PROSPECT WATCH: Tony Hirsch Jr. By Ruth Raper
A s boxing fans, we hear a common story about a young fighter with a glittering amateur career in their back pocket. A string of national titles with a glorious run at the international level, often accompanied by a shiny medal as they turn over to the professional ranks with promises of destiny and stardom. The top promoters parade them on high-end undercards around the world. A blue-chip prospect. Tony Hirsch Jr. had none of the above. No golden ticket to open the door into boxing’s hallowed halls. When the Oakland, California, native decided to turn professional, he did it knowing there would be no fanfare for a man with only four amateur fights to his name. Sometimes, to get the full picture, you have to look past the numbers and take a look back at how it all started.
always getting into fights at school, but it wasn’t his fault. He was fighting the bullies because his friends were getting beat up. I was supposed to spar Andre, and I got a call from his mom saying to go get him because he’s fighting. So I brought him to the gym and let him talk to Andre. Andre said, ‘Why you fighting at school? Watch me and your dad spar.’ After he saw us spar, he said, ‘Dad, I want to box.’” The young Tony sat and watched as the future Hall of Famer and his father moved between the ropes, trading blows and sharpening each other’s skills. This moment would shape the rest of Hirsch’s life; he just didn’t know it yet. The spark was lit, but the path wasn’t yet clear. When asked about his thin amateur resume, the fighter made no excuses. “I started competing at about 12 or 13, had
those four fights, then moved with my mom to the Stockton area. I went off into other sports,” said Hirsch. “When I came back, we just went straight into the pro game.” He would soon discover that
Hirsch’s father, Tony Hirsch Sr., was a pro fighter himself from 2007- 2018 and sparred with local legend Andre Ward for years. Tony Sr. recalls a story about his son: “He was
In June, Hirsch scored a brutal third- round knockout of Jaybrio Pe Benito on a Zuffa undercard.
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