Trainer John Pullman believes he has three future titleholders on his hands.
All three happen to be fighting this Saturday at the Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California.
Pullman trains junior welterweight Stephanie Simon, flyweight Enkhmandakh Kharkhuu, and featherweight Aidos Medet. He believes all are essential in establishing Pullman’s Gym - located in the Los Angeles suburb of Northridge, California - as a powerhouse for professional boxing.
“I feel like I have three world champions in the gym now, but the funny thing is I was close to never training another pro fighter again,” Pullman told BoxingScene. “I felt like I did all I could do, and things I couldn't control happened. I love my gym, and I love helping people train. I was ready to move on and just help people passionate about boxing grow."
Pullman has trained title contenders like Gerald Washington and Tugstsogt Nyambayar. Yet, Pullman was close to not training another pro boxer before things fell into place.
Enter Kharkhuu, the 28-year-old Mongolian, now resides in Los Angeles for his training camps, living in Pullman’s house. Pullman had previously worked with Nyambayar, also from Mongolia.
Through connections he made with Nyambayar, he began to work with Kharkhuu, but only after an initial evaluation.
“I never work with anyone unless I feel I bring value to them or the training,” Pullman said. “I saw that I could help him right away, and I was back training a pro boxer.”
Kharkhuu, who is nicknamed ‘Magi’, is a fighter with a deep amateur pedigree who doesn’t recall how many fights he has had.
“We were in the gym one day and I asked ‘Magi’ how many fights he has had, and he just said ‘a lot’,” Kharkhuu told BoxingScene via a translator. “He has never asked who his opponent is. He just says yes to every opponent.”
Kharkhuu, 6-0 (2 KOs) last fought in March, winning a majority decision over Mario Hernandez. His original opponent was unable to compete as he fought Hernandez at bantamweight.
In his next fight on ProBox TV, Kharkhuu upset unbeaten prospect Jesus Martinez. One of the difficulties for Kharkhuu has been finding opponents.
“Every day I go into the gym, we work on something new,” Kharkhuu said. “We don’t just train to stay in shape. We train and experiment on stuff for different styles. What can work, what doesn’t work. I appreciate how creative John is when it comes to working with me.”
Then came Simon.
“I remember the first day she came into the gym with another fighter,” Pullman said. “I held mitts for her and felt her power.”
Simon, 4-0 (0 KOs) will face Destiny Jones of Austin, Texas. Jones, 5-3 (2 KOs) has already faced titleholders Stephanie Han and Beatriz Ferreira but enters the fight with a two-fight losing skid and will be fighting for the first time in 17 months.
Simon last fought in August, winning a six-round unanimous decision over Marisa Joana Portillo. She detailed training with her peers.
“It is inspiring to be around both of those guys, because they are world-class fighters, but they are world-class people,” Simon told BoxingScene. “It feels like we were meant to all train together. We were meant to cross paths and be on this journey at the same time.”
Medet, 13-0 (9 KOs), will be making his U.S. debut as he just started training with Pullman two months ago. He is the latest addition to the gym.
“You should see some of the things this guy can do in the gym,” Pullman said. “He has superstar qualities, and I am excited to help him develop into one of the top fighters in his division.
Medet, a 24-year-old from Alga, Kazakhstan, will be facing an as-yet-unofficially announced opponent. He fought in a 12-round bout in May, stopping Kanagat Manatuly in three rounds in Kazakhstan.
In fact, 12 of Medet’s 13 fights have come in Kazakhstan, with his lone bout outside of his home country taking place in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2023. Medet had been training in Los Angeles for a few years, as Simon recalled meeting him at Churchill Boxing when they both used to train there.
“I like working with John, because he understands me, and I understand John,” Medet said. “For this fight, I am expecting a knockout.”
Simon explained that the pleasant demeanor of Pullman keeps things calm.
“He reserves his intensity for the moments where it is necessary,” Simon said. “I know that he reserves that stern talking for the moments that matter the most, and he isn’t going to yell at someone or raise his voice if it is not needed.”
Though the three will be fighting on a regional show, Pullman will corner all three fighters who have camps tailored to their needs. The goal is to create three world champions.
“I really feel like people will look back at this time and remember three champions training side-by-side,” Pullman said. “I am really lucky to be a part of such a special time to train such great fighters who I have no doubt will go on to leave a mark in the sport.”
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.
