Chordale Booker and Paul Guarino have formed an unlikely friendship which they hope will end with Booker holding a title.
Booker knocked out Patrick Allotey in the third round on August 16. The bout took place on a Nolan Brothers’ boxing card at the Royale Nightclub in Boston.
Booker, 23-2 (12 KOs), was coming off a knockout loss to junior middleweight titleholder Sebastian Fundora. It wasn’t unlike when he first met Guarino: he had, back then, just suffered a first-round knockout loss to Austin “Ammo” Williams.
At the time Booker, of Stamford, Connecticut, remembered having a few offers on the table and, more importantly, a burning desire to compete. Guarino didn’t have a lot of marquee fighters outside of middleweight contender Ian “Him” Green, but the fresh-faced, barely 30-year-old Guarino, who also lived in Connecticut, piqued Booker’s interest.
“I actually approached him first,” Booker told BoxingScene. “He told me he’d research me, and then he called me back and told me I was going to be a world champion.”
Guarino has SMA, spinal muscular atrophy, which has confined him to a wheelchair since the age of 16. After college, he founded PG Sports, an agency that represents athletes from various sports. He had a deep passion for boxing and hoped to land a marquee fighter, but things never quite fell into place until he met Booker.
“Chordale gave me a shot and I ran with it,” Guarino told BoxingScene. “We had to sacrifice a lot of purses, hotels, and opponents to get opportunities later.”
Booker added: “I am a risk-taker, and I knew I’d be in a good position with someone who’d talk me into these rooms. I knew I could fight, but I needed someone who could fight for me outside of the ring.”
Guarino was the manager who wouldn’t say no; defying the odds to become successful in the tough world of boxing.
“When I reached out to all the top boxing promoters, they would tell you, I reached out to them numerous times about Chordale Booker to get him the big fight, but that he is a high-risk, low-reward fighter,” Guarino said. “I’m the king of following up with people.”
Guarino signed Booker ahead of his January 2023 fight against Angel Hernandez. Booker would independently win six fights on the regional scene, including an interesting East Coast rivalry match against former title contender Greg Vendetti. That led to being ranked No. 5 in the WBO and No.15 in the WBC rankings and, also, the biggest moment of Booker’s career: facing Sebastian Fundora in March. Booker would lose and feel the sting afterward, when big offers were not coming in.
“Initially, I didn’t want to take the fight with Allotey, because I felt I deserved better opposition even though I lost,” Booker said. “Paul reminded me of how far we came and where my head was at. How I was willing to eat shit to make this dream happen.”
“I didn’t want Chordale to fight for a title and that be it,” Guarino said. “I know, like I told him the first day I talked to him on the phone, that he can win a title, and I didn’t want him to lose momentum waiting for a big fight.”
Booker, 34, after years of being undervalued, hoped to land another big fight. The thought of going back to the regional scene against Ghana’s Allotey, 45-9 (35 KOs) was disheartening. But then he thought about Guarino’s words to him, and he had a conversation with himself.
“I say that to myself all the time,” Booker said. “What was the point of doing all this work if I am going to stop now?”
Now, the quest becomes what is next. He hoped for a return with Errol Spence Jnr, but that doesn’t seem feasible for now. Names like Xander Zayas and Josh Kelly entice him, but he isn’t ranked in the top 15 of any major sanctioning body. The quick win over Allotey allows Booker to reevaluate the situation. He also continues to work with Guarino, who has become more of a friend than a business partner.
“His family and friends support me, and my family and friends support him,” Guarino said.
Booker still remembers those first words recited by Guarino. Fulfilling them is now what motivates him.
“I remember talking to him about making it to the world title fight and winning it,” Booker said. “So now we have to do that."
