Pro boxer, Juezier “Iron Man” Heron (left) eyes his opponent Darrion “Avatar” Weir before making his next move during the first staging of the Wray & Nephew Fight Nights boxing series held at Cling Cling Oval in Olympic Gardens on July 1, 2023.
It took Juezier Heron quite a while to get serious about boxing, but since he made the conscious decision to make the sport the centerpiece of his life, “Iron Man” as he is known, has been dedicated to becoming the best, not only in Jamaica, but the world.
Heron made a successful professional debut at the recently held Wray & Nephew Fight Nights at the Cling Cling Oval in Olympic Gardens and the sweet taste of victory has left him yearning for more.
Boxing has always been a part of his life as his father was a boxer before him. Despite growing up in the sport the 24-year-old stayed away from pursuing it as a career until he was 20 years old.
“My dad taught me here and there since I was 5. However, I never took it seriously enough and officially picked it up until 2019,” he revealed.
“I always felt a calling towards boxing to begin with, especially since I saw The Wray & Nephew Contender as a child.”
Challenged by his uncle to find a purpose for his life, Heron decided that he wanted to become a professional boxer and he was then introduced to Rikardo Smith who became his first mentor in the fighting game.
“Although he is not my current coach, he did inspire me regarding resilience. Seeing him and the way how he became the first winner of The Wray and Nephew Contender by defeating someone who no one expected him to defeat was heavily inspiring.”
“He showed me through example that I have to put myself through hell since I have vowed to reach the top and that I must surpass him at his prime to become the Undisputed World Champion.”
Heron works at Pure National Ice Company and enjoys the support from his “work family”.
“When they know I'm fighting, who can't make it to the match tunes in to TVJ.”
He has excelled in his short boxing career and has learned very valuable lessons along the way.
“I won the 2020 Novice Amateur Lightweight Championship, fought many exhibitions, made a name for myself in my communities before I went professional in boxing, and I have continued to hone my skills. Boxing is a sport where comfort can kill you literally if you let it.”
But Heron was using his innate boxing skills very early in life, even though for the wrong reasons.
A victim of bullying which began in primary school due to a speaking disability (lisp), he would use his fighting skills to get them off his back.
“The boys made the most fuss about it and whenever they attempted to get physical since I would follow the adults’ advice and ignore them most times, I would be forced to use what my dad taught me to overcome the bullies.”
Things changed for the better for Heron when he met Jevoy Prince while at DeCarteret College.
“I met my big brother Jevoy (not related by blood) who taught me a lot more about life and how to talk a lot more clearly.
“I went on a journey of self-improvement and part of my self-improvement was to learn how to stop being a bully magnet. My big brother (Jevoy) always supported me and gave advice that usually helped me well. My Dad helped too,” he explained.
Philosophical in thought and dedicated in approach, Heron is preparing himself both physically and mentally for what it will take to become a boxing world champion.
“Boxing has brought me different teachers over time. With each, I have learned something different that translates to real life. Boxing has taught and reminded me about resilience mostly. Sometimes when things seem the toughest, that's the best moment to surpass your limits and keep going forward and onward towards what and who you want.
The welterweight had expected a tougher fight from his opponent on debut but showed him some amount of respect, nonetheless.
“Honestly, with how hard I trained for my professional debut, I never expected the fight to be that easy. I felt like a tiger playing with a mouse. He did well, at least attempting to bite back, though I felt nothing, but I can still respect the attempts,” he said.
Heron is not resting on his laurels after one win and is preparing for his next fight in the Wray & Nephew Fight Nights series with total conviction.
The Wray & Nephew Fight Nights series which began last month, is set to whet the appetites of boxing fans all the way into 2024.
JBA stages 1st fight card for 2024
The Jamaica Boxing Association staged its long awaited first fight card for 2024 with four fights and an exhibition bout on Saturday at the Stanley Couch Gym in Kingston. It was an all amateur fight card under the banner Gloves Over Guns Futures Programme.
Three of the four fights went to the Jamaica Defense Force (JDF) whose boxers looked well prepared and physically fitter than their opponents. Arguably the fight of the night was the final (elite) bout between Delano McLaughlin of the JDF and Kirk-Patrick Heron of the Port Antonio Gym in a light heavyweight match-up. Both fighters were very determined while going all three rounds of three minutes each. At times they traded blow for blow while taking some big punches but in the end McLaughlin landed more hits and was adjudged the winner.
The first JDF boxer to enter the ring was Gervin Garrison in a light heavyweight matchup with Sadeki Harris of GC Foster Gym. Both boxers got busy immediately but Garrison soon showed that he was the better fighter with cleaner punches and was more agile around the ring. Harris took a lot of punishment and showed a lot of heart to stay toe to toe with Garrison but just did not have the strength to throw some winning punches as Garrison came out the clear winner.
That fight gave way to another JDF match-up between with Shawn Morgan in a lop-sided super heavyweight face off with Vernando McKenzie of Funrobics Gym. McKenzie entered the ring confidently but could not handle the force and speed of Morgan. He faced referee Wayne Roberts count more than once in the less than two rounds that he was in the ring, as Roberts eventually stopped the fight midway in the second round.
The only boxer out of the blue corner to record a win on the night was Mark-Andre Mendez of Control Strike Gym against Hammid Gordon of Funrobics Gym. They put on a spirited light middleweight show for the crowd but Mendez sent down more punches and was definitely under less pressure in the ring.
The opening action on the night was an entertaining exhibition bout which went to Alex Grant of Suga Gym over Crishaun McPherson of Funrobics Gym. They were the youngest boxers on show at just fourteen years old.
Stephen Bomber Jones, president of the Jamaica Boxing Association was pleased with the response from the boxing community. “I am very encouraged. I am extremely encouraged by what I saw. I am more encouraged also by the response by the boxers, the gyms and the managers themselves because tonight represents what they have been asking for, at least an answer, one of the answers for what they have been asking for. They have had their boxers training without being able to showcase their skills so this gives a platform to answer that so I am very happy.”
He also said ‘the last Saturday of every month we intend to have the same show but going forward it won’t just be amateurs. We want this platform to be from the most novice boxer which is our grassroot boxers – children, the elite amateurs – those that will over the next couple of years give the activities so that they can represent us internationally and also those boxers who want to turn pro, we give them this platform to have monthly bouts so that they can build a professional record so that they can be the choice of boxers that we carry around the island. The public deserves the best boxers when we do the Fight Night Series so this will be kind of be a feeder programme into the Series. The best boxers, the best amateurs and the best professionals that come out of this we will showcase around the island.”
The fight card was sponsored by Pepsi, S&G Road Surfacing, Vere Events, Locker room Sports and Creative Sports
Joshua 'rolled the dice, but came up short' in Dubois defeat
Anthony Joshua is likely to call for a rematch against Daniel Dubois, having conceded he "came up short" after he "rolled the dice" in Saturday's bout at Wembley Stadium.
In front of a record-breaking, 96,000 crowd that had been further geed up by a performance from Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, it was Dubois who turned in a supersonic display on Saturday.
Joshua saw his hopes of clinching the IBF heavyweight title slide away as Dubois dominated from the off, before delivering the knockout blow in round five.
Some pundits suggested this should be the end for Joshua, though the 34-year-old insisted he is not planning on stopping any time soon.
"Credit to him and his team. We rolled the dice of success, but we came up short," he told DAZN.
"You know I'm ready to kick off in the ring, but I'm going to keep my cool, keep very professional, and give respect to my opponent.
"I'm always saying to myself I'm a fighter for life... We keep rolling the dice.
"I had a sharp opponent, a fast opponent and a lot of mistakes from my end, but that's the game."
Promoter Eddie Hearn, meanwhile, claimed Joshua would likely take up the option of a rematch.
"I'm sure he'll exercise that rematch clause, it's a given, it's a dangerous fight because he's growing in confidence all the time but he'll believe he can beat him," Hearn told DAZN.
Dubois, though, will likely want to turn his attention to facing the victor out of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, with their rematch set to take place in December in Saudi Arabia.
'Gladiator' Dubois desperate for 'redemption' after brutal Joshua knockout
Daniel Dubois does not want his "redemption story" to stop after dominating Anthony Joshua to reclaim his IBF heavyweight title.
Oleksandr Usyk vacated his IBF belt, labelling it as a present for the fight between Joshua and Dubois, the latter taking the title by default.
Dubois left no doubts over the merit of his belt on Saturday, though, delivering a brutal fifth-round knockout blow to Joshua in front of a record-breaking crowd for the all-British clash at Wembley Stadium.
Speaking on DAZN after an impressive triumph, Dubois addressed the record-breaking crowd: "I've only got a few things to say, are you not entertained?!
"It's been a journey and I'm grateful to be in this position. I'm a gladiator, I'm a warrior until the bitter end. I want to get to the top of this sport and reach my full potential.
"Behind the scenes, the work with my dad. I've been on a rollercoaster run, this is my time, this is my redemption story. I'm not going to stop until I reach my full potential."
Tyson Fury and Usyk are set for a Riyadh rematch in December, though Dubois will be waiting in the wings for a shot at the heavyweight pair.
Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn immediately suggested his fighter will seek to activate a rematch clause with Dubois, however.
Whether Joshua can recover from this defeat remains to be seen, having been sent spiralling to the canvas multiple times, including in the opening round.
Joshua appeared to have found a way back into the bout in the fifth, only for Dubois to land a crucial right-hand finisher, much to his understandable delight.
"I am the man," he added to Sky Sports. "A mix of emotions. I can't say too much right now. I'm fighting to get all the glory. To me, I'm the hunter and I need to hunt."
As for his next fight, Dubois is dreaming big, adding: "All of the best, maybe Usyk [for] a big shot at my redemption. Anyone can get it."
Frank Warren echoed Dubois' sentiment, with the Queensbury promoter eyeing another shot at Usyk for Dubois, who lost to the Ukrainian in August last year.
"It was a phenomenal fight and I always felt it would be a [Marvin] Hagler versus [Thomas] Hearns situation," Warren told DAZN. "AJ showed his heart right until the end. It was a brilliant fight.
"I always felt Dubois would do it and he has. It's not a turnaround, it was there. He was a young man and had double fractures in his eyes, he couldn't fight. He hurt him [Usyk], I'd like to see him fight him now but he has to fight Tyson now.
"Everyone here has seen a champion's performance. He's done everything you could ask for. AJ caught him with a shot over there and I was worried. He's a young man and on top of his game, he can improve."
WBO interim heavyweight champion Joseph Parker also put his name into the hat to face Dubois, with Fury and Usyk not set to meet until later this year, which would keep any challenger waiting.
"If he [Dubois] wants to get it on then let's go," Parker said on DAZN immediately after the result.
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