Prevost Adapts and Overcomes

Blake "Candyman" Prevost will appear on the August 18, 2010, "Battle on the Bayou" event, live from the Monroe Civic Center in Monroe, Louisiana, and televised live on ESPN2's Wednesday Night Fights Boxing didn't start out so well for light heavyweight contender Blake "Candyman" Prevost - but he's a Marine. He overcame. He adapted.

"I started boxing at eight years old when I was 60 pounds," he explains. "The first week my grandfather and grandmother came to watch me train and they cried when they left!"

But Prevost (14-1-1, 5 KOs) is always faithful to his determination to succeed. "I kept it up and three years later I had a national title. I had over 200 amateur fights and won an Under-19 National title. I was State Golden Gloves Champ like 10 times."

It was that determination that also helped him become one of the best fighters the United States Marine Corps has ever produced. "I spent my first year in the infantry in California. Then I made the boxing team and became a three-time All Marine Champion." Prevost had already won the All Marine Super Middleweight Championship twice when his ability to prevail was once again put to the test. "I won the 165-lb title twice, but couldn't make the weight anymore. We already had a 178-lb champ, so I went up to 201 lbs and won the All Marine Heavyweight Championship."

Rising above adversity with mental toughness has remained a way of life for the southpaw. In 2006, he was forced take an extended break from boxing when he broke an ankle and then a knuckle and was out for almost three years. "It was discouraging at times because I would think I was completely healed and then try to work out and I wasn't. But in the end, it was a good thing though because I used to take boxing for granted. I just thought it would always be there. Getting hurt like that made me realize it won't last forever, so I should put 110% into it while I still can. It made me a whole lot better fighter and made me appreciate it a whole lot more."

Prevost's new co-trainer is Jason Papillion (his other co-trainer is groundbreaking female fighter Deidre Gogarty). Papillion was a hard-nosed world-class veteran for many years, and says Prevost is a perfect student. "Blake looked real good in his last fight (their first together)," he explains. "I was impressed with how he listens. Blake is a hard worker and he wants to learn and get better and that's what I like to see in a fighter. You can't ask for better than that. He'll go far in boxing."

Prevost says that by working full-time and keeping up with the training involved with being a world-class fighter, he knows he has chosen a challenging path in life, but he wouldn't have it any other way. "I didn't want to be a fighter who doesn't work and gets their manager to give them everything. I grew up like man and a man works for a living."

With plans to make as serious run at a world championship within a year, Prevost says he's happy to have the right management in place to help him get there. "I called my trainer at the time and told him I was going professional and he told me had had just the guy to manage me. Kerry Daigle didn't live that far from me and I went and met with him. I signed with Kerry and went professional in August 2004. I love it. He's a good man and he does a great job."

Tickets for "Battle on the Bayou" are on sale and priced at Ringside $40, Floor and Risers $25. General Admission seats are just $15. They are available at all Ticketmaster outlets and the Monroe Civic Center box office.

All government employees with valid government ID will pay just $10 for general admission seats. For more information, www.keeppunching.com.