HOLLYWOOD—Three title fights, four title belts and three victorious boxers.

Not a bad night for The Heavyweight Factory Tuesday night at Hard Rock Live.

HF stablemates Timur Ibragimov, Luis Ortiz and Brad Solomon were all victorious on an eight-bout card.

Ibragimov of Hallandale Beach, ranked 12th in the WBA among heavyweights, came on strong in the final two rounds to score a tenth-round knockout over previously unbeaten Gurcharan Singh of Atlantic City, N.J. to win the vacant WBO Intercontinental heavyweight title and his eighth consecutive fight.

Ortiz, fighting in only his third pro bout after a distinguished Cuban amateur career, won a hardfought eight-round unanimous decision over veteran Kendrick Releford to capture the WBC Fecarbox heavyweight title.

Solomon, the first non-heavyweight to sign with The Heavyweight Factory, made his Hard Rock debut in impressive style with a dominant six-round TKO over the more-experienced Wilfredo Negron of Puerto Rico to win both the vacant WBA International and WBO Latino welterweight titles.

In front of a small but vociferous crowd, the outcome of the Ibragimov-Singh fight was never in doubt. It just took Ibragimov a few rounds to get accustomed to the Olympian’s awkward, unorthodox style.

Ibragimov, a 1996 Olympian who has paid his dues in pro boxing for ten years, kept busy throughout the fight and landed the harder body and head shots staggering him in the early rounds.

Ibragimov started getting more aggressive in the fourth round and got stronger each round after that. By the ninth round, Ibragimov was chasing Singh all over the ring, sending him over the ropes with a powerful right hand. Three more big rights had him on the canvass.

In the tenth and final round, Ibragimov stunned Singh with a right hook uppercut that again had him against the ropes. A straight right to the jaw dropped the stunned Singh. A few more aggressive hits to the head and referee Frank Santore Jr. stopped the fight at the 1:45 mark.

“That was one of the most aggressive fights I have seen Timur do,” said his strength and conditioning coach Jeremy Fedoruk, who with veteran trainer Luis Lagerman went in with a perfect game plan.

“The fact he had that much power and energy at the end of the fight, we are very happy,” Fedoruk said. “It may have started slow because the guy was so awkward but the guy was definitely out by the end. Timur was starting to get pissed off and after that was really aggressive.

“Man, that was a great finish.”

The 225-pound Ibragimov improved to 29-2-1 with 16 KOs. His next fight is scheduled in early October in Panama. The 221-pound Singh dropped to 20-1 with 11 KOs.

It may not have been the most exciting heavyweight bout, but Ortiz was able to get more work in (eight rounds) than his first two fights (five rounds) combined against the wily veteran.

Ortiz, with a five-pound advantage, dropped the Texan (Fort Worth) in the first and second round but Releford stayed in there against the stronger and talented Ortiz who walked away with an eight-round decision. His first two career pro wins were by TKOs.

The judges score cards had Ortiz winning easily, 80-72, 79-72, 79-72.

It was Ortiz third consecutive victory at the Hard Rock Live.

Solomon, (13-0, 4 KOs) the boxer many fans came to see if the comparisons with Roy Jones Jr. were correct, got their money’s worth watching the entertaining quick-footed, quick-fisted, cagey old-style boxer.

Solomon was too quick for Negron (26-15) to mount any serious body work. In the fourth round, Solomon came out with a flurry of punches to the head and in the fifth followed up with punishing body shots frustrating Negron to start holding and slowing down the pace.

In the sixth round, the three-time Golden Gloves champion continued his relentless punching and battering him into the ropes until referee Sam Burgos mercifully stopped the fight for a TKO at the 2:56 mark.

One of the biggest thrills for Solomon was having his belts presented him by Ron Bergeron, one of the state’s most successful developers and entrepreneurs. Solomon visited with sponsors and fans after the fight and signed autographs.

Two HF boxers were less fortunate in the ring.

Stranahan graduate Ray Tillman lost his debut to former amateur region champion Watson Pierre of Fort Lauderdale. After Pierre slipped in the opening round, he dropped Tillman with a hard right for a second- round TKO at the 1:30 mark.

Mentored by Boxing Fitness coach Luiz Perez, Pierre needed a round to get the butterflies out.

“I was nervous about the fight in the first round,” said Pierre, who had one of the loudest cheering sections all night. “Once I got back in the corner my team told me do what we trained for. I saw the opening for a big right in the first round but I was just too nervous.

“It was my first time on the scene. This is a big adjustment from the amateurs but my team got me ready. I was motivated coming into this fight.”

Said Perez, “He was ready. I knew once he got past that nervousness I knew the fight would be over. We would love to get back-to-back fights. Now he’s not nervous anymore, he got past it. Now he is ready to rip everybody up in the ring.”

After three straight wins, former University of Miami football player James Bryant (3-1, 3 KOs) lost his first pro fight to Jayce Monroe of Fort Lauderdale, who spoiled HF boxer Carlton Baker’s debut with a second-round TKO, at the Hard Rock in April.

Monroe (2-0, 1 KO) dropped Bryant, who had won his first three fights with three first-round knockouts, early in the opening round of the four-rounder with a right hand 20 seconds into the fight. That turned out to be the difference. Bryant, looking fatigued, tried to work his way back but dropped a split decision loss. Two judges had Monroe winning, 39-37 and 38-37 and the other had Bryant 38-37.

If there was a Fight of the Night award, it would have gone to the toe-to-toe, all-out war between Pedro Rodriguez of Canal Point and local favorite Abdulah Dobey of Miami.

In the six-round seesaw battle that saw both fighters get in some good shots, particularly in the fifth round, Rodriguez prevailed for a sixth-round TKO at the 1:30 mark.

In other bouts, another local favorite and former top amateur Emmanuel Augustama of Miami (2-1) and Robert Turner of Tampa’s Fight Factory (4-2) fought to a controversial draw and Inocente Fiz of Miami (3-0) won a unanimous six-round decision over Reynaldo Cepeda, also of Tampa’s Fight Factory (4-1), to remain unbeaten.

In one of the most special presentations the boxing community has seen, The Heavyweight Factory presented Deerfield Beach teenager Josie Lou Ratley with a check to help defray medical costs in her courageous battle back from near-death. Ratley was savagely beaten on March 17 in a schoolyard and has fought her way back with the love of her family and the community.

The next Rise of the Heavyweights pro show is scheduled for Oct. 19 at Hard Rock Live.

Click here to view Fight Highlights!

Sharon Robb can be reached at sha11cats@aol.com.

The Heavyweight Factory will have two co-title sponsors for the first time in the history of the promotions company.

Puriste Premium Vodka and INTO Energy Drinks will co-sponsor the fourth “Rise of the Heavyweights” pro boxing show Tuesday, Aug 24 at Hard Rock Live.

During a press conference at Renegade Barbeque on Thursday at Seminole Paradise, Wolfgang Tweraser, CEO of Puriste USA Inc. was introduced to the crowd.

Tweraser talked about his involvement with the Heavyweight Factory and “what a pleasure it’s been to work with them and I am looking forward to the fights.”

And so is everyone else.

Three title fights and special presentation to honor teenager Josie Lou Ratley and her courageous battle back from near-death after a savage schoolyard beating on March 17 are expected to be the highlights of the star-studded evening.

Ratley touched the hearts of the boxing community that has followed her remarkable progress. The Heavyweight Factory will present Ratley and her family with a check to help defray medical expenses and other gifts.

In the main event, newly-crowned NABA heavyweight champion Timur Ibragimov of Hallandale Beach (28-2-1, 15 KOs) will try to add a second belt to his collection when he takes on Gurcharan Singh (20-0-0, 11 KOs) of Atlantic City, N.J. for the vacant WBO Intercontinental heavyweight title in the main event.

Ibragimov, promoted by the Heavyweight Factory and ranked No. 12 in the WBA, is coming off an impressive 12-round unanimous decision victory over former WBC heavyweight champion Oliver McCall on June 15 at Hard Rock Live. Singh is the first heavyweight contender from Punjab State, India. It will be his first U.S. fight since October 2007.

“It’s going to be a great night,” Ibragimov said during the press conference. “I will take care of business. I want to thank the Heavyweight Factory for doing a great job with me.”

In a co-main title event, Cuban southpaw heavyweight Luis Ortiz (2-0-0, 2 KOs) of the Heavyweight Factory will fight Kendrick Releford (22-13, 10 KOs) for the vacant WBC FECARBOX heavyweight title.

In the other co-main title fight, undefeated welterweight sensation Brad (King) Solomon (12-0, 4 KOs), the newest fighter added to the Heavyweight Factory, known for his speed and quick hands, will fight Wilfredo Negron (26-14-1, 19 KOs) for the vacant WBA international welterweight and WBC Latino belts.

“I am something special, one of the old-time fighters in the ring,” Solomon said. “I am unique. Do not turn your head or blink your eyes because you will miss the fight. I am happy to be with the Heavyweight Factory and this is going to be the beginning of a great journey for all of us.”

Also on the card is former University of Miami football player James Bryant, who will put his unbeaten record (3-0, 3KOs) on the line.

Heavyweight Factory stablemate Ray Tillman, a Stranahan High School graduate, will make his pro debut against Watson Pierre.

Ten action-packed fights are scheduled. The show begins 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

The weigh-in is Monday, 5 p.m. at the Heavyweight Factory, 5440 South State Road 7 in Hollywood.

Individual tickets are still on sale at $105, $55 & $30. All seats are reserved and available at the Hard Rock Live Box Office, open Tuesday – Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. and on Sunday & Monday – only open on event days at noon. Tickets also are available at all Ticketmaster outlets online at www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone: 1-800-745-3000.

After a grueling afternoon workout in a steamy gym on the outskirts of Atlanta in Austell, Ga., Brad Solomon drove to Jackson, Miss. to talk with a group of young troubled kids about choosing the right path in life.

With two welterweight titles on the line in two weeks on Aug. 24th at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Solomon could have easily begged off and rescheduled.

But after spending four years in the Dixon Correctional Institute in Jackson, La. and turning his life around through boxing, the 27-year-old father of two said he owes it to future generations to share his story.

“I come from a good family and just got in with the wrong crowd when I was 18 and went to jail,” Solomon said. “I talk to kids now and they listen because I have been there.

“I want to work with kids and encourage them not to go down the road I went down. I don’t want them going through the trouble I did. I want them going around the trouble.

“I was so young. I deserved to be punished. I paid my dues but no one should have to go through what I did. I know one thing, I am not going back there. This is what I tell these kids who have a chance to make something of themselves by going to school, working hard and having a goal.”

Solomon is focused on his life’s goal and that is to be champion of the world in one of the sport’s toughest weight divisions. Surrounded by the right people, Solomon’s journey has just begun.

The undefeated welterweight sensation (12-0, 4 KOs) recently signed with Hollywood-based The Heavyweight Factory and will make his debut with his new promotional company against experienced 16-year veteran Wilfredo Negron of Puerto Rico in the co-main event.

With the USA Florida State welterweight title already on his boxing resume, the rising prospect hopes to add the vacant WBA International and WBC Latino welterweight titles on the Aug. 24 Tuesday Night Fights Live card. A victory would move him up in the rankings.

John David Jackson, head trainer at The Heavyweight Factory, has seen first-hand the damage that Solomon can do in the ring with his quick hands and feet. He dominated and exposed Jackson’s fighter, Damian Frias, with his in-and-out movement and superb counterpunching to win a unanimous eight-round decision and the vacant USA Florida State welterweight title.

“I didn’t know a lot about him, there was no film on him,” Jackson said. “After the first round, I knew we were in trouble. He has a style we were not prepared for. He has all the natural ability in the world. He is a very special talent.”

Solomon grew up in Lafayette, La., the third oldest of four siblings, three brothers and one sister. When he was young he always wanted to be a boxer. But his mother, Sheila, would try and discourage him because of his lack of size. Still, he played football, basketball and baseball.

“My mom would tell me she wasn’t going to put me in a boxing program because I was so small, but I always wanted to fight,” Solomon said. “When I was young they never paid attention to me because I was so tiny. I am the one you come up to and see I am small, but I got that big heart.”

It wasn’t until Solomon was at Dixon Institute and stumbled onto a boxing ring in the back of a gym that he got the opportunity to box.

“There was boxing going on and the trainer came up to me and said ‘you want some of that?’ He asked me to throw a punch. He said ‘yeah, you’re ready.’ From that day on I have been boxing. It turned my whole life around and made me the man I am today.”

Solomon read and studied boxing, watching fights of Roy Jones Jr., his favorite boxer and other fighters while training and “working my butt off” every day.

Four years later, he was released and returned to Lafayette where he started running and sparring in a local gym. Before long he was competing in the amateurs. His first year he went to the Golden Gloves and won state, region and national titles.

In 2005, he went 8-0 as an amateur and a year later moved to Georgia where his mentor, good friend and now his manager, Charles Ferguson started a boxing gym. For the next two years Solomon honed his skills and won more national titles and compiled a 20-5 amateur record with an undeniable blue-collar work ethic.

Solomon won three National Golden Gloves titles, one as a welterweight and two as junior welterweight before he turned pro on Feb. 22, 2008. He has won 12 consecutive fights over the next three years without a blemish.

“When Mr. Ferguson called to tell me he was starting a nice boxing program in Georgia my bags were on that bus,” Solomon said. “He took me in, got me a job and a vehicle and helped get me where I am. He helped me change my life.”

During his national television debut against Kenny Galarza, Solomon impressed boxing analyst Teddy Atlas during an ESPN Friday Night Fights card in Miami calling him the “Real Deal” and telling HBO and Showtime to pay attention because ‘here is your guy.’ Solomon also beat rising prospect Ray Robinson with an eight-round majority decision.

“That got me excited when Mr. Atlas was speaking highly of me,” Solomon said. “He said some nice things. That was an exciting fight for me and I got a lot of attention. It won’t go to my head. I am going to keep doing what I have been doing, stay focused and get better. They say you think big, you make it big. I was always thinking big and now this dream is here.”

Height: 6’3”
Weight: 245
Hometown: Reading, PA
Residence: Hollywood, FL
High School: Reading (2004)
College: University of Miami (2007) Louisville (2009)

Height: 6-3 Weight: 220

Hometown: Urgench, Uzbekistan

Residence: Hallandale Beach

Date of birth: Jan. 15, 1975

Timur Ibragimov is breathing new life into his pro boxing career.After ten years of climbing his way up the heavyweight ladder, the 1996 Uzbekistan Olympian scored the biggest victory of his career on June 15th.   He won a unanimous 12-round decision over veteran Oliver McCall in the Rise of the Heavyweights main event at Hard Rock Live for the North American Boxing Association (NABA) title.

With great foot speed, long range combination punches and technical skills, Ibragimov proved what his trainer Luis Lagerman and strength and conditioning coach Jeremy Fedoruk have known all along—Ibragimov is worthy of top billing.

The judges had Ibragimov winning decisively with scores of 119-109, 117-111 and 117-111.

For Ibragimov, the victory was a huge step toward his eventual goal of becoming the world heavyweight champion. Since the NABA is affiliated with the World Boxing Association and Ibragimov is now an NABA champion he will be ranked among the WBA’s Top 15 heavyweight contenders.

Now at age 35, the Hallandale Beach boxer has signed a promotional contract with the Heavyweight Factory and is ready to take on the world. He will headline the main event fight in the Aug. 24 main event.

It didn’t hurt that his latest victory was a convincing one against a “name” opponent.

“This put me on the map because he is one of the great champions,” Ibragimov said.

Ibragimov’s supporting cast has helped take Ibragimov to the next level.

“He never really had someone tell him what to do,” said Lagerman, a veteran trainer mentored by Hall of Famer Angelo Dundee. “We taught him things that he should have been doing. He had a very raw amateur style in the beginning. After 200 fights as an amateur he had that Russian style. He never had to do anything like we did in the states.”

Lagerman said “it takes time to create a boxer from an amateur.

“Now, he understands the American style of boxing and he started getting better,” Lagerman said. “He is moving his head and his feet. He is doing more than he ever did before. He always had the power and strength, that comes natural to him. It was the technique that was missing.”

Ibragimov has finally earned his sudden celebrity, Lagerman said.

“He hasn’t deserved the attention before,” Lagerman said. “To beat a guy like Oliver McCall, he did a beautiful job. He has grown out of that early clumsiness, and now what he is doing is shining through. He is putting his trust in the right people.”

By winning his last seven fights, Ibragimov is gaining more and more confidence with every victory.

“The reason I am happy right now is because I am training with the Heavyweight Factory,” Ibragimov said before leaving for a month-long training camp in his hometown of Urgench, Uzbekistan where his mother and four sisters still live.

“Now I finally have got a promoter who trusts me,” Ibragimov said. “I am with the Heavyweight Factory guys all the time like Oliver McCall. For me it is one of the greatest experiences. People pay money to find this type of experience but I have this for free. That is why I am really, really excited.”

Ever since he made his pro debut in 2000 in Russia, Ibragimov has been excited. He was a light heavyweight during his amateur career with more than 200 fights. During the 1990s he was one of the world’s leading boxers. He won the Soviet Union Junior National Championships for his age category (16-18 years old).

After the break-up of the USSR, Ibragimov won the Uzbekistan National Championships five times. Ibragimov competed several times in the Asian Amateur Boxing Championships and Asian Games and in 1995 was a quarterfinalist in the World Championships in Berlin. Ibragimov won a gold medal in the 1997 Central Asian Games.

He competed in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics where he lost a controversial decision to Stipe Drews of Croatia.

Ibragimov turned pro in 2000 as a light heavyweight in Russia, but moved up to heavyweight for his second pro fight in West Palm Beach.

After 10 years, Ibragimov is 28-2-1 (15 KOs). His lone draw was against Kevin Johnson. He has won his last seven fights.

Ibragimov has also overcome a few setbacks.

In 2006, Ibragimov was outpointed by then-undefeated Calvin Brock in a high-profile fight televised by HBO. Although he rocked Brock early with a solid right cross, Ibragimov fought defensively for most of the bout against his more experienced opponent. The scores were 119-109, 117-111, and 115-113.

On February 16, 2007 Ibragimov lost a unanimous decision to top contender Tony Thompson. Ibragimov rallied in the last two rounds, but was not able to overcome the points advantage accumulated by Thompson in early rounds. The scores were 99-91, 97-93, and 97-93.

Later in 2007, he started turning things around. Ibragimov won a unanimous decision over former European champion Timo Hoffman in Germany. The scores were 99-94, 98-92, and 97-93. The victory was regarded as an upset, and it positioned Ibragimov on the edge of the world ratings.

After beating Hoffman, Ibragimov fought irregularly due to promotional and managerial problems. He had only two fights in 2008, winning both times.

Since the summer of 2009, Ibragimov has increased his ring activity and stepped up his game. In September he won a unanimous decision over Al Cole in Sweden. In February 2010, Ibragimov won the International Boxing Association Intercontinental title by knocking out Awadh Tamim in three rounds. Ibragimov’s NABA title over McCall was another confidence booster.

“Now I am North American champion and I hope one day world champion,” Ibragimov said. “I think I just understand more and how to be more aggressive. I think I am happy with who I am now.

“At 35, I think when the older boxers respect themselves they want to be world champion and work for it. Of course, I wanted to be the world champion the whole time since I started but now I have the opportunity. I have to use that opportunity.”

Ibragimov moved to Hallandale Beach seven years ago and considers South Florida his home.

“After the Olympics and when I was an amateur I was already thinking about professional boxing,” Ibragimov said. “Pretty much everything has come true for me except the world belt. If I train hard, I know I can do it.”

Sharon Robb can be reached at sha11cats@aol.com

One of the nation’s most well-respected and talented trainers, Jackson has been in the boxing game his entire life. As a pro boxer nicknamed “Action Jackson,” he was a two-division world champion (WBO light middleweight and WBA middleweight) with a 36-4, 20 KOs record. His fight against Jorge Castro was Ring Magazine’s 1994 Fight of the Year. As a trainer, he has worked with some of the biggest names in boxing including Shane Mosley, Bernard Hopkins, Nate Campbell and Allan Green. Now as head trainer Jackson will try and develop the Heavyweight Factory’s first world heavyweight champion from South Florida.

By Sharon Robb

The journey from Cuba doesn’t always end with title fights and million dollar contracts for its world-class amateur boxers.

When Luis Ortiz left Cuba eight months ago, he knew there were no guarantees when he landed in Miami. Yet he was willing to leave his 2-year-old daughter Liz Mercedes to make a better life for his family through pro boxing.

Ortiz, who signed a promotional contract with The Heavyweight Factory and lives in Kendall, will be featured in the co-main event on the August 17th Rise of the Heavyweights card at Hard Rock Live.

With 362 amateur fights and 2-0 pro record, both knockouts, the lefthander is on the fast track and could be the next great heavyweight from Cuba.

Ortiz is attempting to follow in the hallowed footsteps of Cuban heavyweight greats Teofilo Stevenson and Felix Savon, who never left the small Caribbean nation of just over 11 million people to pursue pro boxing.

Cuba has won 32 gold medals in Olympic competition since 1972 but doesn’t allow pro boxing, forcing several boxers to defect for greener pastures. In Cuba, boxers earn little more than $25 a month but are treated as national heroes and often enjoy state-bestowed privileges such as a car or house.

President Fidel Castro’s government regards the top boxers, along with other star athletes, as supreme products of its socialist sports system.

At 31, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Ortiz is one of the best-kept secrets in the U.S. Still, he is regarded by many as one of the best products to come out of Cuba. When he arrived in South Florida, he resumed training immediately at the Professional Fighting Center near Tamiami Airport.

“As soon as he got here he started boxing,” said Anibal Pedroso, a close friend and hip hop artist who walks in with Ortiz before his pro fights. “Cuban boxers are great and he is the greatest. I think he is the next Muhammad Ali.

“This is a huge opportunity for him and I believe he is going to make it happen,” Pedroso said. “He has been doing his thing little by little. People don’t know him yet because he is not that big yet. But he will be known.”

Ortiz is known as “The Mercedes.” “That’s his mom’s name and plus he likes that car and he wants one when he makes it,” Pedroso said. “I think it will take him a year to get there. For his size he is quick and has the technique. I think he is something the heavyweight division needs.”

Ortiz said he knew he was going to make it in boxing at age 18 when he got to spar Savon, one of the all-time heavyweight greats.

With a 343-19 amateur record, Ortiz took a silver medal at the 2003 World Championships and gold medal two years later. But it was that one shining moment with Savon he treasures. In his heyday, Savon beat every single amateur contender including David Tua, Sultan Ibragimov, Shannon Briggs and Lamon Brewster.

“I held my own against him and he respected me for that,” said Ortiz who was trained by legendary Cuban boxing coach Alcides Sagarra for seven years on the national team. “He never dropped me. There were no knockouts. I was a boy fighting a hero. I was a new boxer but I was faster than him. I couldn’t hit him because he was fast, too.”

Ortiz has the physical talent, strength, movement, speed and power to get to the next level.

“It is a privilege to be a Cuban fighter, there is the best schools in Cuba for boxers,” Ortiz said. “They have had some of the biggest names in boxing all around the world.

“Now that I am in pro boxing I want to accomplish the same thing. The big people are over here. I always wanted to accomplish this big dream inside of me and that’s to be the champion of the world.”

Of course, growing up in Cuba as a boxer brings high expectations and pressure.

“I only follow my heart,” Ortiz said. “The pressure I have is the pressure I put on myself.

“It has always been my dream to be a great boxer,” Ortiz said. “I have been dreaming this since I started when I was 11. I had a chance in Cuba but it was so political. They loved some other boxers and put me to the side even though I was the best. They didn’t realize I was the one.”

The experience of having nearly 400 fights as an amateur boxer has helped him rise quickly in the pro ranks.

“In my mind every fight is important to me, the next fight is more important then the next and the next,” Ortiz said. “I don’t want anything fast, I want everything for sure. I will be happy when I have my daughter next to me when I am champion.”

John David Jackson has seen every side of boxing.

He has been involved in the sport most of his life as an amateur and pro boxer and is now one of the most well-respected and talented trainers in the country.

As a pro boxer, he was a two-division champion in the nineties. As a trainer he has worked with some of the sport’s biggest names including Nate Campbell, Allan Green, Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins.

At 47, Jackson will take on another challenge as the newly-hired head trainer of the Heavyweight Factory at the 20,000-square foot state-of-the-art training and tryout facility in Hollywood.

Jackson started on July 5th. He is working with some of the boxers who will be featured on the Aug. 24th Rise of the Heavyweights card at Hard Rock Live.

Jackson will work with former University of Miami and Louisville football player James Bryant, who at 3-0, is proving that the unique idea of turning elite athletes from other sports into heavyweight boxers may help produce the next world heavyweight champion from South Florida.

“The Heavyweight Factory is a great idea,” Jackson said. “It’s not going to happen overnight. If it’s done correctly there is no reason why it can’t work.

“The heavyweight division is in a sad state right now, it used to be the glamour division,” Jackson said. “You have these older guys trying to hang around when it should be a young man’s sport. There is no hunger right now in the heavyweight division.”

Jackson has been around boxing since he was a youngster watching the sport with his father.

He was born in Denver, Colorado and later moved to Seattle, Washington. While he was living in Ogden, Utah he stumbled into boxing by chance. He was on his way with a friend to play basketball at the recreation center when they walked past a boxing gym. He was 7 years old at the time

Jackson ducked his head in the door and said “Hey, I’d like to try that.”

So he climbed into the ring and got a “good butt-whipping.” His nose was bloody and he was bruised but he was happy he stuck with it and didn’t quit in the ring that day.

Jackson’s father took him back to the gym and told the boxing coach that his son could box if he spent six months training before he stepped in the ring again and learned the proper skills and technique. The coach agreed.

“I made sure the next time I got into the ring I wouldn’t get my butt kicked again,” Jackson said with a smile.

He was also intrigued when he watched the first Ali-Frazier fight and saw the attention it got on television and the media.

“I said I want to do that,” Jackson said.

With the help of his first trainer George Benton at the Tacoma Boys Club in Tacoma, Wash., Jackson honed his talent and skills.

“We really clicked,” Jackson said. “I remember always going over to his place and picking his brain and tapping into all that boxing knowledge he had. He would teach and show me all kinds of things. As I got older I realized just how much of his philosophy I incorporated into mine.

“A lot of what you learn from other fighters and trainers carries over to a degree,” Jackson said. “George Benton had the greatest influence on me. I am my own person, but a lot of what I learned came from him.”

Jackson, a southpaw, developed into a successful amateur with more than 200 fights and two national titles.

He turned pro in 1984. He won his first 32 pro fights and captured the vacant WBO light middleweight title in 1988 with a win over Lupe Aquino. He defended his title six times before moving up to middleweight in 1993 to challenge WBA middleweight title holder Reggie Johnson. Jackson won by decision but lost the belt in 1994 to Jorge Fernando Castro with a ninth-round TKO and $110,000, his biggest payday in boxing. The fight was named Ring Magazine’s Fight of the Year.

In 1997 Jackson took on Bernard Hopkins for the IBF middleweight title but lost in a seventh-round TKO. He took a rematch against Castro in 1998 but lost on a decision. He retired in 1999 on a successful note with a second round TKO victory over Dave Boone and a pro record of 36-4 with 20 knockouts.

“I am satisfied with what I have done as a boxer,” Jackson said. “A lot of guys had more hype and more praise as amateurs but didn’t make it. I was able to win two world titles without a major promoter or major manager. It took a lot of hard work to get there like that.

“I didn’t make the money I thought I should have made. But you can’t cry about something you never had. I am content and happy with what I did. I came out of boxing unscarred. I can walk and talk. So I am happy and now I can give back and teach these young kids how to fight.”

After retiring as a boxer, Jackson turned to training where he has been successful since Day One and now is a potential Hall of Famer.

“George Benton always told me I would make a very good trainer but I didn’t want to hear it at that time because I was still boxing,” Jackson said. “That was the furthest thing from my mind back then.

“Now, I love teaching fighters,” Jackson said. “I love passing on what I learned in the early days and what I am still learning. I do miss the competition. Once you are a fighter, it’s hard to walk away. Any true fighter it never really leaves you.

“The competitive fire is still there. I do miss it but I know that this day in my life I am too old to do that. I am still in the sport and that’s what makes it so great. I have made the transition into being a trainer full-time. I don’t mind if I become more known as a better trainer than I was a boxer. The fact I will never fight again has settled in. I know my time is gone.”

Jackson identifies with the boxers he works with.

“During my amateur days it was great because all we did was fight,” Jackson said. “I just fought. I didn’t have any other things to worry about. Professionally, it wasn’t as much fun because I couldn’t enjoy the travelling to all the different countries or go sightseeing.”

Jackson is big on chemistry with his boxers. He doesn’t try to change them, he asks them what they want to do and they work on that.

“I tell them that whatever they did to get where they are is what we will work on,” Jackson said. “I simply want to improve on what they are trying to do. I want to work on their good points and give them longevity. For me it’s about hard training and hard work. I get them to where they need to be.”

Sharon Robb can be reached at sha11cats@aol.com