NP grad White making name for himself on pro boxing circuit
NP grad White making name for himself on pro boxing circuit, now 3-0
Jordan White watched with great interest as Clarence Vinson boxed his way to a the bantamweight bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Watching Vinson, his cousin, White pictured a future for himself in the ring.
“I remember when he turned to me and said, ‘I can do it better than he can,’” said White’s father John, referring to his son of Vinson, “so I said, ‘You know what, you are aggressive and have heart, so let’s see what you can do. Boxing should be good for you.”
At age 6, the younger White finally began his boxing education in earnest when his father took him for a sparring session at Round One boxing gym, formerly owned by trainer Adrian Davis.
Having no base of knowledge at the time, the session was far from a walk in the park. White took his lumps, but had begun the road to long road that would eventually see him become a star in the making.
Now 13 years down the road, White — a 19-year old North Point High School graduate from Waldorf — has been on the professional boxing scene for a year. He has compiled a 3-0 record to this point, with all three wins coming by way of knockout.
“My first love was football and I always liked physical contact and wanted to make somebody feel it,” said the younger White. “My dad’s saying was, ‘Make them feel you son.’ After football we started going to different gyms and once we got familiar with the area and boxing we came
together and created Team Shortdog and our own training regime. And ever since we’ve kept this thing going.”
White was successful in his previous fight Aug. 19, knocking out Sergio Aguilar of Homestead, Fla., at the Crystal City Hilton in Arlington, Va. The rising bantamweight product, also referred to as “Shortdog,” is scheduled to fight on Nov. 5 at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington. His opponent has not been determined.
White signed his pro contract in 2015 with manager Al Haymon of Haymon Sports, a major promoter in the pro boxing circuit based out of Las Vegas that used to manage boxing great Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Before entering the pro level, White was a highly-decorated amateur under the direction of his father John, also his trainer and co-manager. He finished with an amateur record of 14515, which included nine national championships.
He also competed for gold at the 2013 World Games at the Victory Day tournament in Uman, Ukraine, as part of the United States five-man team, which featured 15- to 16-yearold boxers.
“The goal was to compete for the [2016] Olympic Games, but when Al Haymon came with the contract offer Jordan opted to turn pro,” John White said. “He wanted to make money and could not pass up the window of opportunity.”
White and his father currently use their home garage as the training facility, which is based at their residence in Waldorf, called “Pound for Pound.”
Team Jordan White is sponsored by Rhino Towing LLC and Demarco Solar Clothing.
“Training in the garage was the start to being independent and it took away a lot of distractions,” John White said. “The focus was just concentrating on one fighter rather than being in a group plan. I’m always critiquing Jordan and that is my job as his coach and he’s accepted that.”
On the transition of being a pro boxer, Jordan White said, “I love being on the professional way better than being an amateur and I’m able to display my talents more. “This level keeps you on your toes and you have to be ready for the ins and outs. This is a long term project and my parents have really been in my corner through the process.”
Before Tuesday’s interview with the Maryland Independent, White and his father went through an intense training regime that included heavy bag and speed bag workouts. White is a very versatile boxer with power who can fight either as a southpaw or right-handed.
White’s workout also includes running at least three to five miles a day, doing pool workouts, sit-ups, crunches and strength training and other agility drills. He also focuses on the proper nutrition to stay hydrated and energized to operate efficiently in the ring.
“Staying disciplined is important in boxing and you have to take care of the body,” said White, who was born in Landover in Prince George’s County and has resided in Waldorf for more than decade. “I wake up 5 a.m. in the morning to start my training and it pays off when you see the doors opening. I’m a pro now and it is a job. After my first fight I realized that you have to be committed.”
The older White said his son trained at other gyms in the metropolitan area such as Old School Boxing, Hillcrest Boxing Gym, the Headbangers Boxing Gym and Round One over the years leading up to the pro ranks.
“I would like to say thanks. All of these gyms opened the doors for my son,” John White said. “This was the asset to his outbreak and development in boxing. No. 1 is the heart and determination factor and then it is having an edge in conditioning.”