“The Road Warrior” Coaches Light Heavyweight Contender,
Pre-Fight Against McIntyre
Sitting in the dressing room before his figh
t on Saturday night at the Hollywood Casino in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi, against former world title challenger Will “Kid Fire” McIntyre, light heavyweight contender Blake Prevost (16-2-1, 5 KOs) faced a hostile, sold-out crowd and an opponent who thought he made for a perfect comeback foil.
That’s when some good advice from an expert in fighting away from home helped him steady his resolve.
“(Former world champion) Glen ‘The Road Warrior’ Johnson came in the dressing room and told me how to win in the other guy’s hometown,” recounted Prevost. “He told me if I want to win a split decision I have to hit him six times for every time he hits me. I have to knock him out if I want a unanimous decision.”
Johnson’s words proved prophetic as Prevost dominated nine of ten rounds, staggering McIntyre (now 40-5-1, 14 KOs) at least twice, while winning a split decision.
“Don’t call it an upset,” said Prevost’s promoter, Kerry Daigle of Keeppunching Entertainment. “We knew this was going to happen from the day the fight was made. This is a win and a nice win, but it’s not an upset to us.”
The Prevost victory serves as a reminder of Daigle’s eye for spotting talent. An astute boxing mind who maintains a low profile, Daigle has worked patiently to develop the former Marine boxing champion into a contender, even when Prevost lost his previous fight (an abbreviated technical decision due to a head-butt) and missed an extended period due to injury.
“We’ve got a good team together for Blake,” added Daigle. “Jason Papillion, a long time world contender and former world title challenger is his co-trainer, along with former female champion Deidre Gogarty. If you follow the history of boxing, you know it was Deidre and Christy Martin who legitimized women’s boxing to the world. Plus, Beau Williford, a Louisiana boxing legend, has been working closely with him. For every big fight Blake Prevost wins, he’s got a dream team standing behind him helping to make it happen.”
Unmarked and surprisingly fresh after the fight, Prevost admitted he was happy with his performance, but isn’t sure he’d like his career to go the way Johnson’s has. “I don’t know if there will ever be another road warrior like him,” he laughed. “Doing it once in hostile territory is tough. Doing it as often as he has is what makes him so great.”
Other results from promoter Leslie Bonano and Brawlin’ in N’awlins’ outstanding and sold-out show:
Bobby O’Bannon via TKO3 John Brown (heavyweights)
Jamond Bourgeois WUD4 Vince Burkhalter (middleweights)
Tiffany Woodard Maj Draw 4 Sydeny LeBlanc (heavyweights)
Marcus McDaniel WUD4 Blake Singleton (middleweights)
As in September, I once again ran out of gas in the 10th & 11th championship rounds of October & November with this column, but I recovered to complete them and will unleash a few more flurries to close out the 12th and final round.
In the first week of October, Hassan N’Dam won a UD over Curtis Stevens in an eliminator for the right to challenge Jermaine Taylor who defeated aging Sam Soliman to regain the IBF Middleweight title. How Taylor even earned this title shot is another story altogether, but it is all irrelevant as he is now the champion. However he will not have too much time to savor his victory as he has assault and battery charges pending against him and an upcoming court fight that may turn out to be the toughest fight of his life, just when things started to look up for him in boxing, we wish him luck.
