Belleville boxer AJ Graham gets five-fight contract on new sports reality show
AJ Graham spent his 23rd birthday doing what he loves to do, which is training to become a world champion boxer and provider for his family.
Celebrations can wait.
“I don’t really ever celebrate my birthday,” Graham said last week. “I’ll just train for my next fight. I love to train because it’s getting me closer toward realizing my dream of being a world champion and being able to take care of my family.
“I’m really living my dream right now. I’m a professional boxer training and traveling all over the world.’’
One of the top young 125-130 pound professional boxers in the nation, Graham discovered his life’s passion 2 1/2 years since the day he walked into the Belleville Boxing Club with no training.
With the help and training of Belleville Boxing Club founder Ken Reilly and the added incentive of making a better life for his family, the talented Graham has won 25 of 26 amateur bouts in dominating fashion, his lone loss coming with a controversial decision for the Golden Gloves national championship.
Since turning professional last fall, the domination has continued. Currently 2-0 with a pair of knockouts, Graham will take on Jose Luis Rodreguiz in Bakersfield, California on Feb. 1 in a 126-pound bout.
With the help the Impact Network and its new boxing reality series titled ‘Champions and Stars,’ the Belleville East graduate’s rapid climb is about to get another major boost.
With help from Reilly, former world-class heavyweight boxer David Rodriguez, and fight promoter Teresa Tapia, Graham has been signed to a contract for five fights per year on the reality series which debuts on Feb. 1 at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino in Mescalero, New Mexico.
Tapia, the wife of former six-time world champion Johnny Tapia, said Monday that Graham will make his debut on March 7 in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
“They wanted to put AJ on the card for Feb. 1, but they would have had to bump another fighter to do that,’’ Reilly said last week. “I told them that I already had a a fight for AJ on Feb. 1 and they were fine with that.
“I have a feeling that after they see him fight On March 7, they’re going to want to put him on TV. They like AJ. ...He’s a good kid who loves to train, works hard and does the right things in his life. He has a dream of being able to provide a better life for his family and to be able to take care of his sister.’’
Graham’s rise as a boxer and his dream of making a better life from himself and his family has drawn national attention. Graham’s sister Asia Graham suffered permanent brain damage when struck by a car driven by an off-duty police officer in 2014.
Impact Network is one of the largest faith-based television networks in the United States. It moved beyond the faith-based programming to sports with its first professional boxing show. The hope is that it will provide a place for contenders and other up-and-coming boxers to showcase their talents.
Rodriguez, a former top-15 ranked heavyweight who was trained by Reilly, winning 37 of his 39 professional fights, was instrumental in connecting Graham and Reilly with Tapia and the Impact Network.
“Coach Reilly and David Rodriguez go way back and are friends,” Graham said. “I guess David told (Reilly) about this opportunity. They flew us out and talked to me. I guess they like what they saw.
“When I told my mom about it, she cried. The whole family is very happy for me. It’s another step in making my dream come true.’’
Graham will also be able to have fights outside of his contact with Impact. The risk is that a single loss in the Champions and Stars series will knock Graham out of the competition.
“Of course there is s risk. It’s boxing,” Reilly said. “Every time you step into the ring all it takes is one punch and the fight could be over. But there is a risk in everything. There was a risk when we went to Mexico, with all that’s going on down there, for AJ’s first professional fight. If he loses a fight, it doesn’t mean his career is over. It just means he’s off the TV show. ...
“I knew AJ’s career was going to takeoff. I just didn’t think it would happen this fast. He’s ready for this, but its one step at a time.’’
