Boxing, unlike most other athletic endeavors, is a sport that one can leave for a long period of time and pick up again down the road. Most fighters pick up the sport at a very young age, and often times get burnt out once or twice in their lifetime before returning to the ring. Back in 2003 and 2004, DonYil Livingston was among the top amateur fighters in the nation. Livingston came close to winning national titles on several occasions, competed at international events representing the United States and had his eye on making the U.S. Olympic squad. When things did not work out, Livingston eventually took a step away from the sport. After a couple years Livingston’s love for the fight game caught back up to him, and he made the decision to return to the ring. On Thursday night at the Circus Disco in Hollywood, California, Livingston will make his professional debut in what he hopes is just step one on the road back to national prominence.
Livingston, who fights out of Palmdale, California, found boxing on a fluke as a ten-year old. “I went to a park to play football during the summer of ’96,” recalled Livingston. “Based on my age and weight, they told me I was too big to play for my age and weight class. As my father and I were exiting the park, I heard a loud pounding inside of a gym. I poked my head in and saw some guys hitting the bag and inside of the ring. We talked to the coach, he gave us a waiver to fill out and we came back the following day. Since that next day I have grown to love boxing.”
Livingston quickly developed into one of the top junior Olympic division fighters, winning national and international titles. At just 16-years-old, Livingston moved into the open division to become one of the top amateur middleweight boxers in the country. “Everybody that I competed against, everybody that I came up with, they are now either title holders or top contenders as professionals,” says Livingston. “I sit back and look at some guys and I am happy for them, but I think to myself that I should be right next to them.”
Competing in national and international competitions in 2003, Livingston would fight some of the top fighters in pro boxing today. At the 2003 U.S. Championships, Livingston would lose by decision to eventual U.S. Olympian Andre Dirrell in the quarterfinals. Livingston also fought reigning WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Jean Pascal at a May 2003 dual in Canada. At the 2003 National PAL Championships, Livingston made it to the finals, before losing to present day prospect Joe Greene.
The following February, Livingston’s dreams of making the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team ended with a preliminary round loss to Jorge Hernandez of Lompoc, California. Livingston would continue his amateur career, including advancement to the quarterfinals of the 2004 National Golden Gloves, but eventually his commitment to amateur boxing would wane.
“After the ’04 Western Trials I stayed in it for a couple years and then I took a couple years off from boxing because I was ready to turn pro,” recalls Livingston. “Mentally I was tired of the amateurs, and I was ready to go pro. All of my friends, all of my peers were going pro. For me to stick around in the amateurs, I didn’t have the hunger for it anymore. So I stepped away from the sport, because if you are not 110 percent into the sport, both mentally and physically, you can seriously get hurt. So I stepped away until I had my mind completely made up.”
In his time away, Livingston’s love for the sport of boxing haunted him at times. “I love boxing and I have been in love with boxing,” says Livingston. “Everything I have been doing, whether it was sports or life in general, I have always found a way to tie it back to boxing. I was getting ready for the Sheriff’s Academy, and we were out there running and everything, but for some reason everyday at five o’clock, I would think to myself I should be at the gym training. I would watch various fights on TV, and I would think I could dominate this guy. My heart and my love is boxing.”
Coming to the realization he was not done with the sport, Livingston made the decision to turn pro. “I couldn’t continue going on, pushing it to the side, because I would have gone miserable. I don’t want to be one of those guys that says later, ‘I could of’ or ‘I should of’. So now I came back and I am ready to go. It is a few years later, but we are more hungry than we were then.”
Livingston’s professional career begins Thursday against Lamar Horne (2-5, 1 KO) of San Diego, California, who is a replacement for a less experienced fighter. The late change in opponents does not bother the well composed Livingston. “When I train, I am not the type to study fighters,” reveals Livingston. “I train to defeat myself. Not to belittle anyone, or overlook anyone, but I know the type of fighter that I am. I am a very talented, very blessed fighter. I look at it that I train to defeat me, and I know I can’t defeat me.”
Livingston, who competed mainly at the 165-pound middleweight class as an amateur, will debut at super middleweight as a pro, but may make the move down to 160-pounds in time. Now matter the weight class, Livingston is just about done waiting, and ready to get back to fighting. “It has been a long journey and I am ready to continue this ride.”
Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.
