Light middleweight prospect and former amateur standout Richard Hargraves ends a fourteen-month layoff many miles from his hometown of San Francisco, California as he takes on Michael Faulk in a six-round featured attraction at the Black Bear Casino Resort in Carlton, Minnesota this Saturday night.
Hargraves (2-0-1, 2 KOs) turned pro way back in December of 2009 with a quick stoppage over John Dunham in Sacramento, California. Unfortunately for Hargraves, the 2009 U.S. Championships bronze medalist at 152-pounds, finding willing opponents has been a difficult task as he has attempted to advance his career.
“I couldn’t really land a fight,” explains the frustrated Hargraves. “There were a few guys that didn’t want to fight me and that’s pretty much what it was. When you don’t have a promoter it is a little tough to get in the game and stay in the game, as opposed to somebody that is promoted. Unlike myself, they already have everything set in place.”
Hargraves, whose size creates an imposing figure for any prospective opponent able to make 151 or so pounds, admits it has been hard to keep an eye on the prize with fights failing to materialize. “It is a little hard to stay motivated,” admits Hargraves honestly. “There are times when you just want to let go. When you are an amateur, you train hard every day because you can get a fight on any given day, so you stay ready. But as a pro, you want to tone down and let your body have a little rest. So I did lack a little motivation, but luckily some guys at the gym helped keep me motivated by the way they fight. So when you go to the gym and you are not motivated, those guys will cut you up. And I don’t want to get beat up at home too much.”
Luckily for Hargraves, Saturday’s bout came together with plenty of time for him to prepare both mentally and physically. “Fighting at 151, this is the first fight for me in a year and a couple of months and I am very excited,” Hargraves told 15rounds.com just moments before boarding his flight on Thursday morning. “I had a good month and a half of training camp. My body feels good and mentally I feel good. This is my first six-round fight I am just excited to go out here and not leave it in the judges’ hands. Be more active, be first, be last. Be great on defense and if I see the opportunity to get him out of there, get him out of there.”
The sport’s critical eye has been focused squarely on scoring in recent weeks, and by fighting Faulk (2-1) of Saint Paul, Minnesota near his home base, Hargraves could potentially be at risk for some home cooking, an idea not lost on the Californian.
“In the wake of the Pacquiao-Bradley decision, that weighs more heavily on my mind,” says Hargraves. “On national TV, that type of stuff can happen. But this is the sport we live in and the sport that we love and that is part of the game. To counteract all that, if I can knock him out, then I’m going to knock him out and take it out of the judges’ hands. But if the knockout don’t come, then just be more active, land more punches and do the best that I can. I just have to make it so impressive to where the judges can’t deny me.”
In Faulk, Hargraves goes up against a guy with some amateur credentials and only one loss on his ledger, which came at the hands of an undefeated prospect in Dominic Wade back in May of 2010 at middleweight. The San Franciscan, who fights out of the increasingly famed Straight Forward Club under Ben Bautista, does not underestimate his opponent.
“I think that if I am on my game, I should be able to beat him 80, 90 percent of the time,” explains Hargraves. “I just have to go out there and execute. I’m not taking anything away from the guy. He’s pretty good. He’s got good hand speed and he’s long in the limbs. But other than that, he’s a decent fighter and I did see him at the nationals one year. So he has to be pretty good to have won his state and go out to the nationals. But it’s going to be the battle of the 2s and one of us want to get win number three. And I want it more than he does, so that’s how it’s going to have to be.”
Tickets for Saturday’s event, promoted by Draw Events, are available online at Ticketfly.com. The bill, which includes eight total professional bouts, features unbeatens Cerreso Fort and Dave Peterson in the eight-round main event for the Minnesota State Light Middleweight title.
Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected]
