Brooklyn native and prominent East Coast boxer " The Notorious" Travis Peterkin (15-0 / 7 KOs) is no stranger to adversity. After a much debated and highly contested match-up between Peterkin and Luis "Cuba " Arias (12-0/ 5 KOs) a few years back, Travis was basically robbed of a clear-cut and plainly visible victory in a fairly underhanded way. He has strived to continue to make his mark in his career and fight whoever, whenever, wherever. While this may seem like a detriment to some, to true boxing heads and fans alike, Travis Peterkin is the real deal.
No way to try and sugarcoat it, because what this fighter and his father and camp bring to the table in not only every fight they seek out or agree to undertake, but also the powerful performances of pugilism that are on display every single time Travis fights. There is no pretense about Travis or his father Bernard, as both men display both an honorable nature and commitment to excellence when it comes to boxing and training in general. This fortitude will be undoubtedly put to the test once again as Peterkin squares off against Lenin Castillo (12-0/ 7 KOs) this Saturday, August 1st at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York (supporting the undercard of Danny Garcia vs. Paulie Malignaggi).
When contested on paper, both fighter's records are similar in relative experience when only looked at from a purely numbers game, which is all prognostication really is. Forecasting what we think is going to happen in a fight is usually never what happens. Now when watching a fight the signs are all there. And they will be there again this Saturday when Peterkin holds his hand up once more with win number 16 on the books.
So when looking at numbers, while they can at times be revealing and truthful - aren't what this fight is really all about. Travis comes in the harder, more seasoned boxer with unrelenting determination and an iron will. The Dominican Castillo is an Olympian who competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics, winning the gold medal during the Cheo Aponte Cup in April of that same year. There is a lot at stake for the native New Yorker who will be fighting once more in front of a hometown capacity crowd at Barclays. Even with the lights getting brighter, the Peterkin clan only continue to drive forward, racking up victories along the way and cementing their spot (and legacy) in boxing.
Old school boxing and fundamentals are what the fight game used to be all about. Guys that put their time in, invested their energy and focus behind leather gloves and the living memories known as a boxing gym. Their blood, sweat and tears spilled for a sport and a discipline that few men attempt and even fewer ever achieve mastery in. Modern day warriors who let their fists fly and inflict damage to not only prove their own self-worth and pride at times, but also to do hand-to-hand combat in a squared circle that provides little if any solace for a fighter - except when said boxer is resting the back of their head on the ropes for some reason or other.
August 1st is Travis Peterkin's time to shine once again like a beacon from Brooklyn, and prove to the boxing world once more that not only will his name become a household one, but that his fights are entertaining and worth watching (which they are). Excitement and power is what this rising southpaw brings to the table. The Peterkin name is synonymous with boxing on the East Coast and in New York City, and Travis' popularity as a legitimate contender and rising threat in the Cruiserweight division is a well-known fact at this point.
Much of the media will continue to attempt to categorize Peterkin as a "prospect" but such a distinction is truly short-sighted at best. To recognize what this young 24-year-old boxer has been able to accomplish at such a young age in boxing is beyond remarkable. Peterkin is the success story that boxing wants and has been hoping for - for quite some time now. A hard working kid who has his eye on the prize and refuses to lose or take his focus off his goals for even a second, Travis Peterkin is representative of a tenacity and determination that is unheard of and not seen much these days, especially with young boxers who look at the bright lights and the big money, often forgoing or overshadowing the harsh and at times brutal realities of the sport and what it means to be a boxer - a fighter.
Be forewarned boxing fans, and know that a real fighter and a real trainer will be in there doing what they do best - and that is winning, performing beyond anyone's expectations or demands, and bringing back the age old tradition of boxing where fighter's fight and they don't duck anyone or make excuses. And what better place than Barclays in Brooklyn for it to all go down?
TWO-CENTS WELCOME! If you have any questions, comments, complaints, kudos or anything else you can e-mail Jason at boxingwarrior@hotmail.com. Always remember when in doubt knock ‘em out!
