LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – This coming Saturday night, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, a mouth-watering light heavyweight unification bout takes center stage on pay-per-view between two former super middleweight champions that grew tired of waiting on Canelo Alvarez to return their messages and instead moved up one weight class in their last respective bouts to claim gold at 175-pounds, as David Morrell takes on David Benavidez. Morrell, previously one of the most decorated and successful amateur boxers of this generation, shares a trainer with an aspiring super middleweight that began his career from a different starting point in John “The Candyman” Easter, who will take a step-up in class on the undercard this weekend against Joseph Aguilar in a six-round bout.
Easter (7-0, 7 KOs) of Las Vegas came to boxing later than some, having participated in many other athletic endeavors before finding his way to boxing somewhat out of necessity. Born in South Carolina, but raised between Texas and Nevada, Easter had trouble settling into any season long enough to play a team sport.
“I ran track, played football, basketball and golf,” recalls Easter. “When you play those other sports, you have to make the team and I moved around a lot growing up, so boxing was the way I could live my life through my athletic ability without the things that I could not control. There isn’t a team you have to make in boxing.”
Easter’s desire to utilize his athleticism led him to the sport of boxing, but from the beginning, the young athlete was not interested in taking it up as just a hobby. Easter got into boxing to become a paid professional.
“I wanted to make something of myself and I didn’t want to be another statistic,” explains Easter. “I wanted to become something and change my family’s lives.”
Despite not being a loyal follower of the sport, there was one professional pugilist that stood out and reached Easter’s awareness. By the time Easter reached elementary school, Floyd Mayweather Jr. had reached the pinnacle of the sport and was widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. An undeniable crossover star by the time he beat Oscar De La Hoya in 2007, Mayweather was someone that Easter revered.
“Floyd was definitely somebody that was doing great things and I knew who he was and he was somebody that I did look up to,” recalls Easter. “Absolutely I did, because he was doing something great and I look up to greatness.”
Fast forward in life and John Easter would find himself under the tutelage of the man himself, Floyd Mayweather. Mayweather Promotions has handled many fighters dating back to when Mayweather was still actively fighting, but in recent years the company has scaled back the roster of fighters it oversees. Easter finds himself as one of the few that Mayweather has a vested interest in these days, and it is not lost on the young fighter what a gift that relationship is to his career.
“More than anybody would know,” says Easter when asked how involved Mayweather is in his fistic journey. “Any question I have or anything I want to go over, he is hands on. It is really a blessing that he is there for me in any way I need.”
While Mayweather retired after his 50th career win, which came over Conor McGregor in 2017, he has followed a path paved by great fighters from years-gone-by in taking up exhibitions in different parts of the world. On the undercard of one such bout, taking place last August at Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City, Mexico, Easter was able to notch his seventh pro victory over Jesus Villa Miranda, before witnessing his mentor show off before a raucous crowd.
“The experience was a great experience,” recalls Easter. “It was my first time opening up for Floyd, so that is always going to be amazing, to be able to say that I opened up for Floyd Mayweather. It was awesome. It was a great overall experience. The people embraced me when I went into the crowd to show love, the people loved me. Also, the magnitude of the event was perfect for me, because I am a big dreamer.”
With Mayweather’s guidance, Easter made a change to his corner last year, replacing the trainer that started him, Kofi Jantuah, and joining up with multiple-time trainer of the year, Bob Santos. Saturday’s bout will be the first the new duo embarks on together since joining forces around six months ago.
“Obviously, I’ve always had a good relationship with Floyd Mayweather, going back a long, long ways and Floyd is his promoter,” explains Santos. “Floyd gave his blessing to move him over here with me. He thought they needed to make a change. I think Kofi Jantuah did a great job with him, but for whatever reason, and I’m not privy to all the details, they thought they needed to make a change. Floyd thought I would be the best possible guy, moving forward with his career.”
“Bob has been phenomenal,” says Easter. “I’ve found a great place to be. It is a great home and I am very thankful that I crossed paths with Bob. I’ve learned a lot and he really believes in me. That is what matters to me.”
Easter came to boxing after competing in other sports and then opted to gain ring experience less from amateur bouts and more by sparring before turning professional in Mexico in May of 2021. While some may see the lack of amateur pedigree as a disadvantage, Easter and his trainer Santos are of like mind that is not necessarily the case.
“I didn’t train to be an amateur,” explains Easter. “I trained to be a pro. At the end of the day, there is not an advantage or disadvantage [in regards to having an amateur background]. At the end of the day, it is a fight. You have to go out there and punch. A lot of that stuff doesn’t make a difference. You have to go out there and fight. I think some fighters that have bigger amateur backgrounds are better than those that don’t, but then there are some fighters that don’t have that much of an amateur background that go on to be legends.”
“Roberto Duran didn’t have very many amateur fights and you saw what he did with his career,” says Santos. “There’s been a lot of guys [without amateur backgrounds] that ascended to the top. We’ve also had guys that won gold medals and never won a world championship. In the perfect world, would you like the amateur background? Yes. But sometimes, guys can’t transition from the amateurs to the pros because they are so stuck in one pattern they are not even coachable.”
Santos speaks from prior experience, pointing to a success story from his past as a prime example of what can be accomplished without the long amateur pedigree.
“I worked with a guy named Hector Lizaaraga that won a world championship from Fresno that had only 20 amateur fights, so this isn’t my first rodeo working with guys that don’t have a plethora of amateur fights and taking them to the top,” explains Santos. “We did it with Lizaaraga and I know we can do it with John Easter.”
Long before any designs can be made on winning world championships, Easter must pass the test at hand, this coming Saturday, in the form of Joseph Aguilar (6-2-1, 3 KOs) of Portland, Oregon.
“I don’t really know too much about him or know what to expect from him,” admits Easter, without apologies. “I didn’t do my research on him. I am going in there to be the best me. I am not going in there to be the best opponent for my opponent. I know he is going to bring something to the table, but at the end of the day, I know that I can box.”
While Easter seems less-than-concerned about what Aguilar may bring to the table, his team does recognize that the Oregonian represents a step-up in class from prior opposition for their young charge.
“No doubt about it, it is a step-up in class from where he has been fighting,” admits Santos. “But John is coming along really, really well and I am expecting for us to have a great performance and be victorious.”
Easter, known as “The Candyman,” is ready to put on a show for those who decide to arrive early to T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night.
“I am very excited to be fighting in Las Vegas on Saturday,” says Easter. “It is a blessing. I wish it was a different magnitude, but my time will come. You can expect to see me using my athleticism. Me going out there, being smart, listening to my team and having a victory with a big smile.”
Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com