Darlington boxers headed to Columbia
One More Round Boxing Team
By Melissa Rollins, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net
They have trained their hardest and now it is time to see what they learned. On Feb 18th, four of the boxers from One More Round Boxing in Darlington will have a match in Columbia.
Trainer Larry Frazier said that after the training they’ve had, his fighters are ready.
“If they just go out there and do their best I’ll be satisfied, you know, with their first fight,” Frazier said. “I am pushing for a win; you know all coaches want a win. They’ll do pretty good. They’re ready.”
Frazier said that most of his boxers will have their very first fight in Columbia.
“I have four of ‘em fighting,” Frazier said. “Correh Littles, this will be his first. Tyvin Jeffery, he has had two fights and matter of fact, he’s undefeated; he’s the only undefeated fighter I have. Ms. Johnson, this will be her first fight. This will be Richard’s first fight, too.”
Tatyana Johnson is only the second female fighter that Frazier has trained.
“I had a female fighter when I was in Hartsville,” Frazier said. “Shannon and I went to Nationals in 2005. Ms. Johnson, she trains pretty hard. Some days she doesn’t really feel like training; I bend a little but not too much. This is her first time around and she’s sixteen years old. I have a daughter so I know how it is.”
Johnson said that she is prepared for her first fight.
“I started boxing about two months ago,” Johnson said. “My brother used to box and Ever since I was little I wanted to do it. At first, my parents didn’t want me to do it because they didn’t think I was mature enough; they thought I would go to school and show off. Now that I’m a little older, they approve of it. I haven’t had any matches yet so I’m excited and nervous. My parents are going to come with me.”
Johnson is not the only one with a family connection to boxing.
“I started boxing when I was little; about ten,” Correh Littles said. “My granddad was a professional boxer and he trained me. I’m excited about the upcoming fight; I’m not nervous. I’ve got an advantage over that person because I’ve been doing it so long.”
Richard Hinton also had boxing in his blood.
“I’ve been working at it since I was maybe, eleven or twelve,” Hinton said. “My dad used to box and my grandfather boxed; I had an uncle that used to box too. I always wanted to see if I was good at it. My dad he tries to give me advice; he’s excited that I’m boxing. I know that if I have Mr. Larry on my side he’s going to take care of me; I’ll be ready.”
Frazier said that besides developing the skills they need in the ring, he also wants to be a good example for the boxers he has.
“I want to make sure that they have a positive thing going on,” Frazier said. “I make sure that they go to church; it doesn’t matter what church they go to as long as they go to church.”
Partnerships with the community make a big difference to the group.
“We have individual donations and from groups like the Elks,” Frazier said. “The Darlington Police Department, the chief, he helps out a great deal. The recreation department they also are helping out. It is still a long way to go but you have to crawl before you walk.”