06/09/2026
So one more thing on Jeremiah because a lot of people haven't heard the story.
Over 2 years ago, Jeremiah walked through the door and said he wanted to be a champion. To be honest, I didn't think much of it at the time. I hear that all the time. Every kid wants to be a champion when they first walk through the door.
The difference is most people say it.
Jeremiah lived it.
When we first started, as far as the day-to-day went, it was me, Rhys, and Jeremiah. Before the crowds, before the packed venues, before all the growth, that's who was there. They heard every plan, every goal, and every crazy vision I had for what this program could become. They also knew how hard the road was going to be.
Rhys is one thing. He's my son.
But Jeremiah chose this.
He showed up every single day. He never missed. He was there through the wins, the losses, the growth, and the setbacks. Everywhere we went, Jeremiah went.
What most people don't know is Jeremiah wasn't just one of the kids training. He was part of building this thing.
He saw the club at its highest points and at its lowest. He heard the conversations about keeping the doors open, growing the program, dealing with criticism, and pushing forward when things weren't going the way we wanted. He even heard conversations about my own doubts.
Think about that for a second.
There were times I'd call him, a 10-year-old kid, and vent because he understood the mission better than most adults.
He believed when it was easy, and he believed when things got ugly.
He stayed when most people would've left.
Saturday night, before he stepped into the ring, I sat beside him and said:
"Look around. Look at the lights. Look at the crowd. Look at the venue. Look at where this program is headed. We're moving into town so more kids can have an opportunity just like you did. Some won't see it as an opportunity, but an opportunity it still is.
And you helped make this happen.
In a lot of ways, you've done more than me.
You've been here every day. You've carried the banner for this program. You believed when it was easy, and you believed when things got ugly. You stayed when most people would've left. You put in the work when nobody was watching. You've shown the younger kids what's possible, and you've reminded the adults—including myself—what's possible too.
What you're looking at tonight didn't just happen.
You helped build it."
For the first time, I think Jeremiah realized something.
His story is bigger than boxing.
Now don't get me wrong. Wins and losses matter. Trust me, I'm that guy. The scoreboard matters to me. Results matter. Performance matters. Competition matters.
But that's not all that matters.
Jeremiah has become part of the foundation of this program. Years from now, when new kids walk through those doors, they'll never know all the sacrifices, struggles, setbacks, and hard days it took to get here.
But Jeremiah will.
Because he was there from the beginning.
And no matter what happens in the future, nobody can ever take that away from him.
Everybody wonders why we preach that champion mentality and why we're always talking about chasing greatness.
This is why.
Because being a champion was never just about belts, trophies, rankings, or what happens in the ring.
It's about showing up when things get hard.
It's about believing when others don't.
It's about staying when most people would've left.
It's about carrying a vision before anybody else can see it.
It's about building something bigger than yourself.
That's what Jeremiah did.
That's why this loss may end up being every bit as important as some of the wins.
Because Saturday night wasn't just about three rounds in a boxing ring.
It was about a kid realizing what he's helped build.
And that's why we preach it every single day.
