Animosity was the theme of Quinton Randall’s last fight.
It was a camp away from home and away from his newborn child.
It was a chance of a lifetime against a great young fighter in Brian Norman Jr., signed to Top Rank Inc. The two talked trash in the build-up. The fight though was lackluster. Lethargic, both seemed to put so much pressure on themselves that an exciting bout on paper turned into a test of patience.
Randall, 33-years-old, enters this fight with his career on the line. A new father, coming off the worst performance of his professional career, now is at a crossroads. Win and get a chance at big fortune, legacy, and glory – or lose and r’ut r’oh. The labels, the doubt, and the lack of hope get deeper and deeper.
Yet, tragedy is no stranger to Quinton Randall. He has already felt the pits of sorrow before, with boxing being his salvation, his refuge. When he got the news that he had lost his child some years back, he went straight to the boxing gym. It is his peace – it is what makes life manageable.
Now he faces an undefeated top welterweight, Gor Yeritsyan, signed to 360 Promotions and headed by Tom Loeffler. By all accounts, Randall’s team views Yeritsyan as a more formidable task than Norman. That is also why they are taking it.
The bout takes place at Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California, on Friday, February 23rd, broadcast on UFC Fight Pass and promoted by 360 Promotions.
“They turned down the fight three times before, but after we lost to Norman, they called us for a fight four days later,” said Randall’s coach, Derek Collinsworth.
Yeritsyan has hall-of-fame coach Freddie Roach in his corner and a deep amateur background. Nothing about his career has been noteworthy yet other than the 29-year-old Armenian being signed to a promoter, being good enough to capture the attention of a promoter, and being one of the best coaches of this generation. His competition has been non-discrete, but this is a moment of a lifetime for Yeritsyan. He is headlining a card a few hours from where he trains in the great Los Angeles area as he looks to be a breakout star.
Randall, the former USA Boxing international team captain, is a legendary amateur. He gave Errol Spence Jr tough rounds before the Terence Crawford fight. Everyone reputable from Texas to Las Vegas, Nevada, knows Randall. The legend of him in the gym proceeds him: the struggles, the sadness, the talent, and the blue-collar nature of Randall. Nothing was given to him. He earned everything.
Now, the old-school fighter faces the toughest modern test – being written off and doubted. Though not all will leave, after one loss in the Floyd Mayweather era of boxing, people start to wonder what a fighter’s potential really is.’ He is in his 30s and doesn’t have time to spare. Most in his situation wouldn’t take a risky fight, but he wants it. Why?
He doesn’t want to sit and wait. He is a former national champion. He beat the system and was incarnated but didn’t find himself behind the reformed steel again. Now, the always resilient Randall has his next challenge, coming in on the B-side and upsetting a promotional favorite—an undefeated fighter, someone he was just a fight ago.
Only the rare breed, Juan Manuel Márquez, Bernard Hopkins, or even Brian Mendoza, can suffer a loss or two and not lose faith. Randall is now about to show the world the type of fighter he is. He has overcome the odds in boxing; can he now do it in the ring?
When reached for comment, Randall said only the following.
“No comment, all action!”
Discover more from Fights Around The World
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
