Tony Hirsch Jr Still Feels ‘Like The Underdog’ Ahead of His Zuffa Boxing 08 Fight on June 28

When Zuffa Boxing formed, one of its core concepts was to disrupt boxing’s status quo. For years, boxing was built on the concept of developing young fighters until they were unbeaten in 15 or 20 fights, then matching them with other marquee talents. The first two to three years were an introduction to future talent, who may or may not pan out. Then we have lightweight Tony Hirsch Jr, the poster child for Zuffa’s boxing rubric; he had only four amateur fights yet upset Robert Meriwether III earlier this year.

Now, Hirsch returns to face another unbeaten fighter, Jaybrio Pe Benito, on June 28 at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Nevada. The bout isn’t just a fight against his second undefeated fighter; a victory would firmly put him in position to be mentioned among the names for ‘Prospect of the Year’.

So, how did we get here? In December, Hirsch was fighting in Stockton, California, on a regional fight card, while Matchroom Boxing held an event at the big arena. He started his career five years ago in Mexico. He traveled back to the U.S. and took two B-side fights out of town. One ended in a draw; the other, he stopped the opponent in one round. The son of former prizefighter (and Andre Ward sparring partner) Tony Hirsch Sr., took an old-school approach to boxing. He didn’t go all-in on the amateurs; rather, he is looking to be a great pro. The problem is, boxing typically treats a deep amateur career as a dress rehearsal for the pros.

“This opportunity wasn’t just given,” Hirsch told FightsATW. “We had to work really hard for this opportunity.”

 A turning point came when he met his manager, Sam Gracia, the son of Northern California boxing legend, Max Garcia. He helped position Hirsch to work with Zuffa, and once he got the chance, he made the most of it. Even after his recent success, Hirsch’s attitude hasn’t changed.

“I still feel like the underdog,” Hirsch, 24, said. “A fighter who trains with Freddie Roach will have more eyes on them. I am coming in as the underdog for this one as well.”

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Hirsch, a fighter from Oakland, California, spent many of his formative years in Stockton, California. He now faces a new challenge in 30-year-old Pe Benito, 7-0 (5 KOs), who is coming off a career-best stoppage win over unbeaten Abel Mejia in February. The Hawaiian, now training at Wild Card Boxing, presents the opposite challenge to Meriwether. Pe Benito is a puncher; Meriwether was a slick boxer. If Hirsch solves this puzzle, he is well ahead of the curve, let alone many prospects and fringe contenders with nearly eight to ten times his amateur experience.

We often hear about romanticizing cities like Philadelphia for their historical greatness; sometimes we hear about Detroit, but Hirsch represents a blue-collar Oakland boxing that hasn’t existed for some time. The kind etched in the walls of King’s Boxing Gym, where Hirsch’s father trained at points in his career. Hirsch is doing it his way, going from an overlooked regional fighter to someone creating healthy buzz with a startup.

“I think this is going to be a very exciting fight,” Hirsch said. “It has the potential to be the fight of the night.”

Lucas Ketelle

Lucas Ketelle is a boxing writer and podcaster who has appeared on various platforms throughout his career.

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