Paterson native and up-and-coming middleweight Richard Pierson will return to action Friday, February 17, 2012 as Gabe LaConte’s First Round Promotions presents a night of boxing at the Nutley High School in Nutley, New Jersey.
Following nearly a two-year layoff from the squared circle, Pierson (9-2, 6 KO) put on an impressive show in his comeback fight in June of 2010, stopping Reynaldo Rodriguez at 2:32 of the first round, handing the undefeated fighter his first loss. But the young fighter has had problems with fights falling through and getting cancelled last minute.
Having fights fall through has been somewhat of a regular thing for Pierson, through no fault of his own. Fighters and promoters have been avoiding the devastating puncher because in four fights he was supposed to be the “B” fighter, and he came in and knocked out the “A” fighter.
Along with his heavy hands, Pierson has caught the attention of boxing fans around the world because he has always stepped up to fight every time he was given the chance. To his credit, he has never faced an opponent with a losing record.
Although not having a set opponent would present an issue in training for some fighters, Pierson doesn’t allow it to affect him.
“I haven’t changed how I prepare for a fight,” said Pierson. “I train the way I always do; I focus on the win. It is unpredictable. I could have an opponent right now and a week before the fight that can change, so I just make sure that I’m in shape and able to go out there and do what I know I can do.”
Despite the problems Pierson has faced in the past with getting fights, this past year Pierson sought out the management of former heavyweight knockout artist and boxing trainer Lou Esa.
“Richard is probably one of the most devastating punchers I’ve ever worked with,” said Esa. “This kid can hit you with either hand that’ll put you on Queer Street. Just knowing a little bit about Richard has put me in a different state. He has 10 children. He takes care of them all by himself. When you look up father in the dictionary, you see a picture of Richard Pierson. He shows that kind of determination inside the boxing ring. He is determined to win a championship, and I think he will. This kid is not going away silently; in fact he isn’t going away at all. He is someone to be reckoned with, and nobody wants to fight him now.”
In his young career Pierson has fought at top level venues, including the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas, Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, and several others.
When asked if he felt he had an advantage since he has always fought tougher competition, Pierson responded, “The thing with the tougher competition, it’s the same way I look at this fight coming up. I go out there to fight, and look at each fighter as a human being, just like I am. To me it doesn’t matter who you have fought or where you have fought…it depends on what you are bringing to the table. But I don’t think it was an advantage for me to be fighting on big stages early in my career. That’s one of the reasons why it has been so hard for me to get fights now.”
Going forward in 2012 Pierson hopes to stay active and consistently fight throughout the year.
The middleweight prospect currently trains at Ike and Randy’s gym in Paterson, New Jersey.
“Lastly I want to give a shot out to Lou Esa for being one of the only guys who was willing to take time out to try to get my career back and moving, and Maureen Shea, who always gave me great advice. She is the female champion, and always gives me great advice and showed me the right way to go, and always kept me level-headed. There were times that I’ve gotten down in boxing, and she is the one who brought me back. With the two of them I believe my career is going to go on and my life is going to go how it should be. And thanks to Blockstarzzent for getting my photo up on the promo flier for the fight.”
Tickets for Richard Pierson’s return to the ring cost $40 for general admission and $100 for a VIP table (which includes a buffet dinner) can be purchased directly through Lou Esa at Final Round Boxing and Fitness in Whippany, NJ or by calling (973) 885-7962.
For more information follow Richard Pierson on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Richard-TP-Pierson-Fan-Page/251954198152149
