The road to glory in boxing is paved differently for different travelers. Many of the more fortunate individuals tear through the amateur ranks and are snapped up by a promoter at a young age. Other amateur standouts fall between the huge cracks in the amateur-to-professional transitional system, and are forced to self-promote their way onto small boxing cards in order to make their way. DonYil Livingston falls into the latter category.
Livingston ran up a reported amateur record of (178-23, 83 KO), in a career that began at the tender age of ten. ?In the summer of 1995 my older brother, my twin and my father went to a park to sign up for football,? Livingston would tell us when asked how old he was when he took up the sport of boxing. ?But I was too big to compete with my age and weight category. At that time I weighed 178 pounds and stood five-feet, two-inches.?
That same year, Livingston would go on to win his first Junior Golden Gloves championship, a competition he would win six straight times. Livingston also won the National Silver Gloves championship, a competition he would go on to win twice more, once in 1998 and again in 2000. Livingston?s amateur accomplishments are outstanding, to say the least.
Despite it all, Livingston was never picked up by one of the big promoters that might take a look at someone with such an extensive and successful amateur record.
Livingston turned pro early in 2010, landing his first fight on May 6, against super middleweight Lamar Horne. King of the West MMA & Boxing Promotions granted Livingston the opportunity to fight on their ?Rage Against the Ropes? show. Livingston took advantage of his opportunity, scoring a second-round KO victory over Horne.
?It was an amazing experience. Of course I was excited do to be taking another step in the direction of my future goal of becoming the World Champion. It was an all new experience in boxing due to there being no head gear, smaller gloves, and now put on
