jonathan banks - heart of a fighter
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photo by steed media service
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Boxer
He may not float like a butterfly or sting like a bee, but cruiserweight champion Johnathan Banks speaks volumes with his fists. With a perfect 18-0 record, the Detroit native continues to focus, study and train for the only thing he has ever wanted to do — box.
“It’s just something I always wanted to do since I was a baby,” he admits. “I used to beg my mother [to let me fight].” Finally after seven years of pleading and waiting, he finally got his shot.
Under the tutelage of legendary trainer Emmanuel Stewart, Banks proved himself to be a true fighter when he stepped into the ring with former heavyweight champion Eliseo Castillo. “That was my 12th fight,” he recalls. “I was the underdog [and] they thought I was going to lose. I was knocked down twice in the first round and they thought the fight was over, but I came back and knocked the guy out in the fourth round.”
From that point on Banks has been a champion in the making.
In the wake of emerging victorious from a match with Derrick Brown on Nov. 15, 2007, Banks is now looking forward to a title fight on Feb. 23, 2008 at Madison Square Garden. As he focuses on maintaining his perfect record, the undisputed slugger is preparing himself mentally and physically for the fight of his life. “I take every fight so seriously,” he states emphatically. “If I’m not 100 percent in shape, I don’t care what they say, I won’t take the fight because this is a life-and-death situation.” – janaya black
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