Amateur Boxer of the Month

Keith Colon, Jr.

An Honor Roll Student, Keith Colon Jr. began Boxing at the age of 10 years old as a means of self-defense. A young man who was a bit on the short side, he was inspired by his father and trainer, Keith Colon Sr. who wanted to insure that his son could take care of himself.

Boxing was the perfect answer for Keith Jr. who truly loves Boxing. In fact, when asked which part of his training regiment he liked the least, it was hard for him to answer. He shared, "I like all of my training, except the part about making weight because it means that I can't have a snack at night or eat what I want when I want to eat it. Once I started Boxing I really fell in love with the sport. I love all of the love and support of all of the people around me. It made me realize that I'm not just an average boxer. Other things that made me fall in love was my progress. I am a fast learner. Because I was able to progress so quickly and do things so fast at an early stage in the sport, it inspired me to keep going to pursue my dream." 

This focus driven Boxer is currently ranking number # 2 in the USA at 110 lbs. and sure to achieve even greater things, since even at a young age he is well-aware of what it takes to make it to the top and has the focus and the drive to bring him there.

Keith is not alone in favoring Sparring in his training. Most Boxers say they love this part of their regiment the best. "When I go into the ring I like to be able to try everything I've learned and to test my spirit and put my skills to the test. I like to have a person in front of me rather than just hitting the bag or shadow boxing." He explained.

He also had this advice for those who are thinking about taking up Boxing. What Keith Jr. had was one powerful word, consistency, which he believes is key to success. "Consistency is the main thing whether you win or lose a fight. Consistency is needed in training in order to make it to the pros. There are many great fighters who don't make it, simply because they aren't consistent.

Coming up for Keith may be a trip to Ecuador, and in December the 2019 USA Boxing Tournament, which also serves as a spring board to the Olympics. Other highlights of Keith's Boxing career: NY vs NJ Champion, the last one in Murcia, Spain, where he took Silver at the Boxam International Tournament. 

One thing that is for sure, Keith loves boxing and loves everything connected to it, except maybe for that late night snack when making weight. He is trained by his father Keith Colon Sr. along with Mike Steadman, Jihad Abdul-Karim and Paul Pinnock, training out of Ironbound Boxing Academy in Newark, NJ.