harrison photo by Gautham Nagesh for StiffJab.com
Dusty Hernandez-Harrison, welterweight: It’s hard to believe Dusty is only 19, since it feels like he has been a pro fighter forever. With 20 fights under his belt already, that impression is not that far off. In addition to his youth, the 2012 Stiff Jab Prospect of the Year also benefits from having a devoted team at All-In Entertainment managing every aspect of his career. Other fighters on this list have bigger names backing them, but none have been positioned with more care and effort than the young Puerto Rican-American from Southeast D.C.
Dusty may seem like he has the golden touch these days, as he rapidly becomes a local celebrity thanks to his frequent public appearances in and out of the ring. But it wasn’t always this easy; Harrison’s father Buddy spent a portion of his own youth in jail. Buddy has since learned the error of his ways and now devotes himself to training and encouraging his son. Harrison has already opened eyes with his rapid development and ability to fill the seats. He should only continue to rise in 2014.
Jarrett Hurd photo by Gautham Nagesh for StiffJab.com
Jarrett Hurd, junior middleweight: While many of the names on this list can lay claim to multiple national championships in the amateurs, Jarrett “Swift” Hurd had the misfortune of fighting in the toughest weight class you’re likely to find almost anywhere in the country. Even so, Hurd was a good amateur, and he’s a good pro fighter. With eleven wins since turning pro in September 2012, he has stayed consistently busy on cards from several local promoters, including Keystone Boxing.
Hurd does nothing spectacular in the ring, but he is a long, strong fighter with solid command of the sport’s subtleties. More importantly, he seems to improve with every fight, and has steadily increased the quality of his competition. That might be because he lacks the type of backing that some of his local rivals enjoy, but perhaps Hurd will have the last laugh. His current trajectory is far better preparation for the top than fighting a bunch of hand-picked tomato cans.
Antoine Douglas photo by Trey Pollard for StiffJab.com
Antoine Douglas, middleweight: Antoine “Action” Douglas is probably one of the most well-known prospects on this list among boxing insiders, thanks to his long and accomplished amateur career. Antoine and his sister Tyrieshia fell just short of making the U.S. Olympic team in 2012, and Tyrieshia probably deserves a place on this list as well. Both are natural fighters with impressive physical gifts and obvious comfort inside the ropes.
Douglas has fought frequently on TV since turning pro, racking up a dozen wins and seven knockouts. But it was his recent appearance on ShoBox that captured our attention and demonstrated real growth from the 21-year-old Northern Virginia resident. Douglas simply dominated, and showed every attribute you would want in a young fighter. He has also signed with Newark’s GH3 Promotions, who appear to have him well-positioned on the fast track to stardom.
Emmanuel Taylor photo by Gautham Nagesh for StiffJab.com
Emmanuel Taylor, welterweight: While his age certainly makes him suitable for this list, Baltimore welterweight Emmanuel “Tranzforma” Taylor has probably progressed from prospect to fringe contender at this point. I was one of the few reporters ringside at Fight Night 2011, when Taylor sustained his only loss against Prenice Brewer in a fight I scored for Taylor. I wasn’t too impressed with Taylor that night, but his subsequent stoppage wins over Raymond Serrano and Victor Manuel Cayo have made me a believer.
Taylor is scheduled to take on unbeaten local favorite Chris Algieri in Huntington, N.Y. on Valentine’s Day as the main event on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights. It is a real fight, and the pressure will be on Taylor to score a stoppage as the visiting fighter. But if he can pull it off, he should be in line for a shot at a contender at 140 or 147 lbs. The pride of a fighting family, Taylor’s father and brother were both quality fighters in their own right, and both named Maxell. Emmanuel has a chance to make his name stand alone in 2014.
Gary Russell Jr. photos by Tom Casino for Showtime
Gary Russell Jr., featherweight: Of all the names on this list, “Mr.” Gary Russell Jr. probably gave he the most pause. At 25, the Capitol Heights, Md. native is one of the oldest names on this list, and he’s hardly lacking for hype or press attention. The 2008 U.S. Olympian famously collapsed while trying to make weight in Beijing, missing out on his chance to salvage an abysmal Games for the U.S. Boxing team. His professional career has been similarly up-and-down; glimpses of mouth-watering potential dampened by long bouts of inactivity and the absence of quality opposition.
In the end, I included Russell because he is the local boxer most likely to win a world title in the near future. That of course excludes folks like Lamont Peterson who already fight on the world level. Russell recently returned to the ring with an easy stoppage on Thursday night in Brooklyn. He is advised by shadowy manager extraordinaire Al Haymon, which means he will almost certainly find his way on a Pay Per View card eventually. The question is whether they will wait too long and miss the chance to maximize Russell’s considerable talent.
I still expect Russell to become a world champion, and possibly a pound-for-pound type of fighter, provided he starts fighting real fights soon. He is hampered by the fact his top natural rival, Mikey Garcia, fights for Top Rank, so the two are unlikely to ever meet. But there are no shortage of appealing opponents for Russell under the Golden Boy banner, including the winner of the Jhonny Gonzales-Abner Mares rematch. We still like Russell against the winner of that fight, no matter how long it takes to happen.
In addition, watch out for his little brother Gary Antonio Russell, who plans to turn professional after fighting in the Golden Gloves one final time. The kid is a killer, and might be even more marketable than his blue-chip big brother.
Dominic Wade and Barry Hunter photo by Anna John for StiffJab.com
Dominic Wade, super middleweight: Dominic Wade, 23, is the same age as many of the fighters on this list, but he has been a pro far longer, having turned professional in 2009 after becoming one of the area’s brightest amateur boxers in recent memory. Focus has been an issue for Wade in the past, as has inactivity; he spent two years on the shelf before resuming action last February.
Fortunately for Wade, his future changed last summer when he signed with Al Haymon. Having gotten his management situation aligned for success, the next step is committing to his craft. Wade was dropped at the very start of his last bout against Dashon Johnson, a sign he came out sleeping instead of ready to fight. His talent helped him rally and win the fight going away, but he will need to sharpen his focus to compete at higher levels. Should he do so, Wade has the talent and team around him to become at least a contender at 168 lbs.
Kareem Martin photo by Patrice Harris
Kareem Martin, welterweight: This one is especially forward-looking, since Kareem “Reemo” Martin hasn’t even officially turned professional yet. But the 2013 Stiff Jab Amateur Boxer of the Year has already built a considerable reputation in the local boxing scene after bringing home a slew of national and international trophies last year, including top honors at the Klitschko Brothers Tournament. Like Russell and Wade, Martin has signed with Al Haymon and should be coming to a Golden Boy or Showtime undercard near you before too long.
We’ve already extolled the virtues of Martin, who at 18 is the youngest fighter on the list. It’s not fair to put so much pressure on such young shoulders, but folks in the know think he could be the best of the bunch when all is said and done. I haven’t seen Reemo fight enough to say that myself, but Sarah swears by his talent, and she’s a great judge. Expect big things from him, though it might take a few years.
D’Mitrius Ballard photo by the Prince George’s Gazette
D’Mitrius Ballard, super middleweight: Temple Hills native D’Mitrius Ballard has the best of both worlds: an exciting style, and the endorsement of the sport’s biggest promoter in Golden Boy. The downside of signing with the deepest stable in the sport is that Ballard only fought four times in 2013, not nearly enough for a 20-year-old with his penchant for brawling. Ballard may never evolve into a pure stylist, but his battle with Douglas in the 2011 Regional Golden Gloves Finals is one of the best fights I’ve ever witnessed at any level.
Ballard is being treated with kid gloves, which makes him a good bet to feature on many Golden Boy cards in the near future. Sadly most of those cards will probably be far from D.C. That was the pattern set with Russell and Wade, and it will probably continue with Ballard. Only when such fighters have firmly established themselves as contenders do the big promoters deign to bring them back to their hometowns. Such a boom-and-bust approach may seem shortsighted to small folks like us, but then again we don’t have guaranteed TV dates on premium cable.
Ballard undoubtedly has the heart of a fighter, and his style was made for TV. Becoming a champion, however, requires more than a mere willingness to stand and trade. He will have to spend his time honing his craft, and learning when to fight and when to box. Of course Golden Boy didn’t become the top dog in boxing without being able to spot talent. Bet on Ballard figuring it out, and finding his way on TV at some point in the next 18 months.
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