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“You hear all these boxing stories and its like, man, I can really relate.” Jeremy McLaurin spent his earliest years at an orphanage and in and out of foster homes. “I have literally been fighting my whole life.”  McLaurin has been active in the sport of boxing for around 7 years, turning pro a year ago. But the circumstances of his early life seem to have had a major impact on his journey. Jeremy is quick to say how much love he has for his father and mother, who adopted him when he was 6. He has each of their names tattooed on his chest. We will have more on Jeremy’s life and journey into boxing at a later date. Brett Mauren, of Phantom Punch Productions, will be doing a more detailed interview with Jeremy in the coming days.

 

I chatted with Jeremy a couple nights ago about his professional boxing career and the upcoming fight card at the St. Paul Armory this Saturday.

 

M…. How many fights would you like to have before the year is over?

 

Jeremy…. 8 fights. My team is looking to keep pushing forward, hopefully with God’s good graces I should be able to push forward with 8.

 

M…. What gym do you train out of?

 

Jeremy…. Lykes gym, and I also workout at Uppercut.

 

M…. Do you know much about your opponent on the 25th? Is he a southpaw and at what weight will the fight be set at?

 

Jeremy…. I hope he’s a southpaw, I love fighting southpaws. I love leading off with my right hand and left hook. Tony said the fight would be between 135 and 140.

 

M…. Do you think he may be a little bigger than you, given the weight range?

 

Jeremy…. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

 

M…. What is your ideal fight weight?

 

Jeremy…. I like to fight at 135. In the amateurs I was knocking people out at 141, and obviously I’m knocking people out at 135. When I move into 6 rounders I would like to be at 130 and maybe 126 at the lowest.  That’s where all the talent is.

 

M…. How long have you followed boxing?

 

Jeremy…. Always loved boxing. My father got all the Tyson fights, we watched all the PPV’s.

 

M…. Was there any boxer you idolized growing up?

 

Jeremy…. Sugar Ray Robinson, the man was unreal. (Jeremy went on to list Sugar’s accomplishments)

 

M…. So you are a big fan of the history of boxing?

 

Jeremy…. Huge fan of boxing. I get all the PPV’s, I go to youtube and watch everything. I’m always looking to see what I can pick up, always looking to better myself.

 

M…. Are there any boxers in the gym that you look up to?

 

Jeremy…. Caleb Truax, phenomenal fighter. He’s a crafty counter puncher and can attack. Antonio Johnson got me into the sport. He takes care of business and is working with Tony G and Lyke’s now.

 

M…. There has been some talk of you and Gary Eyer getting in the ring. Have you heard any of that?

 

Jeremy…. That has been a topic. I can tip my hat to the dude. I cant say anything bad about him, Ive seen him fight, cant say I was impressed, but at the same time I can see that he’s a good fighter. Not scared of the guy. If he wants to see me, he can see me. Of course its up to our teams. But it has been talked about.

 

M…. Are there any other MN fighters you would like to face?

 

Jeremy…. I leave it up to my team. I am getting my time in. There is nobody in my weight class that throws as many punches as I do and works as hard as I do. Just a heads up to all the fighters to step up their game.

 

M…. Is there anything you would like to say to your fans?

 

Jeremy…. I would like to thank everybody for coming out to support me and all the other fighters. Its not just about me, I am thankful to the fans for their support of boxing. That’s why I gave out my tickets for free to the last show. It was my way of giving back. The fans are great and we cant do this without them. I thank them for their support.

 

M…. Do you have anything we should look forward to seeing this Saturday, aside from your fight?

 

Jeremy…. Caleb is in phenomenal shape. The guy can just keep going. When he is in the gym you need to tap him on the shoulder and say its time to go. I hope my fight is the first one, so I can watch all the fights. I obviously want to see Caleb, Willshaun, Charles Meier, and of course Jimmy Gomez in MMA. I’m looking forward to seeing Kayongo go, I haven’t seen him fight for a while.