“The One” Fights March 11 in Orange County
The heavyweight division in boxing used to be the most glamorous and exciting division to watch. But with the lack of U.S. champs winning belts, a drought of top tier American talent has, arguably, been on the decline in the last few years with the European giants taking over the sport.
One young prospect hoping to make his mark in this particular weight class is Southern California’s Scott “The One” Alexander. The Los Angeles heavyweight just signed an exclusive promotional contract with Thompson Boxing Promotions (TBP) and will step into the ring on Friday, March 11 at the special “Fight Night 18″ event to be held at the famed Marconi Automotive Museum in Tustin.
I caught up with the SoCal fighter to hear all about the team’s future plans. After his training session with coach Henry Ramirez ended, our interview began as I got a chance to get to know this prospect on the come up.
Signing with TBP, Alexander (10-1-1, 6 KOs) joined President Ken Thompson along with TBP General Manager/Matchmaker Alex Camponovo, manager Ken Sheer and boxing’s Whit Haydon, who were all present at the official contract signing that was announced on February 18. The 26-year-old trains currently with Ramirez at the Raincross Boxing Academy in Riverside. The heavyweight stands at 6′ 3” and likes to fight in the 225-235 pounds range. His new promoter sees a talented young prospect on the rise.
“I think he has all the talent in the world that you could possibly want in a fighter; he reminds me of a Muhammad Ai type,” promoter Ken Thompson tells me. “We think he could be a world champ soon; he’s ready to take on the world!”
The next 18 months will be pivotal for Team Alexander as plans are for the athlete to stay extremely busy in the ring.
“We plan to have him fight on a ‘fast and furious’ schedule,” Thompson affirms. Ken promotes regular shows in the Inland Empire and also co-promotes on a frequent basis as well. “He’ll fight on the Marconi show on March 11 and we will keep him busy after that show too.”
Scott is also gung-ho about lacing up–and perhaps making up for some lost time.
While he’s been a pro since 2009 (at age 20), the athlete had zero experience in amateur boxing. But this fact does not deter Alexander in his quest to reach the top as a pro. And the lack of amateur bouts didn’t get in the way of success in other fighters who reportedly have had limited or no amateur experience including Anthony Mundine, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Dwight Muhammad Qawi, etc.
While lacking in amateur bouts, the Los Angeles heavyweight is a natural athlete who became fully immersed in the sweet science at the age of 18.
I wondered who his boxing influences were while coming up in the sport?
“I’m considered a ‘small’ heavyweight so I like watching boxers like Muhammad Ali, Chris Byrd, James Toney, Evander Holyfield,” the prizefighter mentions to me. “I also like the styles of Roy Jones Jr., Sugar Ray Leonard, and Floyd Mayweather Jr.”
With his build, I asked him if he was a football player before turning to prizefighting?
“Yeah, I played football in my senior year; I moved around a lot in L.A. attending different high schools,” Scott replies. “I could’ve had a scholarship but with the moving around it just didn’t work out at the time.”
But the sport of boxing has definitely worked out for the SoCal fighter. He joined the late Michael King’s All-American Heavyweights (AAH) program at The Rock Boxing Gym in Carson. It was a very prestigious program that I’m familiar with having covered some of the football-turned-boxers that also were recruited for this elite group. I know that when they first began, there was a height and weight requirement for any athlete hoping to be chosen for these training camps.
Scott tells me he barely made the cut as the “shortest” and youngest slugger to make the AAH squad.
“I was the youngest All-American Heavyweight and I was also the ‘smallest’,” he says with a chuckle. “I was only 18 years old but they wanted me because of my hand speed and eye sight.”
The pugilist has uncommon hand speed and excellent vision that helps to enhance quickness, reflexes and accuracy in the ring.
During his AAH stint, he learned the sweet science while working with some of the best in the biz. And they decided to turn him pro after seeing him in action.
“I was with the All-American Heavyweights in January 2008,” he recalls. “I turned pro in November 2008 and my first fight was in June 2009 at 20.”
As a newcomer, he was moved quickly as a professional. After some gym changes and some switches in trainers, Alexander had a short hiatus in 2011.
Fast forward to 2016 and the affable boxer is ready for more.
During his pro career, he has sparred with current stablemate Chris Arreola, Murat Gassiev, veterans Lamon Brewster, Lance Whitaker, Malik Scott and more. He’s been training with Henry Ramirez for a year and a half now and he says camp’s going well. Scott is hardworking, ambitious and hungry to make his mark in the heavyweight scene with his new promoter Thompson Boxing.
The boxer-puncher first fought at Thompson’s Doubletree show back in 2009 and then again in July 2015 when he scored a knockout over Dan Biddle. The gridiron star turned boxer is thrilled to be a part of Thompson Boxing’s stable of prospects, contenders and champs. He is confident yet humble, and poised for success.
“March 11 will be my first official show as a Thompson boxer,” Scott says. “I’m really excited.”
I ask him what he knew about the Thompson company before signing with them?
“I just knew how Thompson moves fighters well and I’ve seen the success he’s had with other fighters in making them champions,” the heavyweight replies.
Thompson Boxing Promotions first began in 2000 and since then Ken Thompson and his team have found the recipe in taking homegrown young fighters all the way to world championships. And now their newest protégé Scott Alexander wants to prove he is “The One.”
What about this proposed “fast and furious” schedule that Ken Thompson has in store for him?
Scott is all for it. “The more I fight, the better the possibilities!” he answers. “The heavyweight division is wide open and I plan to stay busy.”
And while he’s not in the gym, you won’t catch this young man out on the town. During his downtime between training, I ask him if he has any other hobbies or pastimes away from boxing?
“Family and boxing, that’s it for me,” he says with pride. Scott and his wife have a three-year-old daughter Kai’Lani they happily dote on. As we chat, he lights up when speaking about his family. “I’m definitely a family man–they are my support and my inspiration!”
FAMILY AND BOXING. That’s the motivation that continues to drive this prospect forward.
March 11 marks the start of Team Alexander’s quest to the top as he fights in Orange County. This exclusive dinner and live boxing show is a fundraising event benefiting the Jessie Rees Foundation and the Marconi Foundation for Kids presented by Dick and Priscilla “Bo” Marconi. The theme is a “Wild West Evening”–perfect for this new heavyweight “sheriff” in town hoping to make a name in his division.
Keep your eye on Scott “The One” Alexander as stakes his claim in the heavyweight world.
Tickets: http://marconimuseum.org/event-registration/?ee=4
Photos by Carlos Baeza/Thompson Boxing Promotions