Status: Junior middleweight boxer. Record is 10-0 (6 KO’s).
Ht: 5-10 Wt: 154
DOB: Nov. 20, 1989 In: Detroit, Michigan
First Boxing Memory: “Is my uncle, we used to sit down and watch tapes of Joe Louis, The Brown Bomber. It kind of inspired me to get involved in boxing.”
Boxing Inspirations: “Mostly guys coming out of the world famous Kronk Gym, like Thomas Hearns, Milton McCrory, Hilmer Kenty. I just want to keep up with the legacy.”
Nicknames: “I had Dynamite but there have been many guys named Dynamite in boxing. People emailed me: Change the name. So I changed it. Now it’s 3D. Determination, dedication and discipline.”
First Job: “Just make my mother happy. I never had a job. Boxing is my only job. And going to school. Just being successful and making my mom proud.”
Current Car: “1999 Ford Explorer (red).”
Favorite Meal: “I like a steak, medium-well, and pasta alfredo.”
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Vanilla and pecans.”
Favorite Movies: “I like all mafia movies, Scarface, Goodfellas, any mafia movie, or any Robert DeNiro movie.”
Greatest Boxing Moment: “So far would be on Wladimir Klitschko’s undercard when he fought Sam Peter, I got third-round knockout over (Omar Siala) an experienced fighter. He fought like Arthur Abraham. I got him with a good right hand on the chin. Kept going to the body, opened up the right hand to the chin. I felt really good about it. I felt that was one of my biggest step ups in my career so far.”
Most Painful Moment: “In 2007 I went to Olympic Trials, Houston. In the first round I got stopped by Keith Thurman, third round. He’s from Florida, one of the top prospects coming up. And a good friend of mine also. I think that was one of my worst moments. First time I’ve ever been stopped. And I was embarrassed. I was training with Kermit Cintron before, when he fought for the IBF title. In the last day of training camp, he caught me with a good right hand. But I’m not taking anything away from Keith Thurman, he’s one of the hardest hitting – everyone knows it, I think he’s 15-0, 14 knockouts. I take nothing from him, he’s a hard hitter too.”
Funny Boxing Memory: “When I first met Wladimir, he told me a joke. I can’t remember what the joke was. He told a joke and I was laughing about it all day. The first day I met the guy he tells a joke. So he’s a cool guy. I’m thinking he’s gonna be serious – he’s like, I got a joke, check it out. I’m like, What? He’s very serious about training but he’s a cool guy also outside the ring.”
Embarrassing Boxing Memory: “I think sparring with John Jackson out of Florida. He made me cry every time we boxed. I was seven, eight years old. He was just so fast. He wasn’t really hurting me, he was just playing with me. He hit me so many times I was embarrassed. When I got out of the ring I just started crying. I want to be the best, that was an embarrassing moment for me. I use that embarrassing moment for me to stay in the gym. And try to become the best. Learn from watching people, as well as sparring with them.”
Favorite Sports Outside Boxing: “Basketball and bowling. I think I’m the best at basketball and bowling [smiles]. We shoot. After training, we have a rim outside the gym in Austria at training camp. We shoot and no one ever beats me. Johnathon Banks is a good shooter but he can’t beat me, he can’t dribble for nothing.”
Strangest Fight: “My last fight (vs. Marcos Primera, W 8). The most awkward fighter. He’s out of Venezuela. He was like a 50-50 record, maybe 22 wins and 20 losses but only been knocked out three times. But this guy, every round, he came on stronger and stronger and stronger. From the outside of the ring, everyone looked at me and said, You made it look easy. But mentally in the ring, I was so gone. I didn’t know what to do. I was trying different stuff and it worked, for me to come out with the W.”
Favorite Boxers To Watch: “I like watching Wladimir Klitschko, he works the jab a lot and sets up the right hand. Not really a flashy fighter, everyone’s not really talking about him, but he is the champ for a reason. He sets everything up with the jab. He applies pressure and I love that, he makes his opponent tired mentally and physically too because he’s applying so much pressure. They don’t know what to do, they don’t have time to think. And he’s always on top of them. I like watching guys like Pacquiao of course. Margarito was too big for him but he showed size doesn’t matter. He showed he’s strong mentally and physically to pull out the win, that’s what he did. I was impressed how he beat Margarito the way he did.”
People Qualities Most Admired: “I like the humble people. I hear people talking about, because they come from nothing, they never had nothing, that’s the reason they think they should be champ. But I think that 80% of boxing people come from nothing trying to be the champ. That don’t mean it guarantees that they’re gonna be the champ. Just like Ali said, Champs aren’t made in the gym, they’re made from something they have inside them. Me, personality-wise, I like the humble people. And they more appreciate and understand how boxing is and why everything happens the way it does.”
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