AR Boxers Fight to Stay Off the Streets, Boost Sport's Popularity
By: Brittney Johnson, KARK 4 News
Updated: February 14, 2013
After years of fighting to stay out of trouble, a group of local boxers are seeing success and trying to spread to the word.
They've been training at Arkansas Boxing Club right in the heart of downtown Little Rock at the gym where well known boxer Jermaine taylor got his start. Now, there is a new batch of fighters hoping to take themselves and the sport to the next level.
For fighter Antron Pearson, beating a punching bag is about more than boxing.
"The road I was going down coming up, I know it was the wrong path," he says.
Now, with each jab, he and his sparring buddies are beating the odds, choosing the sport over the streets.
"I got myself together and decided to leave the people I was messing with alone because I was either going to be dead or in jail," he says.
"I fell in love with it because it was the only thing that disciplined me," says fighter Terrance Dumas.
These fighters say, stepping into the ring took them off the streets and into a place where discipline, drive and dedication are king.
"I feel like a gladiator, a warrior, like was born to do this," Dumas says.
Watching over them, booking fights across the country is their queen and manager Wendy Dumas.
"I'm concerned about life after the bell rings," she says.
Dumas manages six fighters from Arkansas and says there's not enough support at home.
"There is a lot of boxing fans here but no boxing for me to take my guys to Memphis for a home fight is ridiculous," she adds.
Pearson says the sport exposed him to a whole new world.
"I have family now that has never been outside of Little Rock, but I have," he says, preparing for his next out of town fight.
He says he is hoping to raise the sport's profile at home so they can inspire other young people to step outside the box and into the ring.
Pearson has a fight this weekend in Louisiana and another fight coming up in Hollywood.
They've been training at Arkansas Boxing Club right in the heart of downtown Little Rock at the gym where well known boxer Jermaine taylor got his start. Now, there is a new batch of fighters hoping to take themselves and the sport to the next level.
For fighter Antron Pearson, beating a punching bag is about more than boxing.
"The road I was going down coming up, I know it was the wrong path," he says.
Now, with each jab, he and his sparring buddies are beating the odds, choosing the sport over the streets.
"I got myself together and decided to leave the people I was messing with alone because I was either going to be dead or in jail," he says.
"I fell in love with it because it was the only thing that disciplined me," says fighter Terrance Dumas.
These fighters say, stepping into the ring took them off the streets and into a place where discipline, drive and dedication are king.
"I feel like a gladiator, a warrior, like was born to do this," Dumas says.
Watching over them, booking fights across the country is their queen and manager Wendy Dumas.
"I'm concerned about life after the bell rings," she says.
Dumas manages six fighters from Arkansas and says there's not enough support at home.
"There is a lot of boxing fans here but no boxing for me to take my guys to Memphis for a home fight is ridiculous," she adds.
Pearson says the sport exposed him to a whole new world.
"I have family now that has never been outside of Little Rock, but I have," he says, preparing for his next out of town fight.
He says he is hoping to raise the sport's profile at home so they can inspire other young people to step outside the box and into the ring.
Pearson has a fight this weekend in Louisiana and another fight coming up in Hollywood.
