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By Mitch Abramson - Jason Thompson smiled. The question seemed a little out of place, even inappropriate. No, he had never turned down an opponent for a fight, he said. He didn’t have that luxury. And no, he had never had a manager guide his career with an eye toward a possible title shot, he said. Thompson, a welterweight from Flatbush, Brooklyn, had for much of his career, forged his own way with a very indiscriminate eye toward his opponents. In other words, Thompson took any fight he was offered, just happy to get a fight, used principally as a step-ladder for more heralded fighters to build their records on.
And so with little fanfare and his options limited, Thompson turned pro in 2005 and faced some of the top prospects in the sport over the course of his first 12 bouts, from a young Mike Jones to the former U.S. Olympian Sadam Ali to Steven Martinez, a former National Golden Gloves champion, to the knockout artist, Jonathan Gonzalez. The results were disastrous for a fighter in Thompson who had talent and toughness but nobody looking out for his long-term interests. Thus, his record tumbled to 5-6-1. Even worse, the New York State Athletic Commission seriously considered taking away his license after he dropped three straight fights. Thompson thought about retiring.
But on Wednesday, when Thompson faces the popular Boyd Melson, a former West Point grad who has been featured in Sports Illustrated for his work on behalf of spinal cord research at B.B. Kings in Manhattan, Thompson will enter with something close to momentum and a bit of curiosity on his side. [Click Here To Read More]
And so with little fanfare and his options limited, Thompson turned pro in 2005 and faced some of the top prospects in the sport over the course of his first 12 bouts, from a young Mike Jones to the former U.S. Olympian Sadam Ali to Steven Martinez, a former National Golden Gloves champion, to the knockout artist, Jonathan Gonzalez. The results were disastrous for a fighter in Thompson who had talent and toughness but nobody looking out for his long-term interests. Thus, his record tumbled to 5-6-1. Even worse, the New York State Athletic Commission seriously considered taking away his license after he dropped three straight fights. Thompson thought about retiring.
But on Wednesday, when Thompson faces the popular Boyd Melson, a former West Point grad who has been featured in Sports Illustrated for his work on behalf of spinal cord research at B.B. Kings in Manhattan, Thompson will enter with something close to momentum and a bit of curiosity on his side. [Click Here To Read More]
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