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Travis Peterkin: ‘We must win, by any means’

Photo credit: Christie M Farriella/New York Daily News
Fighters Network
22
Sep

He won’t stride to the ring in Miami, Oklahoma in a cap and gown but, darn right, it is a graduation day on Friday night for Brooklyn-based light heavyweight Travis Peterkin.

The 16-0-1 (7 knockouts) hitter, fighting out of the famed and fabled Gleason’s Gym in DUMBO, Brooklyn, has been fighting on club shows, mostly, and had a slot on a Barclays Center undercard last year. Friday, he gets to march to a ring to “Pomp and Circumstance” on Showtime, while getting what figures to be a quite rigorous test at the hands of Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kaladjzic (21-1, 14 KOs), who gave ex-Olympian Marcus Browne all he could handle in a disputed loss last April. A win, in convincing fashion, means a title crack could come right quick and propel him into a sweeter earning sphere.

DiBella Entertainment and Tony Holden Productions, in association with Fight Promotions Inc. and Roc Nation Sports, will present this “ShoBox” quadrupleheader (live 10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) and Lou DiBella talked about the main event. “Hot Rod proved his stuff with his performance against Marcus Browne,” the promoter said. “The fans saw the fight and know that he wasn’t a loser. Travis Peterkin is an undefeated, confident young fighter who believes he’s champion material. He’s been groomed for this kind of test. This is the best of what ShoBox is: THE proving ground for accomplished fighters on the rise. The winner of this fight will undoubtedly walk into a major opportunity quickly. There is a great deal at stake.”

Dad Bernard Peterkin trains Travis now, with Blimp Parsley no longer in the mix. Mark Breland has been consulting for a spell now, so expect a “jabbier”-than-usual Peterkin on Friday night. Beyond that, how will Travis seek to get the “W” over a rugged Bosnian?



“Hard work and believing, it’s time,” Bernard told me of the left-handed scrapper. “It’s what he trained for since age 8. We are not afraid at all.”

The father is worried the judges might give Hot Rod a makeup call. He likes how his clean-living son has been working hard and wants an even playing field atmosphere. “We just hope they don’t cheat. One fighter – I won’t say his name – was in a drunken brawl three weeks ago and crashed up his car. Travis doesn’t drink or smoke. We are praying and we are ready.”

I saw Breland, the ex-amateur, all-world pugilist and world champ, tutoring Peterkin in Gleason’s last week. Doesn’t hurt to have such a legend in the mix.

“Just gotta watch the robbery,” Bernard said. “My main concern.”

The father didn’t want to delve into what technical means would bring his son the victory. “How will it get done? We must win, by any means; we have to do everything better than him. I’m just thankful for this chance; we prepped well. And avoid robberies.”

 

 

Michael Woods avoids robberies by wearing a Spider-Man mask everywhere he goes. That said, he doesn’t make a lot of friends by shooting bottles of Gorilla Glue everywhere, in lieu of web fluid.

 

 

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