Brooklyn, New York has long been known to have a deep and intensively passionate love affair with boxing. Like young lovers seeing one another for the first time during a passing glance, Brooklyn and boxing go hand-in-hand and toe-to-toe (depending on what corner you might find yourself on). Enter Bernard Peterkin....
Household names already in Brooklyn and all across New York and the Tri-state area, Bernard and his son "The Notorious" Travis Peterkin (13-0/ 5 KOs) have been wrecking shop and taking names since Travis had his first professional bout back in January 2011 at the Yonkers Armory against Edgar Sanjujo (2-2 at the time), stopping Sanjujo at 2:05 of the first round by TKO all across New York City.
Things have pretty much kept on with that same momentum for Travis and his father Bernard.
His latest victory over ring veteran Otis "Triple OG" Griffin (24-17-2/ 10 KOs), out of Sacramento, California, showed that he can also box efficiently and effectively against a more tenured boxer, as Travis defeated Otis in spectacular form to capture a UD over the course of eight well-fought and dramatic rounds.
Promoters and venues need to not only recognize Travis' future Championship potential but also his remarkable ring ability and aptitude as a fighter currently. Peterkin is a name that will echo in the halls of boxing for several years to come, as the Peterkin Camp will continue to rack up victories in the future and make their run at whatever Championship comes their way. Peterkin is a real fighter and his Brooklyn lineage speaks for itself.
Brooklyn has always been a Mecca for boxing and those who come up the hard way, and those who choose to and have chosen to earn their living with their fists have often hailed from the rugged borough. "Iron" Mike Tyson (50-6/ 44 KOs), Riddick "Big Daddy" Bowe (43-1/ 33 KOs) and Mark Breland (35-3-1/ 25 KOs) are just a few of the Champions that cut their teeth on the rough and tumble NYC streets of Brooklyn to rise above the ashes and come out on top. Peterkin is on this very same path via boxing and what he is able to really do in the ring against his opponents. At 13-0 already, Travis is past the initial stage where there is a prospect "feeling out" process if you will. He is already a legitimate threat to the division and a major contender and fighter who not too many boxers out there today are willing to face - especially seeing as almost half of his wins have come via TKO or KO. Fighting as a southpaw, he knows how to box and box well.
Bernard Peterkin stays on his grind day in and day out at the Kingsway Boxing Gym, as does Travis. Their work rate is intense, and the place has boxing pouring out of its walls. This is the house that the Peterkin's built with all of the other fighters who ever laced up the gloves and threw either their first punch or their last one. However, "The Notorious" Travis Peterkin is not done with his legacy just yet. Having stayed active over the past 3 years as a professional there isn't much that he hasn't seen in the ring. And there is one fighter out there who clearly does not want to see his face again, and that is Luis "Cuba" Arias (10-0/ 4 KOs) - a Super Middleweight who fights under (hides behind maybe?) the Mayweather Promotions banner (TMT). Peterkin and Arias squared off against one another back in 2009 at the 165 National Golden Gloves, with Travis getting robbed in the process. Any true boxing fan worth their salt already knows what happened.
So what is boxing to do with an undefeated rising Light Heavyweight who demonstrates strength, solid power and fast hands? Give him his shot, that's what. Promoters and even fighters need to stop fearing Peterkin and step through the fire and face off against him.
The rumors are true. He is a legitimate fighter who is not only going places but keeps rising to the top. No matter how much adversity or roadblocks appear before the Peterkin family, they just keep shining and coming back for more. If any of you out there are fans of old school boxing, fundamentals, discipline and a dedicated work ethic and crowd pleasing style that would make even the most fair weather of boxing fans converted, then Peterkin is that boxer to believe in and support. Travis and his father are the real deal, they don't sugar coat what they do and there is a sense of pride and pure accomplishment that resonate within this family - through not only boxing - but in the way they conduct themselves as men.
Watch the tape of * Peterkin vs. Arias (* link opens on YouTube) from 2009, and you decide whether or not you honestly think with a clear conscience that Arias deserves to be on any top-billed undercards or televised matches currently. Fighters develop and grow and improve with time. Travis Peterkin continues to do this daily, and his development and boxing aptitude and skill level are only increasing and becoming that much more of a threat to any fighter out there. Travis Peterkin is taking all comers and if you are too afraid to open the door then he'll make or find an opening anyway. Be on the lookout for a Championship run from the Peterkin Camp in 2015.
Stand up world, Travis is coming….who's next to get exposed?
TWO-CENTS WELCOME! If you have any questions, comments, complaints, kudos or anything else you can e-mail Jason at boxingwarrior@hotmail.com. Always remember when in doubt knock ‘em out!
