On a typical combat evening when Dusty Hernandez-Harrison was nonetheless within the ring, the welterweight contender from the District would have been within the locker room reviewing technique, limbering his physique and summoning the psychological fortitude required to thrive in hand-to-hand fight.
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‘Beltway Battles’ series strives to give boxing in D.C. a fighting chance again
“I used to be a agency believer being a fighter was the toughest job on the planet,” mentioned Hernandez-Harrison, who has been inactive since February 2020, when he improved to 34-0-1. “It was a 24-hour job. Your life-style is modified. I now know it’s the second-hardest job. Excuse my language, however this [expletive] sucks. You don’t understand how a lot goes into it.”
Hernandez-Harrison was talking partially in jest, however the many duties he’s chargeable for embrace dealing with the fighters’ journey preparations, guaranteeing correct medical care at ringside and arranging area safety. He even made the rounds within the surrounding parking tons, talking with attendants in regards to the procedures.
Hernandez-Harrison is the founding father of DHH Promotions, which has partnered with different promotions, together with Rising Star and TCMBF Boxing, for 3 playing cards that includes fighters from in and across the District headlining the primary occasion and co-feature.
Showing in Saturday’s co-feature was Anthony Peterson, the 37-year-old D.C-born and -raised tremendous light-weight who ended a 9½-month hiatus to dispatch Saul Corral through sixth-round knockout within the card’s penultimate bout. The primary occasion between Bowie’s Greg Outlaw and Wilfrido Buelvas of Colombia led to an anti-climactic no contest within the first spherical. Referee Michelle Myers stopped the combat at 2:28 when medical officers in each corners declared the fighters couldn’t proceed after Buelvas unintentionally head-butted Outlaw, opening a gash above his proper eye that started bleeding profusely.
“It’s one thing I’ve all the time wished,” Peterson (39-1-1, 25 knockouts) mentioned of highlighting an area manufacturing. “It’s one thing I’ve felt like was overdue. Whereas I used to be ready for these large fights, I really feel like these had been the occasions that I missed. We may have been placing on these smaller reveals and constructing our fan base stronger — and never solely are you constructing a fan base however you’re knocking off rust.”
Peterson’s coach is his older brother Lamont, 38, a retired two-division champion whose victory over Amir Khan through break up determination in December 2011 on the Walter E. Washington Conference Heart produced one of the memorable moments within the storied historical past of boxing in D.C.
That triumph introduced main title belts again to the District, which was the birthplace and/or residence base of world champions in the course of the Nineties akin to flyweight Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson, tremendous light-weight Sharmba Mitchell, tremendous welterweight Ronald “Winky” Wright and middleweights Keith Holmes and William Joppy. The close by suburbs can declare Sugar Ray Leonard, a local of Palmer Park and one of the completed and celebrated champions in boxing historical past, in addition to former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe of Fort Washington.
Underscoring the realm illustration Saturday evening was a 10-bell salute honoring late coach Gary Russell Sr., who died just lately. Russell was the patriarch in a household of fighters and most notably educated Gary Russell Jr., who held the WBC featherweight title from 2015 till dropping it in January.
“Our purpose is to get D.C. again to after we had 5, six champions,” mentioned Hernandez-Harrison, whose housemate Donnell Poe was on the undercard and received his four-round bout, the second of his profession. “A whole lot of them are right here tonight. I believe it’s good to attach the brand new and the previous. That’s just about my job now — mentoring younger fighters. I inform them the errors I made, issues I did flawed.”
Securing Leisure and Sports activities Area, the house courtroom of the Washington Mystics and the Capital Metropolis Go-Go and the observe facility of the Washington Wizards, was on the high of his checklist of priorities. With yet one more present scheduled for August, the four-year-old facility in Congress Heights supplies a seating capability (4,200) suited to showcasing contenders bidding for title fights along with unproven locals searching for to achieve expertise in a setting accessible to household and buddies.
The facilities are also way more fan-friendly than some dated venues within the space which have hosted boxing playing cards lately.
“That’s what D.C. wants. D.C. must be energetic on this sport,” mentioned Holmes, pointing to his 16 bouts over two years that ready him to turn into a champion. “These fighters have to combat. They should keep busy. … I’m grateful I went via what I went via. I simply hope everybody retains this factor going.”