by Hans Olson

Kevin Rooney Jr.: Publicist to Pugilist

Before the television cameras for ESPN get rolling Friday evening at the Mohegan Sun, an interesting fight on the undercard will take place involving Kevin Rooney Jr. Kevin, the son of former Mike Tyson trainer Kevin Rooney Sr., will make his pro debut against David Navarro (No, not the guitarist for Jane’s Addiction…but that would make for an even more interesting story wouldn’t it?). What makes the fight interesting is that Kevin will be pulling double duty, acting as a publicist and fighter on the same night. Before and after his scheduled 4-rounder, he will resume his day job as publicist for Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing. Kevin has been around boxing his entire life, and looks forward to the opportunity. “I started boxing when I was really young, I was 5 years old; but then I stopped when I was 9. I always thought about getting back into it, and always had the itch. When I started working for Star Boxing, I really just couldn’t get it out of my head being around it everyday so I started training and competing, and things went well, so I made the decision that I wanted to take the next step and start making some noise in the pro ranks.” A graduate of Fordham University, Kevin has worked with for Star Boxing since mid 2008. Will he be able to keep up this hectic schedule? “If everything goes as planned I see myself doing this for sometime. I take my training very seriously; I am very dedicated to the sport and to improving. I think with my father’s training behind me, there really is no limit to what I can accomplish in the sport.”

Boyd Melson: Rainmaker returns May 19th

If ever there was a boxer who fights for the right reasons, it’s Boyd Melson. An Army Captain and West Point graduate; Boyd will have his 3rd professional fight on May 19th at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City. His opponent is TBA, but the destination of his earnings is already set. He will donate his fight purse to stem cell research, something he has done since he turned pro last year. A member of the US Army’s World Class Athlete Program, Boyd became a World Military Champion in 2004, eventually landing a spot as an alternate on the USA’s 2008 Olympic Boxing Team. Whatever level of success Boyd ultimately achieves in the pro ranks can’t be compared to the achievements he has already made outside the ring. To learn more about his amazing story, I urge all fight fans to check out www.boydmelson.com .

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