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HUNTER GETS FRESH START
Story & Photos by John DiSanto |
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Everyone in Philadelphia knows that Eric “Outlaw” Hunter is one of the most talented fighters in the City. He was an outstanding amateur, an Olympic alternate, and has compiled a professional record of 18-3, with 9 KOs. In his last fight, he won the USBA featherweight title with a gritty but comfortable 10-round decision over Yenifel Vicente. But despite all this success, Philly fans don’t know if Hunter will ever make it to the elite level. The enigmatic Outlaw has wasted a lot of time, failed to capitalize on big victories, stumbled through the political game, and most of all had trouble keeping his attitude in check. Still, his fans truly believe a world championship could be in his future if the troubled fighter can pull it all together before it’s too late. On Saturday night, Hunter has a chance to make a fresh start on the undercard of the Bernard Hopkins vs. Sergey Kovalev fight, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, with a brand new promoter behind him and a seasoned opponent, Nicaraguan southpaw William Gonzalez, 27-5, 23 KOs, across the ring. If Hunter can perform up to his talents, he might just be ready to make his move.
“We are excited to work with Eric “Outlaw” Hunter, and plan to move him really fast,” said Oscar De La Hoya, founder of Golden Boy Promotions, Hunter’s new promoter. De La Hoya's words are like music to the ears of every Hunter fan. Although he’s still just 28, Hunter’s career has moved at a snail’s pace since turning professional in 2005 at age 18. What he needs more than anything else is a busy schedule against good opponents. If he can get that, his skills should take care of the rest.
Hunter’s track record with former promoters and managers has been sketchy. More than a few relationships have gone south, and Hunter has almost derailed a couple of times. However, his abilities, and his desire to make it to the top, have kept him going. Two of Hunter’s three losses came by disqualification. Although the most recent of these was probably more of a No Contest, both were prime examples of Hunter’s hot head getting him into trouble. However, these setbacks were clearly offset by major wins over Jerry Belmontes (W10), Yenifel Vicente (W10), Andre Wilson (TKO4), Leon Bobo (KO8), Robert Bonilla (KO1), Jules Blackwell (TKO1) and that long and distinguished amateur run. When Hunter defeated Vicente in March to finally bring home some professional hardware (the USBA belt), it appeared that he was on the verge of breaking through. But consistency and momentum have never been Hunter's strong suits. Another managerial breakup kept him idle for about six months, but then his opportunity with Golden Boy floated by like a life raft.
Hunter has the skills to be a real contender. Let’s hope that Golden Boy can keep him on track, and even more critically, that Hunter himself can seize this opportunity and run with it like he’s never done before. For Eric Hunter, the future begins on Saturday night in Atlantic City. |
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