A local boxer has been made an indirect part of a dispute between USA Boxing and hall of fame boxer and former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.
Earlier this week, the president of USA Boxing, Dr. Charles Butler, published an open letter in which he accuses Tyson and his new promotional company, Iron Mike Promotions, of hindering the growth of the US Olympic Boxing program by attempting to sign some of the country's best young amateur talent to professional contracts. One boxer, presumably, Erickson Lubin, signed with Tyson's company at the age of 18.
Dr. Butler says in his letter, "Mike, an athlete who is just turning 18 is too young for the world of professional boxing. The other promoters are not prematurely stalking our future Olympic stars at this time."
Tyson responded to Dr. Butler with his own open letter in which he not only talks about himself turning pro at 18, he mentions DC's own Dusty Hernandez Harrison, who turned pro at 17.
"You also state that 18 is too young to turn pro, yet you write this open
letter to someone that has turned pro at 18 and has had a very
successful professional boxing career," Tyson says in his letter. "I still hold the record as the
youngest heavyweight champion. Let’s not forget Wilfred Benitez who was
the youngest champion of all times at 17. Currently there is a young
fighter in the Washington DC area, Dusty Harrison, who turned pro at 17,
is now 19 and undefeated in 17 professional fights. Harrison also
attends a local college. Promoters, managers and trainers have always
been in the recruiting business. This isn’t a new phenomenon. It’s an
engagement that goes on in ALL professional sports."
When Harrison's camp heard about the Tyson mention, here was their response:
“Dusty is honored by the compliment given to him by one of the
most exciting and dynamic heavyweight Champions in history,” said
Hernandez-Harrison’s promoter Jeff Fried of All-In Entertainment. "Dusty continues to maintain the
focus, work ethic and sacrifice that is necessary to succeed to the
highest level in any sport, and certainly in boxing. Dusty is passionate about
learning and continuing to develop as a professional boxer."
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8 comments:
Boxing is alive and going strong in the DMV!!!
how much dust getting for big fight? hbo $? middleweight to big for the dust.
Being as though USA Boxing were talking about Olympic hopefuls, did the conversation pertain to Dusty. Dusty is a good fighter that turned pro because he was nowhere near an Olympic hopeful . He never fought in Open class. He had never fought anybody over 16. Erik Lubin was very accomplished defeating a Cuban medalist in the Worlds as an open fighter. When Dusty turned pro he was. Nowhere close to the Olympics .
He isn't fighting middleweight. He's still at welterweight.
Erik Lubin said he fought Dusty Harrison before. If Dusty never was an Olympic hopeful, why is he 17-0 and signed with them? Why is he fighting for a title in NY? I am not saying that Dusty was better than the older guys, but it's obvious that he is doing something correct. (Ok I see Harrison defeated Lubin years ago)
According to interviews, they are close friends.
No, the conversation wasn't totally about Dusty but when Dr. Butler said that he thought 18 was too young to turn pro, Tyson used Dusty as an example to dispute that claim.
There are plenty of great pro boxers that weren't Olympic hopefuls. If you really knew boxing, you wouldn't of taken it as an insult, and the original article was about signing future Olympians. Plenty of guys sign at 18, and you never hear from Dr. butler. Every boxer has their own paths to take. At the present time Erik Lubin was a standout. National Champion at two weight classes simultaneously .
Erik Lubin will be a world champ. He beat the best that Cuba has twice already. Many boxers are turning pro now instead of waiting for Olympics.
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