Atif Oberlton is ready to reemerge in 2026 as a boxer with a keen eye for fashion and inspired by those who walked the path before him.
The unbeaten light heavyweight is partnering with Salita Promotions and Wynn Records, alongside his longtime promoter, Kings Promotions. Oberlton makes his Salita Promotions debut on February 22, on the undercard for Claressa Shields-Franchon Crews-Dezurn at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Oberlton, 14-0 (12 KOs), was featured on two Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) cards when the entity had a Fox deal with FOX. Lately, he has been fighting regionally but now wants to reintroduce those who might have forgotten about him
“I want to show a more up-to-date version of who Lord Pretty Calvo is,” Oberlton told BoxingScene. “You get a show before the fight, during the fight, and after the fight. A lot of people forget what I have accomplished in the sport since it has been so long since they have seen me televised.”
Oberlton, 27, explained he takes pride in his ring walks, his craft in the ring, and his ability to speak after the fight is over. In many ways, he believes he was from the same cloth as fighters like Muhammad Ali.
Having gained reinforcements to his promising career, he aims to be as fearless outside of the ring as inside of it – and promises to speak on social issues when he feels they are needed.
“I feel boxing is life, people say it as a saying, but it is an actual thing,” Oberlton said. “You can go through something in life, and relate to it through the sport of boxing.”
Oberlton equates analogies of people saying they had been knocked down, but not out.
“I look at guys like Muhammad Ali, and I appreciate them,” Oberlton said. “I thank them for paving the way for a young fella like me to make my mark.”
Oberlton is originally from Philadelphia, but now trains with Tom Yankello on the opposite side of Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh.
Beyond boxing, Oberlton has a deep passion for fashion. During high school, he interned for a tailor. He was the prom king in his senior year in high school, the same year he won his first USA Boxing national tournament.
“Fashion is art, fashion always comes full circle, but it is also pushing the boundaries and creativity,” Oberlton said. “Fashion is a way of being unique, and showing this is who I am, and expressing this through my clothing. These are the things that inspire me in life right now.”
Oberlton believes boxing and fashion are extremely similar.
“Just like boxing is an art, it is the sweet science,” Oberlton said. “Fashion is the same thing. It just blends perfectly together.”
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.
