Chris Pearson, the heralded amateur middleweight boxer from Trotwood, will sign a professional managerial contract with Al Haymon, the behind-the-scenes power broker whose stable of top-flight fighters includes Floyd Mayweather Jr., Jermain Taylor, Antonio Tarver, Andre Berto and Paul Williams. The California-based Haymon also has promoted and marketed national tours for superstars like Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, M.C. Hammer, and Boyz II Men. “We’re signing a 5-year deal with an option for two more if Chris is ranked in the top five,†said Milt Pearson, Chris father, who along Dayton attorney Ralph Wilcoxson will be involved in the managerial duties. Chris’ first fight will be Nov. 26 at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati. It will be on the undercard of Adrien Broner’s bid against a yet unnamed opponent for the recently vacated WBO super featherweight crown. The 21-0 Broner is from Cincinnati. “I’m pretty sure Chris’s fight will be on TV,†Milt Pearson said. Haymon’s fighters seem to have a pipeline to HBO exposure and Milt sees the same thing happening for his son, who was the U.S Middleweight National Champion and made a strong, but unsuccessful bid three months ago to make the U.S Olympic team for the 2012 Games in London. “They are putting together a brand and marketing strategy for Chris,†Milt said. “They said he’s a natural for TV because of his story and the type kid he is. They are tired of all the arrogant kids and think he could be a breath of fresh air.†Pearson said Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions will be involved in the promotion of some of his son’s fights. Chris will be trained in California by Los Angeles-based Manny Robles, who worked with him over the past year. Ron Daniels, Chris’s long-time trainer from Dayton, will fly in to help work training camps and fights. For the time being Pearson said his son will be on a monthly allowance worth a few thousand dollars and that the five-year deal has the potential of earning him $2.5 million. Pearson (a southpaw), beat Steven Chadwick of Florida in one round via a TKO decision last weekend. A sudden burst of power, landing right hooks nailed Chadwick and soon to follow the referee stopped the action. It was an impressive debut performance from the 22 year-old. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/i1EML0NKM6Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Yea, can't tell anything yet, but i'll definitely keep my ears and eyes peeled when I hear/see his name mentioned in the near future.
Yes, I can definitely see a resemblance. :: EDIT - I recognize this guy from the ultimate fighter series.
How can you tell by seeing him for 30 seconds? Go on youtube and check him out he looks like he could fight to me. Beaten four former Olympians, including Brazil’s Yamaguichi Florentino, a veteran of 151 fights, and Bakhyt Sarsekbayev of Kazakhstan, the 2008 Beijing Games welterweight gold medalist U.S. National Amateur Middleweight Champion 2-time Silver Gloves Champ 4-time Jr Golden Gloves Champ 8-time State Fair Champ Jr Olympic Bronze Medalist Ringside World Champion National PAL Champion
That's how I feel about Gary and Adrien, but people are all giddy about them. To be fair though, it's the guy's pro debut. Fighters can improve enormously from 0 to 20 fights. At 20+ fights generally what you see is what you get imo, but it's difficult to tell much from a pro debut, apart from perhaps a basic level of physical talent.
I'm prepared to give any fighter a chance, especially in the present climate. You got your hair-lipped Lebedevs winning fights and making money, you got your glorified Albanian doormen winning titles and being feted at world-level, so I give Broner, Pearson and Russell a good chance to make it. A bit of speed, power and some reflexes goes a long long way in todays climate. What I would never indulge them in is the sort of fawning, arse-licking, ridiculous sycophancy that Kellerman engages in. They aren't Pernell Whittakers for the 21st Century, so don't treat them that way, Max. And when he does try to ask them serious questions, the question is often badly timed or comes across wrong.:kick:
But that's the amateurs. We're talking the pros. That has nothing to do with the pros. Don't you know anything?
Pearson was one of the best amateurs I've seen in a while. Not sure where he goes in the pros but definitely worth a look. The KO was an anomaly, though. I expect him to be far more of a boxer as his career progresses.
I saw him KO a lot of people with bodyshots in the amateurs...He goes to the body like an animal which will serve him well in the pro's.
His defense looked fundamentally poor to me. If you're getting caught with jabs repeatedly in your opening fight 'gimme' there are underlying flaws it's gonna be hard to build around. And it's not like he was getting caught with the odd jab counter in the midst of throwing combos, he was just posing, sizing the guy up and getting popped. Just my initial take.
It's not like he was going all out for a KO, he was barely throwing. And when he did he was overreaching & bringing his head past his front knee or throwing without bringing his hands back high. Even his stance - he's over the front foot with his head central, yet he's fighting with his hands low as if he had his head off center, behind his shoulder. I know its only 2 minutes of footage, but :dunno:.....can't see it.
I think he looked just fine. I don't like the fact that he's a pro in 2011 instead of prepping for the olympic team. Who beat him out? I couldn't find it at usaboxing.org
I agree with hut, he was just standing there, posturing, and getting popped with a journeyman jab. Again though, it's only a pro debut, he might have just been nervous, and taken him a while to warm up etc.
Nah it's true. I don't think he looked awful by any means, but I can see where Hut was coming from. Watch the fight again. Like I said, it could just be nerves, he might have been a bit tense/tight and needed to warm up.
Yeah that's true. I guess I meant that the sudden KO shouldn't be expected in future fights, since by his own admission he's far more of a volume puncher (as is the case w/ most body punchers)
