North Carolina Boxers to Watch in 2016

   North Carolina still has quite a few up-and-coming professional fighters to keep an eye on in the coming year. Some have already appeared on the big stage nationally via premium TV networks in such places as Las Vegas and New York. And others just might have the potential to be there soon. Listed below are our best, so if they are coming to your hometown in NC, it’s surely money well spent to go see them.

The fighters listed here had at least one fight in 2015, have 5 or more wins on their record, have won at least one of their last 3 fights, have more wins than losses and, of course, reside and train in North Carolina.

Eli Addison (11-4). In 2006, in a losing effort, Eli went the distance with highly regarded world champion Timothy Bradley and has maintained a fairly good record since then. Eli originates from Winston-Salem, but in recent years has made his home in Charlotte and trains out of Dyme Boxing & Fitness. (Eli's bout with Bradley was prior to Bradley winning championship).

Vernon Alston (8-6-1). Also known as "Antoine Alston", he fights out of Durham.

Lee Campbell (9-2). Lee is a super-middleweight based in Charlotte. He has appeared on nationally televised bouts during his career, which began with a record of 7-0 before his first loss.

Christian Dominguez (7-2). Fights out of Winston-Salem. An exciting and promising young fighter. Christian has lost just once since 2012.

Carlette Ewell (16-8-1). They don’t come much more exciting than Carlette. She will pack the house anywhere she goes. Fighting out of Winston-Salem, Carlette has held several world titles as heavyweight champion.

Jamar Freeman (13-5-2). One of few fighters out of Wilson, North Carolina with wins on his record, Jamar has traveled out of state and fought for titles on several occasions. Though losing his last two fights, watch for Jamar to make a comeback.

Jonathan Haggler (24-4). Jonathan has been around a while, fighting since the year 2000. With a layoff between 2011 and 2015, he came back to score a one-round KO in Greensboro, NC late last year. Yet another Winston-Salem native, he has fought in multiple cities around the country over the years and for heavyweight titles overseas.

Logan Holler (6-0). Originally from Columbia, South Carolina, Logan now fights out of Charlotte and trains at Dyme Boxing & Fitness under the tutelage of Coach James Pressley.

Richard Miller (5-0). He remains undefeated in a career just starting in 2014. It will be interesting to see if the streak continues. Richard is from Winston-Salem.

Quinton Rankin (7-2). A definite main event fighter, Quinton (known to friends as “Q”) has a fighting style that brings crowds to their feet in excitement. Q’s only two loses occurred out of state and were perhaps controversial decisions based on poor refereeing or judging in the opponent’s hometown. Since then, Q has won his last 6 fights. Q fights out of Charlotte.

Ebony Rivera (5-0). Fighting out of Fayetteville, Ebony remains undefeated after achieving her 5th straight win on January 16, 2016 against Mexican fighter Mayela Perez in a bout that took place in Eagle Pass, Texas.

Jared Robinson (16-2-1). Undoubtedly one of North Carolina’s best, Jared has held titles in both amateur and professional careers. Jared is yet another of Dyme Boxing & Fitness’ main event fighters under the coaching of legendary trainer James Pressley.

Lamar Russ (15-2). Fighting out of Fayetteville, NC, Lamar began his career with an undefeated record of 14-0 when he took on highly ranked Matthew Macklin in a televised Atlantic City bout. Lamar lost that bout, but took Macklin the 10-round distance and left him severely bruised. Lamar has also served as a sparring partner for world champion Gennady Golovkin. Lamar’s last fight was in 2014, but was added to this list based on exceptional accomplishments over the years and we can only hope he’ll be back in the ring soon.

Matthew Strode (22-2). A super-lightweight from Greensboro, Matthew had a 9-year layoff when returning to fight and win twice in 2015, including a win over an undefeated opponent in a South Carolina venue. In 2004, Matthew won the Continental Boxing Association welterweight title.

Joshua Tufte (19-1). Currently holding several heavyweight titles, Josh is quite possibly the biggest drawer of fans to boxing events in North Carolina when he’s on the card. With just a single loss occurring out of state, it’s just a matter of time before Josh becomes well known on the national stage of boxing. He fights out of Kernersville, NC. Josh has also served as a sparring partner for world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.

Pablo Velez (5-0-1). Pablo is a super-middleweight fighting out of New Brunswick, NC. He fought four times in 2013 and twice in 2015, remaining undefeated with a draw on his record.

Marselle Walker (6-0). Marselle is a super-middleweight from Charlotte. He began his career in 2014 and since then has remained quite active, reeling off 6 straight wins during a one-year period.

John Williams (15-4-1). We know him as “Spidey”. He has established a good record and fought for titles. Spidey thrilled North Carolina boxing fans on a night he traveled to New York and defeated a highly regarded 19-1 fighter in June of 2014. A member of the Dyme Boxing & Fitness stable in Charlotte, if you are fortunate to have Spidey in your town on fight night, you won’t want to miss it.

James Winchester (17-11). With fights in New York, Las Vegas, California, and other states, battle-tested James “Shotgun” Winchester has had his ups and downs, yet remains active in the ring and his community, offering his guidance to underprivileged kids by showing them how things are done in the gym.

Stanley Wright (5-0). Fighting out of Charlotte, Stanley has reeled off five straight wins in 15 months. Wright, who trains at Stanley's Pro Boxing Gym in Charlotte, is also a Mecklenburg County Sheriff Deputy.


Paco Rivera, North Carolina Boxing Talk Radio & Blog

Twitter: @GAR1680